Send this story Print this story

Adjust text size

Uploaded: Tuesday, January 4, 2011, 10:17 AM                                             

No new charges for Ideafarm  

by Nick Veronin
Mountain View Voice Staff

Posted by Watchful, a resident of another community, on Jan 4, 2011 at 1:57 pm

Thank you Jannie Quinn! Keep watching this crude man who creates traffic hazzards! I am very concerned about all of the dangerous road conditions he causes, from purposely creating glare(in drivers eyes)by directing his solar panels at traffic, to the offensive and vulgar language on his signs that cause drivers to swerve out of lanes to read them(getting too close to bikes) to his carts that block driver's vision as well.

This man is a safety hazzard and very selfish!

Posted by What's so funny about diversity, a resident of the Willowgate neighborhood, on Jan 4, 2011 at 2:29 pm

I love the way we all agree that it's important to have 'diversity', but as soon as we determine that anyone thinks or acts differently, we want them arrested or confined to a mental institution.

Just leave this man alone, and if you can't read and drive at the same time, then please stop driving. Why aren't we trying to arrest all of those people listening to iPods and dancing with sandwich advertisements tacked on to them? They're way more distracting and numerous than Mr. Ideafarm.

Posted by jess, a resident of the Old Mountain View neighborhood, on Jan 4, 2011 at 2:35 pm

Diversity is needed. Mr. Ideafarm has a right to his own thinking (however whacked out it may be) BUT his signs are a danger to drivers along El Camino. He needs to think of more effective and safer ways to communicate his messages.

Posted by Thom, a resident of the Jackson Park neighborhood, on Jan 4, 2011 at 2:45 pm

I don't care if he dances naked, screaming and spreading fear, as long as he isn't a public nuisance which he is. There's a place for everything and standing on a corner with a reflective sign blinding drivers is not the right place. Standing on Castro with your signs spread on the sidewalk forcing people to go around is not the right place. Let him be diverse in Berkeley where he'd be seen as a prophet by the whackos there. Maybe Code Pink will use him as their poster child.

Posted by Kevin T, a resident of the Whisman Station neighborhood, on Jan 4, 2011 at 2:47 pm

Get a life "Watchful" ... This poor sob is an incoherent mess, but he is *not* a "dangerous road condition".

Posted by Marshall, a resident of the Whisman Station neighborhood, on Jan 4, 2011 at 4:26 pm

Thank Goodness for City Attorney Jannie Quinn!!

I disagree with Kevin....Ideafarm is a road hazard.

Posted by homegirl, a resident of another community, on Jan 4, 2011 at 5:45 pm

You mean Theodore Zaner? The writer must be a close friend of the Judge, because every time I've been in his courtroom, the Bailiff says "All rise, the Honorable Theodore Zaner Presiding, please be seated".

Highly disrespectful.CB6TH

Why don't you hang out in Judge Barrett's courtroom and find a casual name for him? I dare you.

Posted by JH, a resident of the The Crossings neighborhood, on Jan 4, 2011 at 8:51 pm

Should be "Teddy Zayner"

Posted by Water Ducksback, a resident of the Cuernavaca neighborhood, on Jan 5, 2011 at 11:10 am

Oh please. People were screaming for this guy's head way before his reflective signs and (GASP!) naughty words.

Some villagers want anything they can't agree with or understand out of the village. Some people are simply uptight, but you're welcome to be an uptight "clinch butt" in my city, just as Ideafarm is allowed to be a kook. Just don't ask me to stand idly while the lunatics scream "Burn the witch". Personally, I think both sides are just as whacked out as the other. Some people simply cannot tolerate irritation, and sadly, those are usually the most easily irritated.

I'm gonna give the guy 10 bucks next time I see him.

Posted by I'm with Water/Duck, a resident of the Willowgate neighborhood, on Jan 5, 2011 at 2:19 pm

I totally agree with the water/duck/back comment. You're just right. I completely do not understand the level of anger aimed at this man. LEAVE THE GUY ALONE!!!!

Posted by Lori, a resident of the Shoreline West neighborhood, on Jan 5, 2011 at 3:45 pm

I agree his is a road hazzard and selfish. There has to be a better way for him to communicate without being a public nuisance. The amount of public real estate he takes up while getting his message out often makes cars, bikes and pedestrians swerve around him getting in harms way.

Posted by DuckedTheIssue, a resident of the Willowgate neighborhood, on Jan 5, 2011 at 4:55 pm

I agree - Crimes should be ignored, then we'll all get along better...

I plan to give $20 to the next criminal I can find!

Posted by Mike, a resident of the Shoreline West neighborhood, on Jan 6, 2011 at 9:13 am

I'm sure people thought what Jesus said was offensive and vulgar too. People are just too secure in their own little worlds and don't like to see anything that makes them take an honest look at themselves. I have never talked to the man but know 2 people that have. The say he is not crazy at all.

Posted by Puhleeze Force, a resident of the Cuesta Park neighborhood, on Jan 6, 2011 at 10:00 am

I fear more from the "Hazards" behind the wheels of their cars on El Camino than I do the hazard from Ideafarm. So many angry people yet not one has shown any evidence of harm, other than irritation. Be very angry though, yah, that's a good plan. I'm sure it'll work out well for you in the long run.

Posted by Bob, a resident of the Blossom Valley neighborhood, on Jan 6, 2011 at 10:31 am

I think this has been discussed before, but I don't think it's so much the message as it is the delivery. At first, the "shock" method may have been worth a try, but clearly it has been counterproductive.

Maybe he should try a softer approach? That is, provided his message is what people are really interested in, not the debate he stirs or the quirky way in which he does it.

Posted by Seer, a resident of the Old Mountain View neighborhood, on Jan 7, 2011 at 9:12 am

Hey Watchful, "hazzard" is some place in Georgia, I think, which has dukes.

However, if you meant "hazard", I'd say people who fear and hate anything that makes them uncomfortable are a far greater hazard than IdeaFarm is. Fear is the mind-killer, you know.

Posted by Seer, a resident of the Old Mountain View neighborhood, on Jan 7, 2011 at 9:17 am

Oh, and Lori... if cars were swerving around his "doghouses" then he'd be in jail for violating traffic law. Exaggeration is a sure way to get ignored! Why don't you save your vitriol for our politicians which are dismantling our country as fast as they can, busily sticking it in their pockets. Oh, wait... isn't that what IdeaFarm is trying to get us to see?

Posted by Wo\'O Ideafarm, a resident of another community, on Jan 7, 2011 at 9:54 am
Wo\'O Ideafarm is a member (registered user) of Mountain View Online

I am here but will not post except to answer clarification questions. Please view the new web site and then send me an email saying simply, "Count Me In!": Web Link

Posted by Joel, a resident of the Monta Loma neighborhood, on Jan 7, 2011 at 5:46 pm

I've looked at the IdeaFarm website and, whatever anyone thinks of public displays in the context of far greater traffic hazards, there is nothing particularly irritating about it -- mostly nice thoughts about pleasant behaviors. It would be nicer still if there were a bit more detail about specific goals. I'm part of the "fix the world" generation (as most of us are in some way) and would like to have a positive impact on the major challenges we face as custodians of a troubled nation and world -- not simply to have a "feel good" state of mind (although that's not bad start).

Posted by MV resident, a resident of the Jackson Park neighborhood, on Jan 8, 2011 at 9:15 am

I don't see what the big deal is with this guy. He's kooky but harmless. I just ignore him. He's an attention hog and I'm not interested in giving him what he wants.