The Culprit: Caught on Cam
Posted on 09/16/2005 6:37:00 AM PDT by ShadowDancer
Neighbors Find Obscenity Mowed Into Lawn
Parents Worry For Children Who See Message
POSTED: 3:09 pm EDT September 15, 2005
UPDATED: 5:14 pm EDT September 15, 2005
OMAHA, Neb. -- An Omaha man mowed an obscenity into his lawn, and now his neighbors are upset because they don't want their children to see the nasty language.
The homeowner, who neighbors told Omaha TV station KETV has the last name Miller, cut a two-word expletive into his front lawn after being warned by the city about excessive grass and weeds around his house. The phrase is about 30 feet long across his yard.
"I saw the neighbor's yard with some derogatory statements mowed into the yard," said neighbor Traci Tunzer.
Tunzer said she's been hoping her neighbor would mow the long grass in his yard, but she's upset by the way he decided to mow it. Tunzer said there's a school nearby.
"I have three children, and two of them will definitely know what that says. It worries me," she said. "We don't want our children to be around that kind of stuff."
Down the hill, neighbor Bernie Horstmeyer said he is in disbelief.
"When I first saw it, I saw the big 'U,' and I had to back up just to see if that's what it really said," he said.
Horstmeyer and other residents said the homeowner was warned by the city about excessive weeds and tall grass in his yard. They said the expletive could be his response, or just a prank.
"I don't know if he got turned in (or) why he did it. Or he's just bored and decided to mow it," one neighbor said.
City officials couldn't verify the homeowner's name. No one answered at his front door, and further attempts by KETV to contact him were unsuccessful.
City prosecutor Marty Conboy said little can be done legally about the yard.
"There really is no criminal law that covers these kinds of vulgarities," Conboy said.
Conboy said it would be different if the homeowner threatened city employees by saying the expletive, but on the lawn, it's a passive statement protected by the 1st Amendment.
"As much as you might shake your head at what kind of reasoning is involved, it's not prohibited," Conboy said. "A person who wants to make a statement in public, that doesn't invoke a violent response, is protected by the constitution."
Conboy said he is "disappointed" that someone would use his 1st Amendment rights in such a manner.
City codes dictate that lawns taller than 10 inches can be ticketed, but Parks and Planning officials said that unless the grass that formed the expletive met that criterion, there was nothing they could do to force its removal.
Contact me for escrow details...
I've broken SIX shovels trying to get weeds out of mine! (Anise has really deep roots)...
Normally I agree. But not cutting your lawn is just nasty. I have little sympathy for these types and those who are real garbage collectors and have parts of cars, appliances, scrap metal, etc... piled all over the place.
Those two types deserve ALL the bad that Gov't can do to them.
Okay, cool. "Lawn Nazis"... that fits.
Out here in the country, the only reason I keep my lawn cut is that if it gets over 8 inches, I run into nests of ground bees and/or rabbits, the next time I mow. The ground bees are nasty little b4574rds, and I feel real bad when I wing the bunnies with the mower blade.
Federalist that I am, I support anyone's right to set up their home and live how they like, as long as they follow the local (community, state) rules. If they don't like the rules, move to where they're more copasetic.
So the fact that this guy is in a regulated area means he's gonna get hassled about his lawn. I am kinda rooting for him, as long as he plays within the rules of the association; but so should everybody else, including respect for private property.
What is a granny unit?
And that's the bottom line. People who move into a neighborhood with covenants, lawn rules etc... and then think they have a right to just disregard them are akin to those who sue to have the pledge removed from public schools etc.
A Drive-By Round-Up
Unless BTK is the local code enforcement dude...
You got THAT right. ;-)
Round up works good... but if you know anybody with a chemical license that can get full strength Paraquat.... well Paraquat makes Roundup look like candy.
What's really scary is I have even done the trimming with scissors thing. LOL. We have an electric edger, a gas powered weed whacker and a gas powered blower, all of which I refuse to use. I have no idea why, I just prefer to do things manually when I work outside. One time last year my grass clippers broke and I did the trimming, front and back, with house scissors. Jesus, I sound like a freak. Hahahaha
Bet your yard isn't 175' x 175' like mine.
I think this guy's problem was with a city Lawn Nazi, not an ASSociation. Even here, they are a little more lenient. Grass is allowed to be 18 inches or less.........
Hun,
I have a butcher knife that I use when I work outside. Best tool I have.
Alas, you're right. Salt is much cheaper.
Exactly! We meet all the neighbors whenever it snows.
I have a friend who got some Velpar to remove invasive bamboo in his backyard. He didn't read the directions (of course) and applied it 2 or 3 times because it wasn't working. THEN he read the directions which said it was water activated. When it finally rained, it took out the bamboo, part of the neighbors yard and a neighbors tree. That ground was stile for about a year.
Also known as a mother-in-law cottage, a small second house on the same lot as the 'big' house.
I had hoped to put in a 2 br cottage and rent it out, doing my bit to help relieve the city's chronic housing shortage, and make enough to cover the mortgages. (And cover more ground so there would be less to mow!)
You're quite correct -- it's the city. My error.
Wow, 18 inches. If my grass got that long, I'd probably find more than just ground bees and rabbits next time out with the hand mower. Probably need to get the tractor and field mower for that...
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