Marion County, my next project is "Angel Painter". I've chased this spammer from one corner over several months, only for the signs to appear on others. Recently the spammer's gone up the poles. Although the signs are still reachable, this spammer is so persistent that signs are back before I am.

If you see them, please let me know where, even if you take them down.

I suppose it's good news that no other shark's seen this particular sign. This spammer's one that's been active for at least a year, so I'm going to call it in this time instead of removing them, in the hopes that CE's will call and educate the spammer in a way that just removing them just doesn't do. The jump from right-of-way signs to utility poles is the spammer's way of asking for more attention. I'll give CE's a week for due process, then see if this spammer's properly educated.

What could be easier than drive by and photo the signs, then email the photo for D.O.T.? I even got a call saying they'd remove other signs that were in the photos that were also in violation.

I can't be sure this affects the spammer any more than if I'd have stopped and removed them, but now (at least) the signs are documented in case the same spammer strikes again.

I suspect that you guys have laid the ground work for a decent public service response in the past few years, otherwise I'd imagine I'm lucky to have these guys responding to photos I snap.

If anyone else sees "Angels Painting, 3 room special", let me know. I'm happy to get rid of spam and get spammers the attention they deserve.

Calling them in does establish a record of the violations which could be very valuable in court if the authorities finally decide to go after the spammer. Also, the authorities may decide to take on a specific repeat spammer if they get enough reports. Sometimes code enforcement will go to extra lengths just to prove to a spammer that he can't elude them in the long run.

Newbie (not)

Thanks for the advice. I saw this spammer's signs go up on the corner that I thought he'd abandoned for the last two months - I thought I chased him away from it, but with the removal of his utility pole signs, I guess he's getting back to basics. He replaces them immediately in most cases. So I'll keep calling as you said.

Charlie Wells of D.O.T. (352/620-7489) told me the same thing - keep reporting it. He can only deal with signs on state roads in Marion county, which is where all the "Angels Painting" sign are appearing. They've all been on State roads 200 and 40 near the Ocala airport. It would be a great help if anyone else sees them on a state road to report them to the man above. He'll forward you to someone to get a case number, but he's familiar with the sign now and will tell you if the authorities are going to get involved.

I have found one way to discourage street spammers is to flood them with junk phone calls. Start a list of phone numbers and type of business as you remove signs. Then contact the spammers, and direct them to call you back at the Angel Painting phone no. Soon the angel is getting flooded with calls to buy health insurance, refinance, lose weight, etc. You get the idea. After a week or 2 of that, call angel and tell him that junk signs produce junk phone calls. I use a prepaid cell phone to make the calls. (I have another cell phone for family & friends)
You may be able to use a prepaid calling card, which may block the source of the call. I suggest you test such a calling card to make sure it blocks caller I.D.

HAVE FUN

Hey: be sure not to call from your home phone or cell phone. Those numbers can be traced. When you call an 800 number, they automatically get your phone number, even if it is blocked. They get it in a monthly report, and if they have ANI (automatic number information), it pops up on a caller id - like device.

DenverShark

>Hey: be sure not to call from your home phone or cell phone.
>Those numbers can be traced. When you call an 800 number,
>they automatically get your phone number, even if it is
>blocked.

And if you call an 800 number from a pay phone, not only
do you not care if they trace the number, but they get
charged and extra 50 cent surcharge. I usually just dial
the number, make sure it answers, then lay down the phone
receiver and leave.

Frank

D.O.T. District 5 (see number in posts above) has been called to get these signs twice already and I haven't seen any since. But this spammer previously has sat idle for months before, so I can't say at this point if they've quit. D.O.T. said they involve local sheriff when there are several complaints filed.