BETHESDA TRAFFIC SIGNALS COLLAPSE, CRASH DOWN ONTO STREET BELOW [PHOTOS] - OLD GEORGETOWN AND ARLINGTON ROADS

A utility pole and traffic lights fell suddenly Saturday afternoon, crashing down onto the roadway below at a major downtown Bethesda intersection. It is unknown at present the official cause, or how soon the pole and signals at the crossroads of Old Georgetown Road, Arlington Road, St. Elmo Avenue, and Wilson Lane can be replaced.

Montgomery County Police
on scene after collapse

Rust and corrosion at the base of the pole are obvious, but we'll have to wait for an official determination. Many thanks to reader James Murphy for emailing these dramatic photos in the immediate aftermath of the collapse. Fortunately, there is no indication of injuries.

This is another wake-up call about aging infrastructure countywide.

Close-up of corroded
light pole base

GROUP DEMANDS REMOVAL OF "OFFENSIVE AND SEXIST BILLBOARD" AT BETHESDA ROW GYM (PHOTO)

A local but anonymous group, Sexism Matters, has launched an online petition asking the Equinox fitness chain to remove an "offensive and sexist billboard" from its Bethesda Row building facade.

In the group's petition, which currently has 172 signatures, they tell Equinox CEO Harvey Spevak "our daughters and sons walk by the billboard outside Equinox Gym every day. They see a woman in a degrading sexual position, being 'celebrated' for her hypersexualized and supposed dexterity, with a pool cue and balls. This is somehow meant to advertise for a fitness facility. Our children shouldn't be subjected to this. Our female friends and family shouldn't be viewed like this, nor forced to conform to it."

Some context here: The facade advertisement features one of several images in Equinox's 2013 "Dexterity" marketing campaign. The photographs were taken by a renowned but highly-controversial photographer, Terry Richardson. Richardson is best known for his photos of top celebrities like Beyonce and Lady GaGa. He collaborated on a photo book with the latter, no stranger to controversy herself.

The resulting campaign has been recognized and praised on both sides of the Atlantic. Hiring Richardson was a deliberate choice by Equinox. They knew his work would be provocative, and certainly, the campaign was meant to provoke a response.

It has.

This local petition is only one example of complaints by offended parties across the internet.

But the campaign has succeeded: it's being talked about. They've got your attention. And that's the whole point. Aside from actual criminal activity, there's usually no such thing as bad press.

There is the First Amendment right, too, of the company to communicate anything it wants. So, too, are the petitioners exercising that right themselves. And the great thing about America, is people get to decide for themselves. Does the ad convince you to buy an Equinox membership? Or are you offended, and will go elsewhere?

Equinox does not currently seem to be hurting for members. But they have always had an edgy marketing campaign. That edginess - along with the high-quality, upscale product they provide - has distinguished them from competing gyms. And arguably, has played a role in its success.

The models are thin, and the fashions are expensive. And so they are in Federal Realty's marketing materials, as well. Bethesda Row is an "aspirational" place. It's not surprising that companies targeting an aspirational audience would give them what they believe those demographics aspire to.

Clearly, Sexism Matters feels some of the "values" in the Equinox campaign are not ones to aspire to. Others probably wonder what the fuss is all about.

You've got to give the ad agency credit - much like The Lauren's in-your-face condo ads on Hampden Lane - people are talking about it. (And, unlike The Lauren ads, some have said positive things about the Equinox campaign). In the ad world, that's what you live for.

What do you think about the ad?

WASHINGTONIAN BEST OF BETHESDA ROW HAPPY HOUR (PHOTO GALLERY)

Here are photos from last night's Washingtonian Best Of Bethesda Row happy hour on Bethesda Lane:

BETHESDA ROW CINEMA RENOVATION UPDATE (PHOTOS)

The famous, glowing blue Cinema sign atop the marquee of the Landmark Bethesda Row Cinema has been removed.

Renovations continue inside and outside, including the construction of a new bar and cafe that will serve adult beverages.

The theater is scheduled to reopen in less than 20 days, on Friday, May 3.

4500 EAST-WEST HIGHWAY CONSTRUCTION UPDATE - FORMER BETHESDA MCDONALD'S SITE (PHOTOS)

Excavation and grading continue at the Carr construction site at 4500 East-West Highway in Bethesda. Formerly a McDonald's restaurant, the site will now house a Class A office building.

It amazes me how these unwieldy machines work on and near these steep grades without ever taking an accidental tumble.

Contractors have been blasting a layer of rock on the south end of the site.

BETHESDA ROW LOT 31 TOWER CRANE ASSEMBLY (PHOTOS) - BETHESDA CONSTRUCTION UPDATE

Time to brush up on those crane signals around Bethesda Row. The tower crane is under construction in the chasm at former Lot 31.

As you can see in these photos, it takes a whole team of men and machines to assemble one of these things.

Once assembled, the crane will assist in the construction of The Darcy and the 900-space parking garage underneath it.

"Raise the load, and lower the boom!" Or is it the other way around?

EMPTY LOTS AT WHITE FLINT MALL - THE DARK SIDE OF WHITE FLINT, PART 3 (PHOTOS)

PART I - White Flint Mall Demolition
PART II - Inside a Dying Mall

Welcome again, as we examine the less-reported side of the post-sector plan White Flint. One major story is the intentional decline of White Flint Mall, where demolition has already started, to make way for a future "town center."

I can remember dining at Cheesecake Factory there just a few years ago on a Sunday, and being unable to find a parking space in the large lot out front.

Last Sunday, I returned at the same dinner hour, and was able to find a space quite easily.

Meanwhile, other mall parking lots that used to hold cars were completely empty.

DEMOLITION OPERATIONS BEGIN AT BETHESDA ARLINGTON ROAD POST OFFICE (PHOTOS)

Demolition of the old Bethesda Post Office on Arlington Road is getting underway. The building was not known for its grand architecture, but was a highly-functional Post Office with plenty of free, surface parking.

One can't help but feel nostalgic after attempting to utilize the new post office with no parking at 6900 Wisconsin Avenue.

POSTAPOCALYPTIC SCENES FROM A DYING MALL - THE DARK SIDE OF WHITE FLINT, PART 2 (PHOTOS)

Click here to read Part 1 of this series, featuring a White Flint Mall demolition photo gallery.

Is this a postapocalyptic movie set?

No, it's the last chapter of White Flint Mall, in Bethesda, Maryland.  These are the abandoned stores, corridors, and escalators of a thriving mall intentionally driven over the cliff by its ownership.

Empty spaces that represent many dozen lost jobs and dashed dreams in the Montgomery County we're told is "open for business."

And, as I mentioned yesterday, a perfectly good structure being demolished for the uncertain promise of bigger developer profits tomorrow. Greed is good.

"Enjoy" this photo tour of the dark side of the White Flint sector plan you don't hear about much from the local press.