Humans of the Glorified Sidewalk

The Atlanta BeltLine tour bus. Photo by Dena Mellick

Another media outlet has followed up on Atlanta Loop’s story about Jessie Fream’s fight to keep using the word Beltline in the name of her Facebook group.

As Atlanta Loop first reported, Atlanta BeltLine Inc. contacted Fream about her “Humans of the Atlanta BeltLine” Facebook group to inform her that the BeltLine name is trademarked. They have not sent her a cease and desist letter, but have sent them to other businesses, including Decaturish.com, the parent company of Atlanta Loop. This site was originally going to be called Beltline News,  but the Cease and Desist forced the name change.

The Beltline, a 22-mile trail, is owned by the public and ABI is a public entity. ABI the registered owner of several Beltline-related trademarks.

CBS 46 has followed up with ABI, which has indicated they’re willing to sit down to talk with Fream about her use of the name. The network interviewed a local attorney who defended ABI’s defense of it’s trademark.

“The only way they can protect the word ‘Beltline’ … is to be consistent about it,” the attorney said. “Whenever they see someone using it without authority they have to call in the lawyers, they have to send out the letters.”

However, an investigation by Atlanta Loop shows that ABI has been inconsistent about enforcing its trademark over the years.

Here is the full story from CBS:

CBS46 News

Other media outlets have picked up on the original story, including the Atlanta Journal Constitution and Creative Loafing.

Until the matter is resolved, Atlanta Loop has offered to publish Fream’s feature under the name,  “Humans of the Glorified Sidewalk.”

Humans of the Glorified Sidewalk is a collaborative feature between Atlanta Loop and Jessie Fream, who regularly walks the Beltline with her camera and shares what she sees. For more information about the name of this feature, click here.

“Yup, I’m in timeout.”

SMILE!! Heeeeeeey!!

“How’d it come out?”

Nailed it.

“He gets a lot of attention. He walks slowly (without a leash). It’s more of us following him around, rather than taking him on a walk.

We moved here a year ago from Portland, Oregon, where he was an indoor and outdoor cat. We tried putting him on a leash, be he just flattens out. You’d think he’d like it but, no.”

What’s going on out here?

“It’s my birthday, I just turned 15!”

Happy birthday!! Have y’all driven yet?

Hey can I interview your daughter?

“Actually, he’s my son. This is Rani.”

Geez, I’m so sorry. I feel like crap…

Humans of the Glorified Sidewalk is a collaborative feature between Atlanta Loop and Jessie Fream, who regularly walks the Beltline with her camera and shares what she sees. For more information about the name of this feature, click here. 

“We work directly with each other in the operating room at the Orthopedic Spine Surgery Center. We perform abdominal surgeries where we go in through the abdomen…”

Are y’all religious or spiritual? I’d imagine you might have some moments in there…

“Welllllllllllll, I’m not…”

“I am.”

“But if the patient believes, we pray with them. Sometimes they use spirituality to cope with what’s going on. Sometimes it’s the patient’s first surgery in their lives and they’re scared, so we grant their wish.”

Do you lead it, or let them?

“Sometimes they do, sometimes they ask. Whatever the patient asks, that’s what we do.”

So, apparently today’s a good day to lose things 😳 if these keys are yours, they’re at Ponce City Market with the bike folks. If you don’t pick them up before they close, they’ll be at security ✌️

“I like first grade better than kindergarten because you do harder stuff. Harder math and stuff. Math’s my favorite subject because it’s fun.”

How long have you been skateboarding?

“Since I was 4, now I’m 6.”

Who taught you?

“YouTube.”