Billboards?

[Palolo Joe]

Re: Billboards?

I hope Gov. Lingle will veto this bill.

And if I read it right, the OC is in fact trying to get rid of any and all advertising on anything that moves.

Mobile advertising isn't always inappropriate.

There's gotta be a free speech issue in here somewhere.

[pzarquon]

Re: Billboards?

Maybe, though lines are traditionally drawn between speech, commercial speech, and political speech, as well as time, place and manner caveats.

I agree that TOC's definition of what's inappropriate is unreasonably broad, and can be incosistently applied.

It's messy. For example, I guess if I as an individual expressed a pro-choice message on my van, it'd be okay. If I paid an ad truck to carry the same message, it's a problem. Different things would come into play if the message instead backed Bob for Governor. Or promoted Lisa's catering.

I don't like the idea of ad-only trucks because it means a vehicle on the road at peak traffic times that doesn't need to be there. But a law? I dunno.

[scrivener]

Re: Billboards?

A few responses.

First, that Hokusai-inspired wave at The Wave was cool, and I think calling it a billboard is going a bit far. A great letter-to-the-editor in the wake of the wall's painting-over asked, "If the Wave had changed its name to The Wall, would it have to paint a wave on the wall?"

Second, there was ALL KINDS of fuss made about Wyland's wall down near Ala Moana when it was first going up. People DID call it a billboard. I say it probably was, especially if that thing at the Wave was a billboard.

I agree with Palolo Joe about the mobile ads. If they're going to be made illegal, okay. Fine. But make the McDonald's trucks illegal, too. Forget about "primary purpose." The billboard laws have nothing to do with purpose and everything to do with beautification. What if I drive an ad-truck and only drive it when I'm actually on my way somewhere, or if I'm cruising? Why is cruising Kalakaua Avenue a less legitimate "purpose" for being in my vehicle (regardless of the time of day) than delivering cold-packs of Budweiser?

As for advertising on buses: There's got to be a better way. I've been to those other cities where the city buses have ads on them, and I can't stand them. It's often a depressing-enough experience to ride public transportation; to add the humiliation of climbing onto a mobile Lipitor ad is inhumane. Please. I know it's an advertising-driving economy we live in, and if we want stuff to be cheap or free, we'll have to put up with ads (our own HT as an example), but there must be a way to generate needed revenue without these bus-ads. Otherwise, we might as well allow billboards.

[pzarquon]

Re: Billboards?

Lose your puppy? Having a garage sale? Hosting a birthday party for your kid, or a neighborhood dance party? Well, the Outdoor Circle -- once again demonstrating an enviable excess of time and energy -- is coming after you. With billboards, campaign signs, ad trucks, and other evil scourges largely drubbed out of existence, the fliers you tack onto telephone poles are next in their crosshairs.

They correctly save their strongest threats against commercial interests that actually pay people (i.e. kids) to plaster a neighborhood, and do note some real safety issues, in addition to litter and visual blight. But still.

Here's Doug White's rant on the Outdoor Circle's latest campaign.

However if you’re a sign poster and are of the mindset that no good deed should go unpunished, then you might consider making up and posting a separate batch of signs that read, “Does this sign bother you? If so, call the Outdoor Circle at 593-0300 to join an organization where you will meet like-minded people and may purchase a ticket to attend the first annual Outdoor Circle Gripe-a-thon on July 28, 2006.” Then report those signs to the authorities… and encourage criminal prosecution.

Reminds me of sneaky campaign workers who'd actually move other candidates' signs onto sidewalks or public property, just to get 'em busted.

[kimo55]

Re: Billboards?

the advantages reaped by one garage sale by the seller, of a few bucks i don't think justifies the visual blight we are subject to, along with the litter caused by their garage sale signage that remains askew on telephone poles and littering our streets and sidewalks.
people tack em up all over the place and after their sale is over, do they retreive their unwanted trash? nope.

[pzarquon]

Re: Billboards?

Well, we use sturdy garage sale signage, and most definitely retrieve them as we close down. In fact, several of our neighbors have borrowed our signs for their own sales, and all of them come back (though one was abandoned near the H-2 offramp for a couple of days).

I used to think that they weren't that big a deal, and that a listing in the paper or elsewhere was just as good... but having now conducted tests of sorts, I can pretty emphatically state that lots, and probably most, of the traffic a garage sale gets is from neighborhood signage. (Which explains why our signs, which are durable and a little unique, are in hot demand.) I guess bargain hunters just aimlessly drive around the suburbs on weekends!

One thing I agree with the Circle's latest complaint on is the charge that commercial posters are much worse than your average party-throwing resident. If your neighbor is smart, he'll take down his signs... but club promoters prefer it if their crap lingers for months, better if it becomes practically permanent after a few weeks in the sun...

[kimo55]

Re: Billboards?

what i see as blight also are these big signs held up by people standing on the sidewalk next to roads.
ug a lee.

[pzarquon]

Re: Billboards?

Well, there's political sign waving, and there's the growing practice of commercial sandwich boarding -- sending some poor peon out, often dressed in a ridiculous mascot costume, to mug for traffic to sell mattresses, fruit smoothies, used cars, and the like. Both have their critics, but I think the latter is far more troubling than the former. Election-year sign waving is pretty entrenched in local politics... and certainly worthy of its own discussion.

[kimo55]

Re: Billboards?

i like da dude. (or chickee) who puts on that ol sweaty heavy shell of a Moose costume and stands there on Kalakaua at lewers passing out Moose mcGilliguddy flyers. I feel fer them. but it's their choice. boy they sure earn their beer when they get back!