Unless you live in a Baltimore neighborhood — and, more specifically, a Baltimore rowhouse neighborhood — you might not be able to relate to this problem: Wires. Not wires that are needed for electric power or communications, but wires now dormant and left hanging in tangled messes by the companies that installed them. I wrote about this problem a few years ago after walking about the Remington neighborhood and noticing in rear alleys and over sidewalks a ridiculous amount of black wires, some of them hanging low enough to catch a 6-foot man under the chin. I inquired about this and discovered that no one was on the case; there was no constituency constantly complaining and asking for the removal of wires no longer needed. Comcast, for one, runs new wires every time a rowhouse changes owners or renters. The company apparently feels no responsibility to remove the previous wire, and gets no pressure to do so. There oughta be a law!
I’ll keep this short: If you live in a community that’s over-wired, if you want to get them removed, please get in touch with me at my Baltimore Sun email address (drodricks@baltsun.com) and provide a location. I’ll get more photographic evidence and let the Maryland Public Service Commission know about this. It’s ridiculous, and suggestive of how Comcast, in particular, feels about its city customer base. These wires bring ugly to city neighborhoods and even — in some cases I’m sure — present a hazard.
I would really like to hear from community activists who have tried to do something about this in the past. Here is a link to my Sun column on the subject from 2016. It explains why no one takes responsibility for the dormant wires.
Dan Rodricks 
Oh My Word !!!
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We have the same problem on Main Street in Irvington NY!
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Hey Dan. Yes my back yard is a mess due to the damn things. I’ve called Comcast and “the phone company “ but guess what – nuttin’ not a damn thing was done. Same with the ridiculous amount of ambient light. Called about that so many times and not one city councilman has done diddly( Carl stokes and the new one Robert stokes should be jokes!).
ANY help much appreciated!!!!!
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Hi Janet, I agree, Robert Stokes is awful! Did you know there’s a Green Party candidate running against him in the general election? https://www.francaforthepeople.com/
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Hello Dan, yes, I a am interested in this problem.
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I had a low wire in the rear of my house connecting to the neighbors house next door. Like you mention, I could catch my head on it in my own yard. I called BGE and they sent someone out immediately and said Comcast needs to move it. Whenever I call Comcast the people on the phone have no idea what I’m talking about and no idea who to transfer me to when I get through trying to explain. Spend a lot of time on hold and transferred around or hung up on with no resolution. Eventually i just ended up raising and tying it taught myself since the house it connects to is empty, but it does remain an eyesore here in Remington.
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I would love for all those hanging, ugly wires to be gone. I have tried calling Verizon and Comcast in the past with no outcome. They need to clean up their mess!
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This is a problem all across this country. I have properties in other states that I have had to pull hundreds if not thousands of feet of cable from under, around, and above my properties. I am tired of having spaghetti all over my properties and further more WHO EVER GAVE THE RIGHT TO CABLE COMPANIES TO DRILL HOLES WHERE EVER THEY WANT ON YOUR PROPERTIES!!!.
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