LA police stymied by do-it-yourself parking bans

Finding a good parking spot on the public beaches of Malibu, California is difficult enough, and area residents are making it much harder. The Los Angeles Times is reporting that Malibu residents are planting fake 'no parking' signs up and down the Pacific Coast Highway. The many signs sometimes look good enough to fool even law enforcement, but other times the illegal signs are nothing more than a cheap mock-up on a four-foot post.

The problem is that the Pacific Coast Highway features some of the most expensive ocean-front parking anywhere on the planet, and wealthy residents aren't interested in having parked cars ruin their view. Unfortunately for them, there are many public beaches along this stretch, so law enforcement is tasked with finding and removing the illegal signs. Enforcement officer Pat Veesart tells the Times that removing the signs is "like whack-a-mole," with new signs popping up every time one gets taken down.

Veesart and company are working hard to eliminate the illegal signs, but as you can imagine, the no parking issue is low on the agency's list of priorities. Too bad, too, because everyone should have access to the public beaches in the area.

If residents continue to plant these signs, we're thinking that large, gaudy "Parking is Allowed" signs should be placed wherever the illegal signs are taken down. That should deter residents from trying to keep commoners away from public beaches.