October 22, 2010

The Beginning of the End?

A few weeks ago some of these signs appeared along one of the sections of Topanga Canyon Blvd. that has been plagued by those horrible parked billboards for the past few years. This is a step in the right direction. That block can now be cleaned by the street sweepers, residents can park there, drivers have a clear view, and the visual blight is gone. But nearby blocks are still available, so it's not surprising that some sections now have more signs than ever. Perhaps the most annoying for many is the sign for a porn shop that has been parked in front of a church.

In the meantime, Saul Daniels in his Chatsworth Patch blog informs us that new legislation will allow the city of Los Angeles to regulate these monstrosities and perhaps get them off the streets for good, without having to post these silly signs everywhere.

I've never understood why these were allowed at all. Other kinds of advertising signs are regulated. For example, the Bureau of Street Services often lets us know how much they want to eliminate all the garage sale and lost dog signs that are posted in neighborhoods. While those signs may not be pretty, most people aren't greatly bothered by them, and they don't cause the kind of hazards and inconveniences that the billboards on wheels do.