Live in Wayfarer 3.1 is a new set of acceptance criteria! Please browse the information in this category with caution as it is in reference to the previous review guidelines. To learn more about the new criteria, see here: https://niantic.helpshift.com/a/wayfarer/
Painted Fire Hydrants and Electrical Boxes
cyndiepooh-ING
Posts: 955 ✭✭✭✭✭
I reject these as interfering with emergency services, but I see a lot of them getting approved. Is there an official position on these?
I hope if there is a fire or power outage near me, there isn't a crowd of players in the way of emergency responders.
Answers
Fire hydrants should always be rejected. A beautified electric boss I feel has merit
Fire hydrants I can agree on that they may be used by emergency services and rejected, but an electric box ? No, they wouldn't fall under emergency services and pease see the following threads for more info.
Fire hydrants would fall under the category of emergency services. Electrical box do not.
Thanks for the input and the link to the AMA link from 2018 - I've been doing this for quite a while so would never have looked in resources for new reviewers. Just Wayfarer help.
I'm still uncomfortable with electrical boxes as often as i see crews working at them here, but will not reject outright if they are artistic and accessible. Will continue to reject fire hydrants unless out of service and mounted as art like at a local dog park.
This includes anywhere that may interfere with the operations of fire stations, police stations, hospitals, military bases[...]
Players standing near some random fire hydrant aren't going to interfere with the operations of a fire station and more than a group of players literally anywhere else in public. Any given hydrant essentially never gets used and EMS vehicles park anywhere else they need to in order to conduct their services. Hydrants with artwork that otherwise meet criteria aren't in-eligible by this criteria and I stand by every one of the 40 hydrants I've submitted and had approved. This argument that they are invalid is a rather large stretch based on the criteria as written.
IMO the emergency services guidance is often interpreted far too strictly. POI positioned such that players are encouraged to park or stand in a driveway for a fire station from which vehicles could be dispatched at any time, that's a clear case. Likewise with the ambulance entrance at a hospital. Rejecting an electrical box because in the (exceedingly rare) event of a power outage, crews might need access, I don't believe that fits the reason for rejection.
I couldn't agree more. Its similar to the quote from Casey about a police officer at a court house doesn't make the court house ineligible.
Fire Hydrants would have to meet all other requirements such as safe pedestrian access and players would have to follow the same local laws such as not parking in front of the hydrant. As long as the Hydrant can safely be access from a Sidewalk or similar there would be zero interference. IF in the super rare and I mean like millions to 1 chance that a hydrant is needed while players are actively playing at that area they would see the Fire Truck coming no different than seeing one as you were driving and you would move out of the way. No obstructing its usage. Whereas someone directly at a Fire House could block the way and not be able to move fast enough to where the truck is trying to get out.
So, how are fire hydrants OK in the area between the sidewalk and the street but not little free libraries ?
LFL are often used by people to get a stop/portal in front of their house.
Get a few books, put them in an old closet, place it in front of your house, wait for the Google streetview car to pass your house or add your own picture to Google streetview. When I look at the LFL here on Wayfarer I don't trust 99% of them.
Maybe my standards are too high ;-)
Back on topic. Fire hydrants NO. Utility boxes decorated with a permanent character YES, just a nice sticker or a tag NO
You can't revert a rejection into acceptance because it doesn't meet rejection criteria: Obstruct Emergency Services. Why would a fire hydrant by it's own without any art/historical/cultural aspect meet any criteria? And those probably mass-produced like lamp post, postboxes, etc like Casey said.
Edit: I re-read the title and it says painted hydrant, meaning artistic one. I agree that most object need to meet another category to be eligible, even though people would have different opinion as group of people/vehicles near hydrant "might" obstruct emergency services. Better be safe than sorry