“Your Cell Phone Law Sucks” Billboard Still Up

On 11 February, the attention-getting tactics of Highway 101
billboards in the Silicon Valley escalated in energy, if not in good taste.
For many years, these very large and expensive rental signs have competed
for drivers’ attention with increasingly bold bright graphics, 3D projections,
and provocative text.

Last month,
news sources reported that Grant Paulson of Pleasanton spent $10,000 to buy
billboard space between University and Embarcadero on 101, posting a long message
to California Senator Joe Simitian,
criticizing him for his efforts to pass a cell phone ban for California drivers.
The Senator reportedly thought the critical billboard was funny.
The sign was supposed to come down by the end of February, but it was still up
this morning. Maybe the billboard company does not have anyone else who wants
to rent that space?

The 75-word hard-to-read sign says: “Senator Joe Simitian: Your cell phone law sucks. Amazing how 1 man’s bad idea can screw over & inconvenience millions of people in CA. Let’s overturn this law in the next election & protect what rights we still have left.”

By my own observations, many of my fellow 101 drivers ignore the new law and continue
to drive with cell phone to ear, supporting Grant Paulson’s sentiments in their own way.
That the billboard went up and stays up is a peculiar tribute to free speech.

Image Copyright 2009 by Katy Dickinson