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The hearse, the skunk and the president

Posted by Derek Olson in Main

December 20, 2007 8:24 AM

Permalink | Comments (3)

Costa Mesa resident Lori McDonald's odd taste in holiday decorations may be getting her into trouble with the city and her neighbors, but after she described them to us we had to get a look.

McDonald's huge 1971 Cadillac Hearse, painted "Plum Crazy" purple has raised the ire of some of her uppity neighbors and the parking ticket-mad Costa Mesa Police Department. According to McDonald, the parking police have been on her case because of an ordinance that says vehicles must be moved every 72 hours, except in permit neighborhoods. So every couple days she has to go out and move the car, but then returns it to the street parking spot in front of her house.

"It's part of my display," she argues.

Behind the wheel of the hearse sits a Bill Clinton dummy. Sponge Bob and Shrek ride shotgun. Pretty sure there is a political statement here, though not entirely certain what it is. There's also a decapitated Governator in the back seat.

The final puzzle piece to this politically nebulous statement is an eight-foot tall motion activated statue of George Bush holding a skunk and peering over a front-yard fence. When the statue detects movement and comes to life, he sounds more like Tony Blair. Turns out the statue was actually a butler that was once placed out front a grocery store.

View Janine Kahn's slideshow and judge for yourself whether McDonald's whiny neighbors or the Costa Mesa ticket patrol is in the right. Would you want this stuff next door?

 

Comments (3)

  1. dino says:
    December 20, 2007 11:40

    There exists a California Vehicle Code section that limits parking to 72 hours in the same place. From one end of the county to the other, police decide which vehicles to mark, which to warn, and which to ticket.
    I've seen cars parked but four hours towed under this law, while cars on the same street remain so long that Bermuda grass has grown from cracks in the paving into openings on the vehicles' wheels.
    In the North OC city where I once lived, my neighbor parked his car in front of my house for six weeks while he and his family went on vacation: No ticket. An overnight visitor from out of town to my home parked behind my neighbor, and Voila! A parking ticket! Go figure.

  2. J. D. Brox says:
    December 20, 2007 13:17

    "Would you want this stuff next door?" Who the fuck would? This crap - and its owner's attitude - reminds me of the drunk piece of redneck shit used to live next door to me in Long Beach. Had a balcony full of junk. Eventually got kicked out and moved to Costa Mesa. Hey, wait! Costa Mesa?! Why does that ring a bell?

  3. girlie says:
    January 17, 2008 15:11

    this lady is C R A Z Y!!!
    I live down the street from her and have had my share of runs ins with her (AS HAVE ALL OF WALNUT STREETS RESIDENTS!)
    this article is ridiculus! please don't encourage her crazy behavior... loud obnoxious music, screaming at neighborhood kids, calling the police about EVERYTHING(including cars parked on the street, and of course the silly decorations... which stay up ALL YEAR ROUND... not just around the holidays!!!
    she needs to get a life and quit harassing the poor kids and neighbors!

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