Human sign, walking billboard or ad — whatever you call it, the city of Wentzville is considering banning those campaigns near West Pearce Boulevard and Wentzville Parkway.
Businesses that have workers holding or carrying advertisements along the high-traffic road prompted one resident to complain to city officials that it was distracting to drivers. The Planning and Zoning Commission is recommending that the Board of Aldermen prohibit it.
The commission held a hearing last night. No one spoke out against the measure.
What do you think? Do you find workers waving signs for deals on pizza, oil changes or a going-out-of-business sale distracting?
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If you are a Wentzville business owner and would like to be interviewed for a story on this issue, please call me at 636-255-7208.
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Of course nobody spoke out about this at the meeting, was it adverstised that ” WE WILL BE STOPPING SIGN DISPLAYS”, who goes to every meeting on the chance that there will be ONE person complain, and these politicians will jump through every hoop to change the constitution for that one person. Hey, you wanna change something, ask how many people don’t like to sit in Applebees and choke on cig smoke while they eat? Bet it’s more than just ONE.
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If they’re going to draft an ordinance to do this, they also need to anticipate that someone will take this to the next level and drive around in a truck which exclusively serves as a sign (not talking about ads on busses or taxicabs – wait a minute, Wentzville with busses or taxicabs? Nevermind). I took a trip to New York City and saw a number of trucks stuck in traffic there, which were basically hauling signs on the back, adding to the congestion. It’ll come. The history of the sandwich board dates back decades. You can see references to “Eat at Joe’s” in many cartoons and movie shorts from the 30’s. These days, businesses are doing everything they can to hawk their services. As long as they’re not flailing in the street, break dancing, or being a public nuisance, what’s the harm? Our level of sophistication certainly has not gone past that.
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ANYONE EVER REMEMBER THE RIGHT TO FREE SPEACH AND THIS SHOULD BE COVERED. I SAY IF THAT IS A DISTRACTION TO DRIVERS AND WE AGAIN WANT TO THROW OUR CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS AWAY MODOT SHOULD KINDLY REMOVE ALL ELECTRONIC SIGNAGE, WENTZVILLE SHOULD WIPE ALL WORDS FROM ALL SIGNAGE BUSINESS OR RESIDENTIAL, AND NO FLAGS OR OTHER ORNAMENTS, LIGHTS OR ANYTHING ELSE. WHO EVER DID THIS IS A REAL PIECE OF WORK AND SHOULD BE CANED FOR THEIR STUPIDITY AND FOR THOSE WHO ALSO BELIEVE THIS SHOULD GET THE SAME.
WHAT THE “____” DID OUR FOREFATHERS FIGHT AND DIE FOR IF NOT TO DISPLAY SIGNAGE FREE OF HARRASMENT AND DISDAIN.
AMAZING SAM. I AM TRULY AMAZING.
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Wentzville politicians…Get a life already. I find police cars running radar a distraction, remove them. I find your 5000 yard signs trying to get you elected into office a distraction, remove them. I find the crosses roadside where a drunk killed somebody a distraction, remove them. Most importantly, I find politicians a distraction..REMOVE YOURSELVES.
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Not distracting at all. Remember Wentzville, you get taxes from the increased sales directly associated to this type advertising….someone needs to get a life! (some are rather entertaining too!)
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Maybe we could use some of these sign carriers to collect money to buy the commission a Brain. Tax revenue is down, jobs are scarce and they want to run off businesses from one person’s complaint. BRILLIANT thoughts folks.
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Will teenagers’ slogan and brand name T-shirts be banned when they walks outdoors in Wentzville? What constitutes a commercial sign being displayed by a human being in Wentzville?
How about Nike? Band names? Tommy Hilfiger? Are they all to be banned if humans are wearing them?
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Wowee! The hicktown is whining over one thing… there are lot of crapola in that hicktown!
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I think a person who thinks a person holding a sign is a distraction,needs to get a ticket for using his/her cell phone while driving ; how do I know he or she is guilty of using a cell phone while driving? Only an idiot cell phone user, would say ,a person waving or carry a sign is a distraction.
Wake-up,you are driving a car .You are not taking a time out ride to tune in on your favorite ways to pass the time.
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Glad to hear they’re worrying about something important!
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If you don’t want to be distracted while driving, GET OFF YOUR CELLPHONE!!
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I don’t know, I figure if a business is that desperate to have someone out on the curb acting stupid I don’t neeed to stop in at their place. It is just as bad on Hwy K with a couple of places. Last of all safety wise, if the wind comes up & the person loses their sign & causes an accident does the business owner have enough insurance for the lawsuit which you know is coming?
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There are always busybodies who have to complain and ruin it for somebody. Right now jobs are hard to find and somebody wants to ruin it for somebody trying to pay their bills. They must feel so good about the good for the common man that they are doing.
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A Mom may be on to something. That would mean that a union could not picket. I wonder what the union guy that dresses like a rat is going to do ? Maybe Chucky Cheese can use him !
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I think taxes are too high in Wentzville, as well as my utility bills. Now fix those issues Board of AllDrunkMen. Since only one person is what it takes to get this type of service I expect it by January 1st. It is no wonder people think our city is a bunch of hicks!
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Uh_Wow, JQ, I’m with you. These are people’s jobs–low paying, boring, annoying jobs, but at least they are (hopefully) helping someone pay rent or keep food on the table. If the sign-wavers are interfering with traffic/visibility, PD can give them citations. But what’s next, banning pedestrians who are pretty or handsome from waiting on the curb at stop lights because they’re momentarily distracting to some drivers? Come on.
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Really unbelievable. What’s next? Banning people from walking on the sidewalks? I’m in Wentzville and it makes me want to puke.
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Hrm. Never mind the First Amendment…
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If I could ban one sign-waver it would be the kid who stands on the corner of hwy F and hwy 94 advertising Frisella’s nursery. When we’re trying to turn left from F onto 94, he blocks our view of oncoming traffic. I’ve asked him to get out of the way several times but he’s too dense to remember from one time to the next. He’s a hazard.
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The economy has many people doing what ever it takes to survive. Perhaps supporting instead of putting up road blocks might be the better thing to do. Another job lost, whether it is a person holding a sign or not is another job lost that we can’t afford.
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Meanwhile, the MONEYED interests that pay for flashing, brightly lighted digital billboards and hoosiery large billboards advertising everything from Hooters to XXX videos are seen as just fine means of “generating jobs” and revenue.
Frankly, I find anyone who can get into a gorilla suit or a chicken suit to wave a sign to be funny and it does make my day. This person who complained should get a life.
Second, my visa was once double charged for something expensive at Wentzville business and I was treated badly by management there when I tried repeatedly to get them to removed the charge. I briefly considered picketing the store with a sandwich board to alert the public about this fraudulent business.
This “ban” therefore might raise constitutional issues about signs and human people carrying signs. I think it would fail if challenged in court.
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Dear lwingo44,
Please stop misusing apostrophes – they are for possessives, NOT for plurals.
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I rather enjoy the antics of many of the human billboards. Dancing, waving, etc. I’d probably buy anything being advertised by one of your girls on the swimsuit gallery.
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hey Wentzville I have a complaint,there is a neighbor that has had a broken down green Ford truck in there drive way for almost a year. I have complained and nothing has been done about it. The house is an eye sore, with the truck and the ripped window blinds.
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Why does a few complaints warrant putting a few people out of work? I pass these people everyday it seems and have never given them a second thought about how dangerous or distracting they are. If this logic were true we should ban any store or MODOT from using the digital message signs.
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Give them a break. The kids are out there working maybe minimum wage trying to drum up business. These businesses are trying to keep the doors open. If your that distracted driving you might want to take a cab
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You need some software that automatically deletes comments with banned words AND sends a virus to the author.
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Moderator: Please remove both of the comments from Krampus. They are very racist and do not belong on here. Thank you.
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We need to do anything we can to support businesses. Leave them alone.
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Seriously? Is this really an issue of any kind of substance? Makes me question why I’m even responding to it.
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I do not think of them as a distraction, at least no more than any other kind of advertising along the road.
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not distracting, just one whiney person.
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I find those sign’s to be low class and totaly hoosier! I don’t care where they are being waved. The can be a distraction to a driver. I wish they (law makers) would also eliminate those “poor, too lazy to work, but have enough time to beg for money people” from intersections!
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I don’t think it’s a distraction, however drivers here in the STL area are about the worst ever, so its worth consideration…
Between their myth of “black ice” (ice is clear, not black), Asians in Camrys trying to run into everything, and rednecks in SUVs and pickup trucks blocking you when you use your signal to get in a different lane, its treacherous…
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Agreed jaycee. I have a solution for the one resident that complained. Pay attention to the road, not the signs and you won’t be distracted.
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One person complained and now they want to ban them? Typical government over-reaction.
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