Damned long haired freaky Toyota drivers.

Love is all around you, yeah
Toyota's knockin' outside your door.
Prius for you, is this hybrid just for two?
Get a Corolla and you'll find love again, I know.

FTFA: Therefore, the city issued a building permit knowing what it would be when completed and, according to case law, cannot revoke the permit.

Well then, they can't revoke the building permit and have it torn down, what they need is someone enterprising enough to make them have to get a new building permit. Maybe 'accidentally' crash into it with a car or something. Maybe it will 'mysteriously' burst into flames one night also.

Zalan

Maybe it will 'mysteriously' burst into flames one night also.


If it were me I'd invest in a pellet gun.

I'd rather have that outside of my farking bedroom window than EVER hear that saved by zero commercial again.

Jerry, my rods and cones are all screwed up!

I thought that this was the reason pellet guns were invented.

Seriously, If it was so bad that I simply could not get used to it, I would on random nights take out as many bulbs as I possibly could. Of course trying like hell not to get caught.

God help them if they designed it with any electrical components outside. It is amazing what you can do in a hurry with a set of wirecutters.

Why would the dealership want to light that sign up all night. why not just have it fully illuminated until 9pm then just back light the Toyota logo. But more interesting is why someone would want to live across the street from a car dealer.

That headline is full of WIN!

+1 Subby

Does anybody have a link to that hilarious short version of this song that goes "...and the sign says trespassers will be shot on sight, so I jumped over the fence and yelled, 'Hey! What gives you the...(gunshots)...'"

/heard it on Bob and Tom

BAAAAAD Chicken! Mess you UP!!

And now a public service announcement:

Oh what a feeling

While the sign does sond annoying, it's not like the guy was living on Walden Pond and they parachuted in with this thing. He lives on Rte 1 across from an auto dealership, ferchrissakes.

Who in the name of Sam Hill needs a sign THAT big? Talk about some SERIOUS overcompensation issues...

kleethecat: ... But more interesting is why someone would want to live across the street from a car dealer.

Maybe the house was there before the dealership.

What? No WHAAAAAAAAAAMBULANCE! Jeff?

Geraci and neighbor Jill Tapscott told the City Council the sign illuminates the inside and outside of their homes.

"I feel as though it affects my quality of life as well as my property value," said Tapscott. "In order to escape the lighting of that huge sign, I need to draw the blinds and shades all the time once darkness hits."

'Woo! My vinyl siding will fade two months sooner than without the added light! I'll get carpal tunnel syndrome and risk a friction fire drawing those blinds and shades!'

Ghad. The city put in a brighter streetlight (tinfoil hat time) at the request of someone on the street a while ago. It happens to be right outside my bedroom window. Guess what? Jeff?

Now, had it been a speaker system blaring alleged music at unFSMly hours there'd be hell to pay.

downtownkid: While the sign does sond annoying, it's not like the guy was living on Walden Pond and they parachuted in with this thing. He lives on Rte 1 across from an auto dealership, ferchrissakes.

This.

<img src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/a/aa/Seinfeld_s8e8.jpg">

Technically, it isn't just a sign, it is actually the front of the building. We have one in Ventura, right off the 101 FWY in our Auto center. It isn't shining into anyone's house though, but of all the things to complain about...

One way to defuse streetlights, and potentially signs, if see if you can find a photosensitive light cell that controls them, sticking up somewhere. Supposedly, a decent laser pointer aimed at one will do the trick (it takes some time for them to cycle, BTW, about 2 - 5 min.)

As far as living across from a car dealer? Let's face it, he lives on 'Rt 1', not some backwater street. Check your zoning laws in the area before you move in.

Maybe they need to hire a private eye that would empathize.

downtownkid: While the sign does sond annoying, it's not like the guy was living on Walden Pond and they parachuted in with this thing. He lives on Rte 1 across from an auto dealership, ferchrissakes.

No, he lives on a street that parallels Rte 1 ferchissakes. 30 seconds with Google maps figured that out fercrissakes. Here's a link fercrissakes: Frechrissakes (new window)

Am I the only one who thinks that it is a bit hypocritical for any company who advertises that their vehicles are more efficient and "environment friendly"... then goes ahead with a massive blaring sign like that? It never ceases to amaze me how wasteful the corporate pig is even in the face of this terrible economy and environmental crisis.

Useless light pollution pisses me off.

International Dark Sky Association (new window)

The guy lived there before the dealership.
Some dude sold his street front property, and this homeowner got swallowed up by suburban sprawl.
The dealership owners are asshats for weasling around zoneing laws for illuminated signage. The zoneing commision folks are idiots for allowing such a thing to be errected so close to a resedential zone in the first place.
The fact that this guy lives in an area that could get swallowed by retail development tells me he doesn't have many options in the first place.

If I were the homeowner, I'd put a giant, lit sign about the same size up right across from it that said "TOYOTAS SUCK, AND YOU SUCK FOR SHOPPING HERE!"

PsychoPhil: One way to defuse streetlights, and potentially signs, if see if you can find a photosensitive light cell that controls them, sticking up somewhere. Supposedly, a decent laser pointer aimed at one will do the trick (it takes some time for them to cycle, BTW, about 2 - 5 min.)

As far as living across from a car dealer? Let's face it, he lives on 'Rt 1', not some backwater street. Check your zoning laws in the area before you move in.

The photocell for that is likely to be on the roof behind that wall. In a commercial district, it's tough to find a place to put one where it isn't going to get wiped out by the ambient light pollution.

Besides, a remodel like that, that sign is going to be on an energy management system that's centrally controlled by a computer somewhere in Idaho or summat.

Why is the sign so big? The dealership is a couple hundred yards from the road. Visibility dictates that it has to be that big. Visibility also dictates that it can't be so bright as to illuminate someone's living room. Most likely they can see a red glow on the edge of their glasses in their china closet when the sign is on. You know, the kind of bright spot you get from the sun, except instead of white it's red.

Space Cadet Netty: Am I the only one who thinks that it is a bit hypocritical for any company who advertises that their vehicles are more efficient and "environment friendly"... then goes ahead with a massive blaring sign like that? It never ceases to amaze me how wasteful the corporate pig is even in the face of this terrible economy and environmental crisis.

Useless light pollution pisses me off.

International Dark Sky Association (new window)

Neon is actually fairly efficient. That sign probably takes 1000w to run. Neon like that also doesn't cause much light pollution. It's only throwing off enough light to be seen, not illuminating other surfaces to be seen. Your hatred is misdirected. The largest contribution to light pollution is wide area lighting such as parkinglots and streetlights.

Also, it's been demonstrated that effective signage improves safety and reduces navigational errors in the area, both related and not related to the business with the sign. The theory is, there isn't much to see, and signs with logos and/or large concise words break up the roadside into things that people actually understand.

/light pollution pisses me off too
//can't see half the stars in the sky since the school district decided to illuminate 50 acres with enough light to require sunglasses all night long

Came in here for the giant cross from Weeds in the living room, leaving disappointed.

good place for a paintball gun driveby

Or just tag the whole wall

Control_this: good place for a paintball gun driveby

Or just tag the whole wall

But that would be illegal. So I'd never do that. Of course not.

LtDarkstar: That headline is full of WIN!

+1 Subby

this.

Larva Lump: What? No WHAAAAAAAAAAMBULANCE! Jeff?
Ghad. The city put in a brighter streetlight (tinfoil hat time) at the request of someone on the street a while ago. It happens to be right outside my bedroom window. Guess what? Jeff?
Now, had it been a speaker system blaring alleged music at unFSMly hours there'd be hell to pay.

No, you would just be in Cambodia. And the f'in music can go for days.

this shiat drives me slightly crazy.

ads are supposed to attract business, and that's all they are for.

when you blind your customers, it's becomes annoying.

think of the old folks driving by with their slow to adjust eyes.

Sure, have a back lit sign, but crank the lumens down. A local church just did the same freaking thing. I had to borrow a 20ft ladder to adjust their poorly aligned building lights to point down to their property and not directly at on my home.

then the backlit sign was filled with 40watt Fluorescent bulbs and light up the surrounding area. The church minister wasn't interested in turning it off or dimming it.

so it was magically fixed with 18watt bulbs.

don't lecture on tresspass. they tresspassed first with their baptist church night glow.

May I be the first to recommend curtains, blinds or shades? This is what I have to defend against my neighbors' yard lights that seem to directed at my windows.

They should check local ordinances for 'light tresspass'. A light meter held at the property line focused toward the sign will tell them how many footcandles are incident at that location. If it is over a certain amount, typically 1fc, they can sue the dealership for light tresspass (a legal term) and at least get a lighting curfew put into place.

Of course, I am sure the dealership has much more money, part of which most likely wound up in the pockets of certain city officials....

People have yet to consider unnecessary light the same nuisance as loud sound. If the dealership were playing music all night long and it were bothering the neighbors, the PD would shut it down as disturbing the peace. If the music were Creed, you are probably looking at serious jail time for mental anguish.

/DNRTFA

hng

SAVED BY ZEEEROHHHHH
...

Came here for this.

+1 for headline. Now I've got that song stuck in my head. Kudos, @$$sholemitter.

Mad Scientist: BAAAAAD Chicken! Mess you UP!!

Win! That is the first thing I thought of.

/you guys are slackin'
//caliente

My back garden (yard for you Americans) is lit by the street lights outside. I think it's great - we don't need any security lights.
We can also walk round much of the house after dark without turning on the lights.
When you do want it dark, you just put up blackout blinds or curtains as we have done.
/No problem.

I hate the roadside places with the massive signs that don't have any brightness control. There is one west of Fargo ND on I-94 that will burn your retinas at night. During the day I'm sure that is a reasonable brightness, but at night, tone it down a bit.

Right_hand_of_Ash: My back garden (yard for you Americans) is lit by the street lights outside. I think it's great - we don't need any security lights.

Shame about never seeing any stars, innit.

/light in my yard when *I* want it, not when *you* want it

Cereal Fetish: /DNRTFA

thank you! Was prepared to sit here all day till someone made with the Kramer.

hng: SAVED BY ZEEEROHHHHH



I'm right here, Zeero! Come and kill meeee!