Submitted by RedditSkippy t3_123le56 in RhodeIsland

The post about the people waving their crazy in Warwick reminded me that I keep meaning to ask about him. Do you know the guy I mean? The one on East Main Road with all the old toilets and painted signs all over the front of his…business? He must be so popular with his neighbors.

50

Comments

You must log in or register to comment.

SomeGuyFromRI t1_jdv39x0 wrote

Guy had a problem with the town council not getting a permit or variance.. Something like that. So he put up a sign on his property (another one) basically telling the town council to fuck off. The town sued, and lost on free speech grounds. So he purchased the property on east main and took it to another level.

62

arocco5 t1_jdvb8vy wrote

Just moved to the Island Park area a couple months ago. I'm not his neighbor, but it always gives me a laugh when I go by! I feel like there's always a new piece of that display that I notice with each pass. All-in-all, I've found Portsmouth to be a pretty strange place. Lots of "character" here to say the least and this is just one shining example lol

21

Remarkable_Baseball7 t1_jdveure wrote

I pass by that display every morning on my way to work and I never knew wtf it was lol

5

omjy18 t1_jdw2q2m wrote

So apparently, from what ive heard it was a building permit to build something where the old gas station was and the town council said no so he put that up. I honestly thought it was a portsmouth vs middletown highschool rivalry thing for the longest time since it kinda looks like a teenager put it up

4

Keredcross t1_jdwbxn1 wrote

He also bought a old house here in Newport that he has been trying to sell for 2 years

4

SomeGuyFromRI t1_jdwh6ne wrote

Yeah Im not exactly sure what the original issue was but I am pretty sure the original FU sign was on Bristol Ferry and the town ordered him to take it down because it was vulgar etc.. There wad a court case and the aclu defended him on free speech grounds. And when he won that, he bought thst old gas station and let his freak flag fly.

Never forget the ones screaming about the loss of "family values" , also have Fuck "everyone" on flags for my kids to read.

6

ananda_yogi t1_jdwup23 wrote

I drive by everyday on my way to work, and we get customers questioning it all the time. Definitely an eyesore, and all it does it make him look crazy. There are definitely better ways to deal with his grudges against the town. On a sidenote though, please don't zoom down east main going 50mph. That road is scary as hell to drive on as it is, nevermind if everyone's speeding.

8

RockPaperShank t1_je0dyxo wrote

There was a gas station there, the permits for the underground gas tanks were not up to code anymore because of the size of the property. He bought the land/business when it was valuable and the town made it unusable and unvaluable so he is pissed at them. The current owner has been in legal battles with the town. Unsurprisingly the owner is a POS as others have pointed out.

1