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| | | | | 'Rage' Brand Extension Continues, Gates Everywhere Live In Terror | | | | | found on the St. Petersburg Times
written by MAYORBOB, edited by George (Plastic) [ read unedited ]
posted Thu 27 Feb 9:23am | | | | |
 | "Mac Greco Jr. is a Tampa, Florida, attorney. As befits his station in life, he lives in Culbreath Isles, one of the most upscale of Tampa's upscale neighborhoods," MAYORBOB writes. "Culbreath Isles is also one of those gated communities -- er, make that was one of those gated communities. It seems that Greco, in what may be the first recorded case of 'gate rage,' rammed through Culbreath Isles' entry gate, demolishing the structure. Now the homeowners' association wants him to fork somewhere between $5,000 and $15,000 for damages done to the gate. Greco, naturally, said 'Sue Me, Sue You,' and wants them to pay more than $600 for the damages to his pickup truck.
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| | | "According to Greco, his pique at the existence of the gate predates the fateful night when the guard on duty failed to raise the gate quickly enough. He says that he has always felt that the gate sent the wrong message to people; that message being that they weren't wanted. He also observes that the gate was built on a public road and, therefore, the general public should enjoy free and unobstructed access on the road. The homeowners' association says that they applied for and got all the proper authorizations from city, county and state authorities to erect the gate, which cost them around $200,000. They feel that, rather than being a sign to the rest of mankind to keep out, it is merely an upfront security device, controlling access and egress from Culbreath Isles.
"Edward Blakely, author of a book on gated communities, says that people damaging access gates isn't that unusual -- but usually, they're drunk or otherwise impaired. He also contends that gated communities tend to have relatively high property crime rates, as residents will often get careless thinking that the gate at the entrance to the community equates to a moat around their house.
"It doesn't look like this case will be settled out of court -- it's all about principle, you see. Oh, by the way, did I mention that Greco, the destroyer of gates, practices (scroll down the list on the link) property and personal injury law?"
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[ more plastic... ] |
| | | | | | | 1. From the Article... | | | | by JET24 |  | | | at Thu 27 Feb 9:28am | score of 1.5 funny | | | | | | |
Greco says the guard should have opened the gate immediately. Instead, he asked him if he lived there and refused to budge when he threatened to knock it down.
Gated community discussion aside, this guy sounds like a colossal prick...
Religion don't mean a thing; it's just another way to be right. - Spoon
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| | | | | | 2. Re: From the Article... | | | | by srose | | | | at Thu 27 Feb 9:45am | score of 1 | | in reply to comment 1 | | | | | |
sarcasm = TRUE;
No he isn't. He's obviously better than the security guard, and probably most of us. Otherwise, he would not deserve to live in a gated community. We need to respect that.
sarcasm = FALSE;
yeah, he does sound like a prick.
If anyone wants me, I'll be in the angrydome!
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| | | | | 34. Re: From the Article... | | | | by norcalwindows |  | | | at Thu 27 Feb 6:14pm | score of 2 funny | | in reply to comment 1 | | | | | |
This guy sounds like a freaking genius, with guts/lack of brain enough to do what all of us have ever wanted to do when faced with some pompous asshole in a position to exercise power, and who chooses to merely for that exercise...running the gate down? Face it, anyone who has ever had to stop at one of those makes you feel suspected, slightly dangerous, and uncertain - "will they let me in?". This feeling is certainly exacerbated by the knowledge that whoever put that guard there has no right whatesover to stop and question anyone, and any delay at opening the gate is merely an affront designed to do nothing but irk or anger the person who is stopped. The guy is willing to take action, and defend his position as far as he has to. It is not some act of passion perpetrated simply because he had a bad day at the office. If he loses, he will pay. Either way, he has made his point and it is enough to spur thought and reflection on a situation he feels dearly about and wants people to consider. Anyone who has ever had do deal with a HOA knows that they can easily become little fiefdoms filled with people who spuriously exert their will simply because they can...and hide behind the facade of the HOA's rules and the 'common good' of all the homeowners. Good on ya Mac...
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| | | | | 45. Re: From the Article... | | | | by curve06 | | | | at Fri 28 Feb 8:53am | score of 1 | | in reply to comment 34 | | | | | |
Face it, anyone who has ever had to stop at one of those makes you feel suspected, slightly dangerous, and uncertain - "will they let me in?". This feeling is certainly exacerbated by the knowledge that whoever put that guard there has no right [what so ever] to stop and question anyone, and any delay at opening the gate is merely an affront designed to do nothing but irk or anger the person who is stopped.
Man, I live in a gated community also and I really fucking hate the gate. Its so stupid! If someone really wanted to get into the place, they could easily (as I found out one night when I took a taxi home and forgot my keys) climb the fence. It took me all of five seconds to do this. Mostly the gate is an inconvience and an annoyance and I would rather the gate wasn't there.
There is, however, one feature that is good. Located in the call box is a little camera which we can access through one of our t.v. channels. Its pretty funny sometimes to watch all the frustrated people trying to dial and get it. :)
If you can do a half-assed job of anything, you're a one-eyed man in a kingdom of the blind. - Kurt Vonnegut
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| | | | | 48. Re: From the Article... | | | | by norcalwindows | | | | at Fri 28 Feb 10:42am | score of 1 | | in reply to comment 45 | | | | | |
that would be a sweet video to see...
Mac: "I'm Mac, I live down the street..."
Guard: "How do I know you're Mac?"
Mac: "Because you have let me in the gate a hundred times"
Guard: "You don't look like Mac, you get a haircut?"
Mac: "No"
Guard: "New sweater?"
Mac: "No"
Guard: "Lose weight"
Mac: "No"
Guard: "You don't look like yourself, something is different..."
Mac: "Something is going to be different around here if you don't open up this gate right now"
Guard: (flashing a maglite) "Can I see some ID?"
Mac: "How about this, either you open that gate, or I drive through it..."
Guard: "Now, Mr. Mac - if that's your real name - that would be destructive and maybe even illegal"
Mac: "Last chance..."
Guard: "if you just show me so-"
(screech of tires, wood flying everywhere, and the last frame catches Mac's single middle finger pointing skyward as he breaks the freaking gate down...)
Didn't Michael Douglas do a movie like that a few years ago, a sort of 'we're not gonna take it' kind of film?
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| | | | | | 5. criminals crawling around in Culbreath Isles | | | | by snut_rucket |  | | | at Thu 27 Feb 10:05am | score of 3 clever | | | | | | |
Curious that the gate is there to protect the residents, but it's one of the residents that knocked it down, as opposed to one of the dangerous rabble who the gate is designed to keep out.
And very curious and funny that the crime rate inside gated communities is higher, thus neatly defeating the purpose of the gate, enhancing the appearance of security and decreasing real levels of security. (Now, gosh, why does that sound so familiar?)
If the gates are effective at keeping non-residents out, the higher crime rate means they're stealing from each other up in there....
Put all that together and the people of Tampa would be better served if the residents of Culbreath Isles had to prove who they were to get out. Heh heh.
.....And then give them all dental implants, partly to can keep track of 'em, partly just to annoy this piece of work Mr. Greco.
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| | | | | | 7. Re: criminals crawling around in Culbreath Isles | | | | by somebaudy | | | | at Thu 27 Feb 10:15am | score of 1 | | in reply to comment 5 | | | | | |
And very curious and funny that the crime rate inside gated communities is higher
Living far from them, I'm fascinated by these gated communities. May I ask where are the data on the crime rate inside these gated communities?
[sig]"insert something witty here"
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| | | | | 9. lock 'em in, lock 'em out | | | | by snut_rucket | | | | at Thu 27 Feb 10:36am | score of 2 informative | | in reply to comment 7 | | | | | |
dear somebaudy
a quick Google gives me this, which supports the notion that gated communities are no more or less safe than the surrounding area, and quotes a county sherrif's office spokesman as saying:
"Most crimes, especially the property crimes, such as residential burglaries ... are generally committed by the people who live in the community in the first place. ... You are just about as likely to lock the burglars in as you are likely to lock them out."
and I can tell you, from an adolescence spent in a formerly-gated resort community in the US midwest, some of my friends were the most accomplished b&e artists around. I only broke into the house of the car dealer next door to get access to his mammoth porn collection but that's another matter entirely. And many years ago.
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| | | | | 10. my .02 cents | | | | by coquito | | | | at Thu 27 Feb 10:48am | score of 2 interesting | | in reply to comment 5 | | | | | |
according to the article and the writeup, the main reason crime rates seem to go up in gated communities is that the people in them become "less cautious." so it doesn't sound to me like it really changes the crime rate at all, it just gives a false sense of security, which the residents are then fooled by.
one of my parents actually lives in a gated community. it's not really much of a fortress though. while you can't drive your car in, it's certainly easy to just walk in to the place. the rent-a-cops who roam the neighborhood don't really know the residents from the visitors, so you can walk in and be in someone's driveway and they have little reason to stop you. i've never been stopped when i've come to visit, which is about once a year.
i don't know about property crimes in the neighborhood, (i do know my parents still lock all their doors and don't leave stealable stuff on the lawn) but the gate has served to lessen the two biggest problems residents were having: clogged streets (because people who didn't live there would park their cars there) and a gay male prostitution ring, which i guess the rent-a-cops do have a hand in breaking up, since it's tough to hang on a street corner all night without looking at least a little suspicious.
i do think it exacerbates resentment form those who live outside the neighborhood (and some who live in it), and i find it annoying to have to speak to a guard to get to my house, but i don't live there, so it isn't my call.
In Hindu, you have not one God, but many, many, many, many, many gods -- learned Hindu scholar
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| | | | | 11. Re: criminals crawling around in Culbreath Isles | | | | by ms_sue_collins | | | | at Thu 27 Feb 10:52am | score of 2 interesting | | in reply to comment 5 | | | | | |
I live in an area dotted with gated communities, but I definitely do not suffer from any form of exclusion envy. I think it would be a major pain in the ass to live in such a neighborhood.
Having said that, though, Culbreath Isles is a phony gated community:Because Culbreath Isles streets are public, any person can legally enter the neighborhood without identifying themselves. When visitors approach, the guard is supposed to say, "Welcome to Culbreath Isles. How may I help you?" That's not security; that's just a silly display. Anybody ostensibly can enter.
Greco, 55, argues that gates, even if accessible to the public, give the impression that outsiders aren't welcome. But didn't he notice the guardhouse when he moved in? Wasn't that a bit of a clue that he was now part of a group of residents who valued their exclusivity?
It's a dog's life
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| | | | | 13. My take on Mr. Greco, Esq. | | | | by MAYORBOB | | | | at Thu 27 Feb 10:59am | score of 1 | | in reply to comment 11 | | | | | |
He is a pompous ass of cosmic proportions who is used to having things his way, dammit, because he's, well, he's Mac Greco, dammit! From his insistence on getting ten residential stickers and receiving only four (I mean, if he honestly did object to the stickers, why bother to order any) to his not noticing that, hey, there's a guardhouse at the entrance to my community all those year to his petulant response to some poor shlump earning minimum wage, Mac Greco has my vote for Merriam Webster to post his picture right next to the dictionary definition of "asshole".
Oh, and his solidarity with his fellow man? Puhleeeze!
Tending to final details.
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| | | | | 15. Re: criminals crawling around in Culbreath Isles | | | | by JET24 | | | | at Thu 27 Feb 11:07am | score of 2 informative | | in reply to comment 11 | | | | | |
But didn't he notice the guardhouse when he moved in? Wasn't that a bit of a clue that he was now part of a group of residents who valued their exclusivity?
FYI - According to the link (toward the bottom and it's not really clear), it appears that the guardhouse was installed in 2000; Greco moved in years prior and fought the gate plan from the inception.
But he's still a colossal prick.
Religion don't mean a thing; it's just another way to be right. - Spoon
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| | | | | 18. Re: criminals crawling around in Culbreath Isles | | | | by ms_sue_collins | | | | at Thu 27 Feb 11:14am | score of 2 informative | | in reply to comment 15 | | | | | |
Jet, this is what I read:
The city gave the homeowners association permission to erect the gates in 2000 after members said the barrier would make residents feel more secure. At the time, the neighborhood had a guardhouse, but no gates at the main entry.
It's a dog's life
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| | | | | 19. Re: criminals crawling around in Culbreath Isles | | | | by JET24 | | | | at Thu 27 Feb 11:18am | score of 1.5 helpful | | in reply to comment 18 | | | | | |
Jet, this is what I read:
The city gave the homeowners association permission to erect the gates in 2000 after members said the barrier would make residents feel more secure. At the time, the neighborhood had a guardhouse, but no gates at the main entry.
You're correct - I saw the dates and thought the guardhouse and the gates were erected at the same time...my apologies.
Oh, and in case people aren't getting this, it doesn't change the fact that this guy sounds like a colossal prick.
Religion don't mean a thing; it's just another way to be right. - Spoon
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| | | | | 21. Re: criminals crawling around in Culbreath Isles | | | | by ms_sue_collins | | | | at Thu 27 Feb 11:28am | score of 1 modappeal | | in reply to comment 19 | | | | | |
You're correct - I saw the dates and thought the guardhouse and the gates were erected at the same time...my apologies.
Oh, and in case people aren't getting this, it doesn't change the fact that this guy sounds like a colossal prick.
Yes, regardless of erection dates, he remains a prick (note to self: never read a snow-penis thread again).
It's a dog's life
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| | | | | 28. Read the article? | | | | by fishist | | | | at Thu 27 Feb 5:02pm | score of 3 compelling | | in reply to comment 13 | | | | | |
Funny you would post the story MAYORBOB and miss the following point
The city gave the homeowners association permission to erect the gates in 2000 after members said the barrier would make residents feel more secure.
"I think this is wrong," said Greco, a Culbreath Isles resident since 1986. "It's an erosion of equal rights and civil rights.
He moved in four years before the gates were imposed on his "gated" community. Before that it was a homeowners association.
So it would appear this guy was living in place where you pay to have people maintain you lawns and what not, communally. And then a bunch of his neighbors decided to throw a gate across PUBLIC roads. Personally I'd be very pissed too. It's a public road to my house, why do I have to ask permission to enter (or affix anything to my car granting me permission)? Why should my friends or anyone visiting me need to ask?
Its just a small infringement on your rights, like when you leave a supermarket (Kmart or what not) and they ask to see your receipt at the exit. Nothing to get in a huff over, you say? How about when they ask to look into your bags or maybe purse? How about if they want to see what's in the trunk (or boot for the brits) of your car, or asking what your purpose is traveling on PUBLIC roads.
Sure Greco is a bit extreme in his methodology but I understand the rage. Other people are being unreasonable but for some reason we have to defend our, normal behavior. WE have to ask permission pass on public roads? WE have to ask permission to leave a publicly accessible building? How is that right?
As to the 'why doesn't he move' argument, is that anything like the 'if you don't support American policy why don't you leave the country' argument?
Reward good behavior. Punish poor behavior
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| | | | | 31. Re: Read the article? | | | | by MAYORBOB | | | | at Thu 27 Feb 5:41pm | score of 1 | | in reply to comment 28 | | | | | |
Well, I was going to respond with some witheringly funny comeback, but I guess I'll settle for being observant enough to say, "what stankow said."
Beside that, where did I say he should move? I just think he should be ashamed of his boorish, childish, and obnoxious behavior. But I guess I should cut the guy some slack -- after all, he's a personal injury lawyer and those guys tend to be shame challenged.
Tending to final details.
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| | | | | 32. I shot an arrow into the air... | | | | by fishist | | | | at Thu 27 Feb 5:49pm | score of 1 | | in reply to comment 31 | | | | | |
Pardon me. I didn't mean to imply that you thought he should more. I only intended the beginning of the comment to be directed toward you. The rest of the post was meant to be directed to the vast mass of humanity that almost certainly only exist in my imagination, that condemn this fellow and wish him to move. God, I hope that was coherent.had flights of parania in the past.
Reward good behavior. Punish poor behavior
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| | | | | 33. Re: Excellent question... | | | | by fishist | | | | at Thu 27 Feb 6:03pm | score of 1 | | in reply to comment 30 | | | | | |
You are correct that MAYORBOB stated ...to his not noticing that, hey, there's a guardhouse at the entrance to my community all those year[sic]...
However, it would seem that the guy took issue with the gates not the guardhouse. MAYORBOB seems to agree with you (in a later posting) that he intended to say 'guardhouse' not 'gates'. But I can't imagine the guardhouse would have been bothering Greco since, unlike the gates the guardhouse would not have impeded his passage through public roads. If I am mistaken on MAYORBOB's intentions I apologize. Otherwise I'm unclear why Greco's ignoring a guardhouse , not blocking public roads, would have to do with his anger at gates blocking public roads.
Reward good behavior. Punish poor behavior
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| | | | | 42. Re: criminals crawling around in Culbreath Isles | | | | by montana rain | | | | at Fri 28 Feb 8:11am | score of 1.5 funny | | in reply to comment 5 | | | | | |
I would be willing to bet that a majority of the crime in Culbreath Isles stems from the kids of the homeowners. When mom and dad are too busy at work making the money to pay for the gated community home, they just never seem to be around when junior needs some cash to feed his nasty cocaine and/or heroin addiction. So junior has no choice but to steal something from around the house that is worth a few bucks at the pawn shop.
someone once told me that i was radical... i said, yeah, like, totally!
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| | | | | | 8. King Arthur Storming The Castle | | | | by stogie | | | | at Thu 27 Feb 10:15am | score of 1.5 funny | | | | | | |
(With apologies to Monty Python)
Arthur: "Open the Gate!"
Guard: "Who goes there?!"
A: "It is I, Arthur, your lord and master!"
G: "Pull the other one!"
A: "I command you to open this gate!"...
Continues ad nauseam until the guard empties a chamber pot on Arthur's head. Arthur then draws Excalibur, mounts his steed, and charges the gate. He breaks the gate down, only to be presented, by lawyers, with a bill for 150 gold pieces.
"I'd rather have a bottle in front of me, than a frontal lobotomy." -Tom Waits
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| | | | | | 12. Will The Larger Issue | | | | by uncarved block | | | | at Thu 27 Feb 10:54am | score of 1.5 informative | | | | | | |
even be dealt with by the courts? Greco will probably lose a civil suit: the Culbreath side has all their papers in order, and Greco clearly acted with malice, perhaps even premeditated. This will be enough, I think, for an open and shut civil case; property rights are given high preference under the law, from all I've seen and heard (IANAL).
So the next question is whether Greco has standing in a jury trial. Does inconvenience= imposition? If he was so opposed to the concept, where was he during the public hearings about funding the gate? (If there was no allowed public input, he might have a toehold). Given the courts' recent decisions re: restricting access to abortion (and the seven day waiting period purchasing firearms), I don't hold a lot of hope if Greco argues that angle. Can he argue the state's right to limit access at the request of private citizens? I don't know-- I'm not a lawyer, like I said, nor do I know whether the issue has ever been raised. Will it now?
I've heard it's a saying among lawyers that the weakest link in a civil rights case is usually the defendant, and that seems the case here. Greco certainly ain't Martin Luther King, after all, and being a lawyer can't even claim ignorance of precedent. And it's in the name of precedent that the ACLU may decline the case-- why risk defeat from extraneous factors, when a victory with a less volatile party might be a slam dunk case? (This may sound overly cynical, but from what I've heard about similar cases, it's the status quo.)
Oh, and I have nothing but contempt for those who think a single, stupid gate could increase their security, and suspect it had more to do with keeping "the wrong folks" off their lawns.
Eschew Obfuscation Assiduously
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| | | | | | 14. Gated, but public ... | | | | by thomp | | | | at Thu 27 Feb 11:01am | score of 1 | | | | | | |
The general public is not barred from entering the community; you are allowed through a visitor's entrance that does not require a resident decal on your windshield. The security guard, if present, can't keep you from driving through the neighborhood.
Without the gates, it wouldn't be 'exclusive', would it? And think what that would do to property values ...
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| | | | | | 26. Re: Gated, but public ... | | | | by bradleytank | | | | at Thu 27 Feb 4:11pm | score of 2.5 interesting | | in reply to comment 14 | | | | | |
The thing that strikes me is that the owners of these communities have been able to float the argument that they are totally private. Sure, they own all the marked-off residential property, but the city and utility companies still own the streets and utility infrastructure. Meaning: Private too-good for the rest living supported by everyone who pays municipal tax.
If I lived on one side of this place and had to go somewhere on the other side, I'd be pissed at having to jump through hoops in order to pass through it, or having to go around it; the street belongs to the city, so I ought to be able to use it like any other.
Owners are quite happy to have the city maintain the street, water, sewer, hydrants, electricity, and natural gas, and only when they take these onto themselves will gated communities become private property, the passage through of which can be regulated by the owner.
The guy does sound like a prick, surely, but a useful one, at least that's how the ACLU is likely to see him.
...you'll take what you're given.
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| | | | | 44. for the record... | | | | by klx | | | | at Fri 28 Feb 8:48am | score of 1 | | in reply to comment 26 | | | | | |
While your concerns are absolutely relevant in this case, I think it's worth mentioning that some -- probably a tiny few -- hoity-toity communities actually do maintain their own infrastructure. I'm certain that's the case where my parents live... but then again, they don't have a gate, so they can gawk back at all the TransAm-loads of kids that come through.
Asskickular.
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| | | | | 46. Re: for the record... | | | | by bradleytank | | | | at Fri 28 Feb 9:09am | score of 1 | | in reply to comment 44 | | | | | |
Neat!
We don't have these in Canada, so I'm speaking academically.
Why no gate, then? Because if it's TOTALLY private property, then anyone that gets hurt while there can sue the owner(s). So it might be totally justifiable that a totally private community might gate itself, if only to protect itself against litagation.
The closest I've ever seen to gated communities is condos where everyone pays a monthly rate to get the gardens weeded, the lawns cut, parking regulated, etc. But the streets are still public. When parking tickets are given, they are on the authority of the city rather than the community.
We certainly live in interesting times.
...you'll take what you're given.
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| | | | | | 20. other than the fact | | | | by coprolalia | | | | at Thu 27 Feb 11:20am | score of 1 | | | | | | |
that the guy's a bottom feeder being a personal injury attorney and all, i say more power to him.
we have a similar thing on miami beach, a "gated community" called star isle (thats only the most famous of the three similar upscale islands). it's public roads, public facilities, theres a public park on it, yet theres an access gate and a security guard at the front. its always puzzled me too, since ive never once been asked if i live there when i go to visit. why then even bother with the illusion of security except as vanity? (which there is no shortage of on miami beach, but thats another story)
My whole life is an empty exercise in mean spirited sarcasm. --gordon shumway
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| | | | | | 37. Re: other than the fact | | | | by bak | | | | at Thu 27 Feb 10:20pm | score of 1 | | in reply to comment 20 | | | | | |
to keep the riff-raff out, plain and simple. Miami is much less ashamed about this sort of thing than other places that I've lived. I've spent time on Star and Hyacinth, so I know the attitude very well.
On the other hand, the residents of Star often have to put up with noisy tour boats floating by and pointing out the homes of the local celebrities...
--bak
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| | | | | | | 25. IANAL... | | | | by 74westy | | | | at Thu 27 Feb 3:47pm | score of 1.5 astute | | | | | | |
... but there's a kind of sanctity of a public road. I can't go out an build an obstruction across a public road and I'm rather doubtful that, in my jurisdiction, any group of residents could do so either. In my city there are a few neighbourhoods that try to get that gated community feel by building a low brick wall between the houses and the busier streets that run past the perimeter but they do not dare to obstruct public roads. When I get home with a car full of groceries and somebody's parked in front of my house I'd like to be able to tell them to get that piece of crap out of my spot but I have no legal recourse because the curb in front of my house is part of a public road and that guy has as much legal right to park there as I do. Public roads are part of the social contract and not the private property of people who live on them.
So, even though I think Mr. Greco's style of civil disobedience is out of proportion with the offense, I support the notion that residents of an area should not be given a special exemption from laws that apply to public roads.
But yeah, Greco sounds like a colossal prick. His sense of entitlement is a close cousin to the attitude shown by residents of gated communities.
I am Sparticus!
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| | | | | | 29. Access gates are a waste of time and money | | | | by ilsa | | | | at Thu 27 Feb 5:11pm | score of 1 | | | | | | |
Notice, I called it an access gate and not a security gate. "Security" implies that it keeps people safe. Were that the case, the neighborhood association might find themselves on the hook for civil damages should someone be a victim of crime in while inside the gates. I know this from my years in property management. In fact, I used to call them "false sense of security gates."
Furthermore, they don't keep anyone out who doesn't want to be kept out. It's easy to sneak in behind someone, or fool the gate monitor into letting you in, or make somebody believe you belong there. As this thread demonstrates, they are also easily broken.
True story: I had a resident move from my (ungated) property to a gated community a mile or so away because she was being hassled by a guy. She came to pick up her security deposit check and was telling me that this jerk showed up at her door at the new place one night, despite the gates. Thankfully, the young man's hassling was verbal and not violent! I couldn't help myself, I pointed out that the gates didn't seem to work very well.
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| | | | | | 35. Gated | | | | by mmandell | | | | at Thu 27 Feb 7:45pm | score of 1 | | | | | | |
I live in a gated community-I don't really like the gates but I do like the HOA.
In my previous neighborhood, which "went south", the neighbor across the street from me chopped down her magnificent old trees, so she could park 5 vehicles in the front lawn (legal in my neighborhood). Then, she added an illegal porch-I wouldn't have minded except that it was slightly crooked and she painted it deep purple. Went well with the rest of the house which she then painted a dark orange with navy trim.
Then she decided to take in illegal boarders..
(Now you know I why I moved to a neigborhood with rules.)
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| | | | | | 50. Good lord! | | | | by gonzocanuck | | | | at Fri 28 Feb 4:33pm | score of 1 | | in reply to comment 35 | | | | | |
How horrible. We faced the same fear when we saw our neighbour get out the chainsaw - we feared he was going to cut down the trees that provided a nice shady spot between our yards.
But hoo...a purple/orange/navy house? That colour scheme alone is certainly a crime somewhere!
You've got to coax him slow, that's the only way that he'll confess.
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| | | | | | 36. What is wrong with me? | | | | by ilovquad7 | | | | at Thu 27 Feb 9:05pm | score of 1 | | | | | | |
Is my life just messed up? A few days ago, I see a thread on snow penises, only to think, been there, done that. Now, I see a thread describing something identical to what happened to my sister just a month or two ago. Maybe this is just a fluke of statistics -- it happens to someone -- maybe i'm just strange -- maybe everyone is strange. who knows?
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| | | | | | | | 49. Child is the Father to the Man | | | | by tightlikethis | | | | at Fri 28 Feb 3:41pm | score of 1 | | | | | | |
Somehow, this reminds me of psychologists who say that if we present our children with strong boundaries, they'll respect us and love us more.
That is, if they don't kill us first.
"Fake is as old as the Eden Tree." - Orson Welles
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| | | | | | 53. jg ballard on gated communities | | | | by ep0nym0us | | | | at Sat 1 Mar 1:41am | score of 1.5 interesting | | in reply to comment 49 | | | | | |
There's this wicked (as in "quite nasty and mean-spirited") novella by JG Ballard called "Running Wild" about children and gated communities. Quite prescient given the 1989 publication date.
Mr. Greco would be an excellent Ballard protagonist, from his initial act of rebellion right up to his gruesome, symbolic death.
In the real world, of course, he winds up in court and on plastic.
"his facts were often shaky, but his convictions were deep and abiding"
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| | | | | | 54. Me & The Greek | | | | by lbsterling | | | | at Sat 1 Mar 10:28am | score of 1 | | | | | | |
I'm with the Greek on this one.
Totally.
Yeah, I know I know I know, willful destruction of property, etc., and it could have been handled better. But righteous fury is a valid emotion, and in this case, justified.
I never have sympathized with the Michigan Militia or other libertarian freedom nuts, but c'mon, this is an unwarranted infringement of freedom.
Do we live in Nazi Germany or the US of A fer crissakes? Do we have to have some bastard in a monkey suit stopping us on the street to _ essentially _ give us permission to go to and from our OWN HOMES?
A man's home is his castle, and no one has the right to prevent or delay your going to and from your castle.
Sure, the city may have issued permits for the guardhouse to be built, but left to their own devices, cities & states do plenty of stupid, not to mention unconstitutional things.
What if it had been a giant statue group romantically portraying a lynching in a public park that he destroyed?
Or a "public safety" camera that the city council had voted to build on his corner, with the lens pointed directly into his bedroom that he smashed?
I'm sure he'll end up paying for the damage, but I hope the judge also rules that the guardhouse shouldn't have been allowed in the first place.
Go Greco!
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