Wo'O Ideafarm is in trouble with the law, again.
The unusually named man is a common sight on the streets of Mountain View, often seen holding signs with slogans decrying selfishness or encouraging passersby to "live wholesomely." At other times, his "campaigns" have carried more incendiary messages on issues such as gay marriage and immigration.
The large, sign-covered box-like trailer that doubles as his home was seized by the police when he was arrested last month. The replacement box, an 8-foot long trailer Ideafarm tows with his bicycle that he refers to as the "doghouse," is not allowed on public land, said City Attorney Jannie Quinn. Ideafarm was issued a letter from the city saying that he cannot encroach upon public property with his structure, she told the Voice.
"I think the city has been incredibly respectful of his First Amendment rights and tolerant of his behavior," Quinn said. "We expect him to comply with the Mountain View city code."
That means that Ideafarm may not park his "doghouse" on public sidewalks or stand in the median of any street and distribute literature or hold campaign placards, Quinn said.
Ideafarm has not gotten along well with the Mountain View police in recent weeks. On Sept. 9 he was arrested in a City Hall conference room on trespassing charges, after he refused to cooperate with an officer who asked him to leave.
The next day, Sept. 10, Ideafarm staged what he calls a "sit in" in the lobby of the Mountain View Police Department. He sat on the ground, blocking the lobby's main counter and reading from a book about the First Amendment. According to police spokeswoman Liz Wylie, officers spent "an inordinate amount of time" trying to convince him to move to a chair in the lobby where he wouldn't block access to the counter. He refused, was again arrested and this time jailed for 13 days. While in jail, police seized his original "doghouse" as evidence, Ideafarm said.
Comments
Martens-Carmelita
on Oct 7, 2010 at 1:25 pm
on Oct 7, 2010 at 1:25 pm
What is this? Are we living in China, now? Give the man a break. power corrupt and overpaid city council and the police department is arrogant in stopping this man from exercising his freedom of expression. Come on now, all bozos in the city council and the ones in the police dept , stop this nonsense. Don't act like you know everything and stop harassing this man. And stop abusing your power.
Old Mountain View
on Oct 7, 2010 at 2:01 pm
on Oct 7, 2010 at 2:01 pm
What is this? Are we living in anarchy now? Give us a break.
Put this guy in the mental hospital where he belongs - not on the street harassing innocent locals.
another community
on Oct 7, 2010 at 2:07 pm
on Oct 7, 2010 at 2:07 pm
Thank you Sal, well said!
Registered user
Cuesta Park
on Oct 7, 2010 at 2:21 pm
Registered user
on Oct 7, 2010 at 2:21 pm
jupiterk, you miss the subtleties of First Amendment law. You don't have an unbridled right to say whatever you want, wherever you want. I'm sure you wouldn't be all that thrilled having Mr. Ideafarm parking is doghouse off of the edge of your property and standing with placards at all hours. After all, he'd be in a public place, no?
Provided that the laws barring Mr. Ideafarm from parking on streets and giving out placards are content-neutral, the city is well within its rights to get him to move. If he (or you) feel that strongly about the messages, how about ponying up and buying that plot of land at the corner of Castro and El Camino? Then he has all the property to say all the things he wants.
Old Mountain View
on Oct 7, 2010 at 2:25 pm
on Oct 7, 2010 at 2:25 pm
Ideafarm please go back home.....back east where you came from.
Cuesta Park
on Oct 7, 2010 at 2:29 pm
on Oct 7, 2010 at 2:29 pm
Freedom of speech means you can express an unpopular view, or even an
unintelligible one, without being committed to a mental hospital. It wasn't
that long ago that the Soviets regularly diagnosed protestors as mentally ill.
I never saw this man harassing anyone, though it appears that he sought
a confrontation with the Mountain View police - not the other way around.
I hope we're a community that tolerates the antics of our eccentrics - while
they're law abiding.
Shoreline West
on Oct 7, 2010 at 2:34 pm
on Oct 7, 2010 at 2:34 pm
Dr. Collateral has a point. But I think jupiterk's might be making a point about how the police are not equipped to handle people like Mr. Ideafarm. Good thing we had room in Mtn. View jail for him, right.
Old Mountain View
on Oct 7, 2010 at 2:43 pm
on Oct 7, 2010 at 2:43 pm
I would much rather see the cars with abortion pictures removed than this harmless display of his freedom of speech. Which brings up the question, "Who decides what is or isn't neutral?"
What about the homeless group that parks outside Starbuck downtown each day looking for coins. Their existance is a statement not very popular.
I've pass by the Ideafarm for years and never seen him harassing people. I would rather error on the side of the freedom of speech rather than spend time and energy finding loop holes in our city laws to get rid of the Ideafarm.
Ms. Wylie, can you supply us with a guess on the amount of cost put into removing the Ideafarm and arresting and holding the owner. That's the crime.
Waverly Park
on Oct 7, 2010 at 3:10 pm
on Oct 7, 2010 at 3:10 pm
I respect freedom of speech but not when it borders on threatening behavior. I saw this guy on a rampage in Walgreens recently, decrying vaccinations. Nothing wrong with his view, but I felt uncomfortable enough to advise them to tell a manager that this guy may cause a problem. I realized after the fact who it was.
Whisman Station
on Oct 7, 2010 at 3:28 pm
on Oct 7, 2010 at 3:28 pm
[Post removed due to promoting a website]
Blossom Valley
on Oct 7, 2010 at 4:10 pm
on Oct 7, 2010 at 4:10 pm
He was out on the street for years not bothering anyone, but now, like bad case of fleas on a dog, he's creating an itch that the city is trying to scratch, and the more they scratch it, the more it itches. It makes me wonder who's driving the entire drama. It's way past time to let it go. Give Mr. Ideafarm his doghouse back, find him a place he can park it, and let's be a community that tolerates differences instead of persecuting them.
Martens-Carmelita
on Oct 7, 2010 at 4:11 pm
on Oct 7, 2010 at 4:11 pm
Dr.Collateral, I don't support violence or outrageous behavior . But then expression using banner or a big bumper stick is not threatening.
It won't surprise me if the Police went heavyhandedly at him to provoke him and then charge him with violent behavior. We have seen this time and time again. I have nothing against the MVPD and personally never had any problems with them.
I don't think ideafarm is a threat to anyone. I have seen his automobile parked in the library for so many years and now near Walgreens. Its all the power and the arrogance of corporations,city council and the police who don't want to be challenged and questioned have made ideafarm into something that he is not..
You all can believe the propaganda crap. Another example of US going down on a steep slope of less freedom and lot less in exercising them.
George Washington and Thomas Jefferson would all be ashamed of people of your kind.
I don't like slogans 'Jesus died for our sins','Choppers with a cross,etc...and all these gangs wearing blings, cross tattooed on their bodies..But we tolerate gangs living near Rengstroff/Esquela neighborhoods and vandalizing cars. But we find ideafarm to be a threat? What an irony?
Old Mountain View
on Oct 7, 2010 at 4:46 pm
on Oct 7, 2010 at 4:46 pm
Jupijerk - Most of the time, he is doing no harm. However, when he goes into the street and waves his placards (which I have seen him do), it is dangerous to himself, and to those driving there.
In addition, some of what he writes is not just slogans that people "don't like", they are divisive in our society/area and will only lead to tension and potentially violence.
He does not do this for any "right" reason. He may actually think that Mtn View cares what he thinks, and, who knows, maybe a few actually do. I am not one of them.
I would very much prefer that I not have to explain some of these hateful things to my young children as I drive them to elementary school.
THANK YOU MTN VIEW POLICE!!
Shoreline West
on Oct 7, 2010 at 5:52 pm
on Oct 7, 2010 at 5:52 pm
Thank you Mvpd! Enough is enough of that guy. He's lucky he was dealing with our professional police who had the patience to deal with mentally challenged people. So long Wo! Better luck somewhere far far away!
Jackson Park
on Oct 7, 2010 at 6:29 pm
on Oct 7, 2010 at 6:29 pm
My wish is that people actually learn what free speech means. Free speech doesn't mean you have the right to block my way, or disrupt business. Put this guy in a 72 hour observation. There's something wrong with this person. He isn't "right".
Jackson Park
on Oct 7, 2010 at 6:34 pm
on Oct 7, 2010 at 6:34 pm
Another thing. There's a fine place for people to do exactly what this person is doing. And he'd actually get a crowd interested.
Hitch up the ideafarm and head down 101 to Berkeley. Might even get your very own tree, or maybe Code Pink will find a spot for you to crash.
Monta Loma
on Oct 7, 2010 at 7:44 pm
on Oct 7, 2010 at 7:44 pm
Fred's Place openly welcomes Wo'O into our flock. His ideas will be considered and opined by the Elders. Once a decision has been reached, the Elders shall roll the die.
The Crossings
on Oct 7, 2010 at 8:40 pm
on Oct 7, 2010 at 8:40 pm
I've seen his doghouse around a lot. I've never seen anything divisive. What has he said?
Blossom Valley
on Oct 7, 2010 at 11:12 pm
on Oct 7, 2010 at 11:12 pm
Regardless of what he said, exactly WHICH LAW did he break? Because when I read the 1st Amendment it goes
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech...
The Constitution is the Constitution, even when it's inconvenient.
Blossom Valley
on Oct 8, 2010 at 9:40 am
on Oct 8, 2010 at 9:40 am
He should be remanded into custody immediatley, also run out of town all the beggars, they lower the quality of our class A town.
Whisman Station
on Oct 8, 2010 at 9:41 am
on Oct 8, 2010 at 9:41 am
Mr Ideafarm has already seen the doctors. We don't have crazy institutions any more since they closed down Agnews. He is not a danger to himself or others...he is just one of those people that has no desire to work (and Wo I don't mean work to spread your message) but to actually get a career. He is just looking for attention and again he has obtained it by getting another article in the paper and now he has added his link to his website for nothing.
Mr. Ideafarm...what happened to you? You were well educated and now you've lost it. Get a job, get an apartment and write a book on the side to send your message out. Right now there are not to many people that are going to listen to your messages. You are not getting any younger and you are not going to be remembered when you pass in that lonely doghouse. Your "associates" are just looking for a handout or don't have the mental capacity to understand that you are going no where.
Cuesta Park
on Oct 8, 2010 at 10:02 am
on Oct 8, 2010 at 10:02 am
Last time I saw him he had two cops talking to him and a huge sign that read:
"NEW WORD FOR THE DAY:
NI**ER QUEER MARRIAGE"
His other musings were not cogent but nevertheless sometimes entertaining. However, he lost me with this last one.
Shoreline West
on Oct 8, 2010 at 10:43 am
on Oct 8, 2010 at 10:43 am
Leave the guy alone and return his property to him. Whatever happened to "tolerance"? Kooks have a right to be kooky, and they spice things up. Remember Emperor Norton!
How much city money has been spent harassing this man? That's the pertinent question here.
Whisman Station
on Oct 8, 2010 at 10:50 am
on Oct 8, 2010 at 10:50 am
Sounds like Mountain View would like to be the next stop for the WBC! Please join me in letting them know we will gladly welcome them here in Mountain View, CA.
Freedom of speech is such fun!
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or stop people from blocking traffic in Mountain View, CA.
Any laws past after the Constitution was drafted should be ignored, as they are not in the Constitution.
Cuesta Park
on Oct 8, 2010 at 11:39 am
on Oct 8, 2010 at 11:39 am
All you people defending his right to free speech are missing the point, entirely. Nobody is saying he can't say whatever he wants, however offensive (see my earlier post). The point is you can't just park an unregistered heap of junk on city streets/property.
Blossom Valley
on Oct 8, 2010 at 3:29 pm
on Oct 8, 2010 at 3:29 pm
No one has yet specified what law is being broken. The longer it takes to see one the more I wonder if there even is one. The police are possibly just taking advantage of the fact that this person probably won't be able to afford a lawyer to take them on in court.
Someone doesn't understand something about the first amendment and what "no law" means. The thing about a constitution is that it overrides every other law. You could look it up in your civics book.
As to the person who thinks he should write a book, does anyone read them anymore? Looks to me like their use these days is limited to stuff to buy people for the holidays. Even the library is mainly a DVD and WiFi station these days.
Shoreline West
on Oct 11, 2010 at 6:00 pm
on Oct 11, 2010 at 6:00 pm
Hey sparky! If you welcome Wo into Freds place thanks for the heads up! Now nobody will go in there to chill and have a beer! Who wants to here that bs after a long day at work? Good job!
North Whisman
on Oct 13, 2010 at 1:41 pm
on Oct 13, 2010 at 1:41 pm
Its funny that all the people talking about Free Speech, are unable to read a simple article.
Can I rob and kill people to express my Free Speech? What if I do it while wearing a sign saying "I love Pie!"?
No, I don't think so....and neither can I setup shacks on public property....Even shacks with signs on them!
Rex Manor
on Oct 13, 2010 at 11:45 pm
on Oct 13, 2010 at 11:45 pm
Forget what his signs say it is his "doghouse" encroaching our city's streets that is the problem. It is the only problem; read the article. Can I just put a couch out on Castro as long as I have a sign or pitch a tent on Shoreline median as long as the tent has "message" painted on it?I think not.
another community
on Oct 27, 2010 at 8:50 pm
on Oct 27, 2010 at 8:50 pm
I have seen this man for years on the streets and sidewalks of Mt. View with his trailer and signs. While I have always thought it was an enormous waste of his time and that he could be doing something more productive I have not found his presence to be problem until recently. Several times in the past month he has parked his structure on El Camino and El Monte. This was a new location from what I had previously seen him. There is not enough room for him there. I nearly hit him in my truck since it was a surprise to me that he was there. The next time I was more careful but the bike rider had to swerve around him since he was parked in the bike lane and the rider nearly hit me. We were both so rattled we pulled over into the shopping center and discussed his doghouse location as being a hazard. I would disagree with the comments that he is not hurting anyone since the rider and I asked him to move out of the intersection before someone gets hurt. He refused.
Castro City
on Nov 3, 2010 at 8:29 pm
on Nov 3, 2010 at 8:29 pm
As a member of the Mountain View community I often seen the signs posted around town. I took no exception until they become filled with hate speech against homosexuals, gay marriage, and immigration. While it's true he has the right to speak his mind, I'm offended to have to drive by this daily on my way to work. Abandoning a partially coherent sign along the roadside in my mind is not an act of patriotism; it's an act of cowardice. If you're going to spew hate speech at least show your face while doing it.