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PaperclipPerfector  4d ago (text post)   2443 thread views

Small-Scale Question Sunday for June 21, 2026

Do you have a dumb question that you're kind of embarrassed to ask in the main thread? Is there something you're just not sure about?

This is your opportunity to ask questions. No question too simple or too silly.

Culture war topics are accepted, and proposals for a better intro post are appreciated.

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Before I waste any more of my time thinking about this, is there any evidence that the degradation of the new reflecting pool coating was caused by vandalism as opposed to run-of-the-mill incompetence?

I don’t really care about the algae. That seems like a fixable problem.

I've seen video of sections of liner coming off the bottom, and they certainly appeared to be cut/torn away from the concrete. Like, roughly a roughly straight-line rectangular section about a foot long and maybe six inches wide, with ragged edges near corners.

In one of the arrest videos you can see this woman reach into the pool and pull against something with some force, twice, before getting her phone to take a picture of whatever she's doing, before she looks up and sees the plainclothes park cop standing above her taking a picture for evidence. Some people have also posted photos of chunks they've torn off. Vandalism is definitely happening, who knows whether that's the main cause or just a contributing factor, my priors are indubitably right and your priors are wrong and evil etc.

100% of time spent on this is wasted, but at least 6 people have been arrested for vandalism, with another 10 or so citations or police reports. No details yet, AFAIK.

I personally think it's incompetence. And even worse, it's incompetence due to corruption.

But in an effort to be charitable: somebody certainly made "giant ‘8647’ markings on National Mall" and that's vandalism, so can't rule out the same for the pool as well.

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