Crackdown on Barbershops with Spinning Poles

Associated Press (via San Jose Mercury News) ^ | 6 April 2003

[CounterCounterCulture]

SAN CLEMENTE, Calif. (AP) - Barbershops with traditional spinning poles violate a city law against revolving signs, city officials say, and code-enforcement officers are cracking down.

They visited three barbershops last week and told them to get rid of the spinning poles.

[CounterCounterCulture]

There's always somebody being offended by the slightest thing.

[Hank Rearden]

If I remember right, the red/white barber pole derived from medieval days, when barbers were also the local surgeon. They'd hang the bloody rags (red and white) outside their shops to dry.

I think these guys ought to revert to the bloody rags and see if the city twerps like that better.

[Minutemen]

"The way we do a code enforcement is we react to complaints," Smith said.
Would someone please give Smith a Brownie button??

[vigilante2]

liberal communism at its best

[zeugma]

Government at all levels is insane. Sometimes I'm absolutely amazed that they can run things as well as they have this military campaign in Iraq. Of course, killing people and breaking things is something governments the world over are very good at.

[Goldilocks]

What, exactly, is offensive about a barbershop pole?

[green team 1999]

..let freedom ring!

[CounterCounterCulture]

Troublemaker, eh? ;-)

[CounterCounterCulture]

What, exactly, is offensive about a barbershop pole?

Somebody licked the red off someone's candy cane once.

[KneelBeforeZod]

conservatives could learn from whoever that whiner that complained about the poles is.

liberals would have less of a foothold today if conservatives got off their asses and rattled some cages.

[HiTech RedNeck]

It sounds to me like this kind of ordinance was not even intended for barber poles, which have striped sleeves that rotate inside a stationary clear housing, but for signs whose exposed parts are in motion. I wonder if an electric light display that imitates a revolving barber pole would be allowed.

[farmfriend]

spinning poles = revolving signs, only in SF!

[spunkets]

"There's always somebody being offended by the slightest thing."

I've noticed that. Others pick up on it, because they see $s in it. In the end though it's always about the children. Heck, some grammer school kids could be walking by, become dizzy from the spinning sign, fall over and crack their heads open on the sidewalk. Is $100 enough? LOL...

[green team 1999]

when we were kids our parents used to buy the big canes,well my brother and two sisters and myself would spend all day with the candies.

[green team 1999]

hhmmm,san clemente is not that far from los angeles,

[Red Dog #1]

The City should leave this guy alone. Having the same name as that annoying cartoon character Johnny Bravo should be enough for anyone to get a break.

[green team 1999]

somebody should call KOGO 600 am on san diego??

[sheik yerbouty]

Red Doofus' caliban strikes again!

[weegee]

Hold muh gum and watch this...

[farmfriend]

Thanks, one of these days I'm going to actually learn the geography of California. Born and raised here, you would think it would stick by now but it won't for some reason. That and peoples names.