Etienne Constable lives in Seaside, California. Near Monterey, the city lives up to its name with breathtaking views of the Pacific. So it shouldn't surprise anyone -- least of all local government -- that people would have boats. And that they need a place to store those boats.
Constable kept his boat in his yard.
And then local government officials told him he had to hide the boat from view with a fence. Constable, being a good citizen complied.
But he also gave the city a proverbial finger in doing so.
Man who kept his boat besides his house was ordered from the city to put up a fence to hide the boat from view. So he built the fence and hired someone to paint it. pic.twitter.com/wrkQh6RjXn
— Doug Aoki (@Nantanreikan) May 9, 2024
More from The Washington Post:
“We kind of hit the sweet spot between following the rules and making an elegant statement to the contrary,” says Constable.
Constable, who works in business development, has lived in the same house in Seaside for 29 years. For most of that time, his boat trailer — often with a boat attached — has sat in his driveway without issue. But in July 2023, he received a letter from the city, asserting that the municipal code requires that boats and trailers be “screened on the side and front by a six-foot-high fence,” and threatening him with a citation and a $100 fine if he failed to comply. (The Washington Post has reviewed the letter.)
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We applaud the creativity and subversiveness.
— Brian Doherty (@BDOH) May 9, 2024
Legend, indeed.
— alexandriabrown (@alexthechick) May 9, 2024
Really is beautiful.
I just would have thought that the HOA would’ve had a rule about fences and like everything else they have to be consistent, same color, same height, and person would still have a battle on his hands.
— C S (@clarksville999) May 10, 2024
Doesn't seem like this was an HOA, but the city.
I have a strong desire to buy that guy several beers
— 100% Ping Wing (@PingWingery) May 9, 2024
So do we.
I can only aspire to attain this level of spite and pettiness. Well done https://t.co/YBOu231Ig3
— Rufus T. Firefly (sworn enemy of Rakell) (@hoggomcswineass) May 9, 2024
It really is a whole new level of both.
Glad to see Wile E Coyote retired to a bungalow in Burbank and is now living his best life https://t.co/wwpHwSl5W9
— David Burge (@iowahawkblog) May 9, 2024
Heh.
What is that saying, not all heros wear capes? https://t.co/x99LLynPVH
— Florida Man - World's Superhero (@danmmeyer) May 9, 2024
Yep. Sometimes they paint awesome fences to poke the local government in the eye.
If I can do something this petty at least once in my lifetime, I’ll die with a smile on my face. https://t.co/Hv5IoJpGpT
— CityHOCKEYUte (@bryanth2o) May 9, 2024
And there's video of it:
I happened to see this on FB today before it went viral here, and the artist is @hanifwondir. Here’s a video of the making of this gorgeous act of rebellion: https://t.co/HCOHtfQG5B https://t.co/rfWUEKImwn
— Mary Katharine Ham (@mkhammer) May 10, 2024
Excellent.
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