In order to stop the rampant carelessness and irresponsibility of its constituents when it comes to carefully disposing old household stuff, including mattress, the city council has decided to pass a resolution “banning mattresses, box springs, sofas and upholstered chairs from non-enclosed porches, primarily to prevent the celebratory burning of such items”.

Having a couch, love seat or spare mattress on your porch could be illegal in Pittsburgh if City Council makes final a tentative vote it took yesterday.

All of the council members present voted for legislation banning mattresses, box springs, sofas and upholstered chairs from non-enclosed porches, primarily to prevent the celebratory burning of such items, as has happened repeatedly in Oakland.

After showing council video of couches, ignited in the streets of Oakland after the Steelers Super Bowl win and during a street festival, Councilman Bruce Kraus urged his colleagues not to repeat last week’s postponement of his legislation.

“Rome is burning, and we just wasted a week,” he said, shortly after showing video of a blazing couch on Semple Street. “One idiot that decides to place an accelerant on the wood of that porch, and that whole row of houses could go up.”

Oakland community groups came out in favor of the ordinance.

A couch on a porch “creates a health hazard. It draws pests and rodents and bugs,” said Kelly Wawrzeniak, a community organizer with the Oakland Planning and Development Corp.

Mr. Kraus said he doesn’t intend to restrict patio furniture that “is generally wrought iron or a vinyl composition” and is meant for outdoor use.

The penalty for keeping upholstered furniture on a non-enclosed porch would be $200 to $500, plus court costs, per day. A final vote could occur next week.

Via Post Gazette