Seven times in the last few months the sandwich-board sign for Avalon Massage has been tossed overboard into the ditch below.
And seven times Laurel Haigh Gore has lugged it back up.
“It’s heavier than heck and difficult to retrieve from the moat”, she writes, but she’ll keep doing it. “I hope to put an end to this frustrating situation. I would consider removing the sign a validation of ‘crime wins’ and that is not going to happen.”
Gore, the owner of Avalon at 9100 Roosevelt Way Northeast, wrote to ask anyone with information to let her know. “Some of the building residents and other businesses have been kind enough to be on the lookout for whomever is responsible and I appreciate this.
“One resident wants to mount a ‘nanny cam’ to identify the individual responsible. Although tempting and hilarious, probably not a great use of resources.”
Another idea: with the property owner’s permission, a cinder block could be buried a foot or so below the sign and a short cable used to tether the sign to the cinder block.
I think locking it to something is probably your only easy solution, that’s what a lot of businesses do. I hate it when jerks do stuff like that. On the plus side, now I know there is a massage place just up the street!
The owner responds:
Obviously from the picture the sign is indeed off the sidewalk on private property and not inhibiting pedestrians in the least. Having a sign on the sidewalk or parking strip is actually a prohibited action in the City of Seattle and can incur a heafty fine. Not often acted upon, but I still strive to follow the rules.
The sign is low to the ground and really quite heavy so the chances of wind knocking it down are slim. Plus, the incidents have not happened during high wind.
Putting a brick on it, although a fine suggestion in general, won’t help as its being pushed not picked up.
Locking the sign to the entrance railing might not be welcome by the residents so I really hesitate to try that. But thank you.
I do have to send out kudos to McNamara Signs for producing such a resiliant sign. Its held up well despite the abuse.
Thank you for your comments. The sign cost nearly $400.00 and although worth every penny at this point, its not sum I take lightly.
Devil’s advocate, good thought but the sign isn’t on the sidewalk. It is on the building property.
I don’t know if it is intentional or not that the sign keeps getting knocked over. We have been having serious wind this winter but it is highly possible someone is doing it on purpose. I can say that area of side walk is a bit narrow because of the trees. However it doesn’t give anyone the right to knock over a sign.
Perhaps someone is not happy about the sign taking up space on the sidewalk. Perhaps they have to walk around it and are therefore grumpy. Maybe move it so it is not in the walkway? That’s my best guess!
Maybe the owner of the building would let you lock the sign to the fence at the entrance way or something, too.
You should tie it to a brick or something, and make it so the brick is not visible, so next time they can’t lift it.