Raising canes

Wednesday afternoon I looked out the window at work and saw these being put up:

This was 6 November, mind; people are still coming down from their Halloween sugar high, and Boston Properties is putting up Christmas decorations, right in the heart (or possibly the kidney) of the People’s Republic.

This abomination is at the faux urban construct known as Reston Town Center, a collection of butt-ugly high-rises anchored by a rotating stream of chain shops and restaurants. The rotation has been given a kick in the pants by BP imposing parking fees in a scheme involving byzantine and confusing divisions of garages and initially-mandated use of a parking app that demands access to your contacts, videos, photos and more on your mobile phone. (I had to download the app when I came for my interview back in August; I deleted it immediately afterward.) When BP combined the throttling of customers who refused to pay to park for goods and services they can get at any other mall with raising rents for retail space, well…

Anyhow, given that utterly ersatz ambience that pervades the place, I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised that they couldn’t wait to start slapping up the holiday reminders.

They haven’t lighted them yet, but I’m still outraged.

BREAKING: When I walked in this morning (at 0530; don’t ask), the canes were gone. Dunno the back story on that. But I’m still outraged.