Two New York City governmental departments are using the photo of Kansas City Chief star Travis Kelce screaming in coach Andy Reid’s face during the Super Bowl to front their public warning campaigns.
NFL fans will recall that early in Super Bowl 58, Kelce was seen on the sideline getting in coach Reid’s face and bashing into the elderly man in frustration. Kelce has since apologized for his ignorant actions.
Travis Kelce gotta do better manpic.twitter.com/hsGlesIiQm
— Dave (@dave_bfr) February 12, 2024
Now, the New York City Department of Transportation has used the image to push its anti-car agenda, the New York Post reported.
Using Kelce’s screaming face, the department wrote a post on X reading in all caps, “OUTDOOR DINING TAKES UP LESS THAN .5% OF STREET PARKING IN NEW YORK CITY. PUBLIC SPACE IS FOR EVERYONE, NOT JUST CARS.”
OUTDOOR DINING TAKES UP LESS THAN .5% OF STREET PARKING IN NEW YORK CITY. PUBLIC SPACE IS FOR EVERYONE, NOT JUST CARS. pic.twitter.com/HVfM0gYT1w
— NYC DOT (@NYC_DOT) February 12, 2024
Many X users found the whole campaign odd. One commenter wondered why it has to be left to the people to inform the DOT that roads are made for transportation, not restaurant tables.
Crazy that we have to tell the "Department of Transportation" that streets were made for cars.
— Meredith (@Opportunitweet) February 13, 2024
Others wondered why the DOT is weighing in on political issues when it isn’t their job to lead debate on policy but only to implement it.
@nick_benson, @vinbarone, @ydanis…
Here’s the deal…Personally, I like the idea of more outdoor dining, yet a lot of people don’t. It’s not your job to push the opinion one way or another or even have an opinion at all. This post happens to be about a topic on which we are…
— C. E. Panoff III (@cepanoff3) February 18, 2024
This is the official DOT account? I guess there is no ethical code at your agency?
— Ascendant (@ascendent33) February 12, 2024
I remember the days when the NYC Department of Transportation was concerned about transportation. Those were the days !
— Joseph Bonner (@Bloodhound1013) February 12, 2024
The Dept. of Transportation is not the only Big Apple agency using Kelce to push an agenda.
The city’s Department of Buildings also used the image to warn building owners to stop engaging in permitless construction in building basements.
“STOP EXCAVATING OUT THE FLOORS OF YOUR BASEMENTS WITHOUT ENGINEERED DRAWINGS AND PERMITS,” posted DOB on X, also in all caps.
STOP EXCAVATING OUT THE FLOORS OF YOUR BASEMENTS WITHOUT ENGINEERED DRAWINGS AND PERMITS.
YOU ARE DESTABILIZING THE STRUCTURAL INTEGRITY OF YOUR BUILDINGS… pic.twitter.com/gkeBGCH7Bj
— NYC Buildings (@NYC_Buildings) February 12, 2024
Some X users accused the city officials of launching an antisemitic attack on Jews in light of the story from weeks ago that several students had been digging under the headquarters of the global Chabad-Lubavitch.
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