LA police stymied by do-it-yourself parking bans

[The Straight Story]

Finding a good parking spot on the public beaches of Malibu, California is difficult enough, and area residents are making it much harder. The Los Angeles Times is reporting that Malibu residents are planting fake 'no parking' signs up and down the Pacific Coast Highway. The many signs sometimes look good enough to fool even law enforcement, but other times the illegal signs are nothing more than a cheap mock-up on a four-foot post.

The problem is that the Pacific Coast Highway features some of the most expensive ocean-front parking anywhere on the planet, and wealthy residents aren't interested in having parked cars ruin their view. Unfortunately for them, there are many public beaches along this stretch, so law enforcement is tasked with finding and removing the illegal signs. Enforcement officer Pat Veesart tells the Times that removing the signs is "like whack-a-mole," with new signs popping up every time one gets taken down.

Veesart and company are working hard to eliminate the illegal signs, but as you can imagine, the no parking issue is low on the agency's list of priorities. Too bad, too, because everyone should have access to the public beaches in the area.

If residents continue to plant these signs, we're thinking that large, gaudy "Parking is Allowed" signs should be placed wherever the illegal signs are taken down. That should deter residents from trying to keep commoners away from public beaches.

http://www.autoblog.com/2011/11/14/la-police-stymied-by-do-it-yourself-parking-bans/

[Fumesucker]

1. I don't understand why faking an official sign is not some sort of crime? n/t

[slackmaster]

5. It most certainly is a crime, and carries a fine of up to $1,000 in California

It's called littering.

And creating a nuisance.

[Fumesucker]

6. If you are part of the 99%, yeah..

Crimes are for the little people. h/t Leona Helmsley

[slackmaster]

8. Don't get me started on the rich people in Malibu

[Capitalocracy]

2. Actually, this could be awesome

Rich people are putting them up, right? OK, put a huge fee on them, put a camera up, budget problem solved.

Somehow I don't see that happening. If all they're doing is taking them down, there's total impunity.

[HopeHoops]

3. My favorite was on the wall of a church in Charlotte, NC.

"Thou Shalt Not Park Here".

[CreekDog]

4. Charlie Sheen always parks his car out of sight

usually at the bottom of a ravine.

[MedicalAdmin]

7. I think that the parking is allowed sign is a good idea.

And the more tacky the better. I don't mind tacky myself but I know lots of uptight right folks who would freak the hell out if a PUBLIC PARKING ALLOWED sign that looked like this was placed all over PC1.