Offensive Words Occupying Hill In Clear View Of I-80 In Solano County
SOLANO COUNTY (CBS13) - It's a message staring drivers in the face, and offending many of them. Carved into a hill in Solano County near Vacaville, it tells drivers to occupy a certain three-letter word.
As you make your way from the Bay Area down Interstate 80, just after Fairfield before Vacaville, the message is occupying a hillside for drivers to see.
"All of my little group here, who is 12 and 13, noticed it," said one woman.
The message, up for two years, is no doubt in reference to the Occupy movement that took over around then. But over the past few weeks, the message has been added to. It now reads "Occupy My (expletive)" -- three letter word for backside.
"The verbal language is bad enough, but having to see it going down a freeway is something else."
Interstate 80 drivers say it's offensive.
"It's a bad word. All kids know what that means."
"It's terrible that they have that there; they should definitely remove it."
Should remove it, but legally it's no problem according to the California Highway Patrol.
A CHP spokesperson says it "has received inquiries to this issue and has determined no law has been or is being broken. This is on private property and as long as it poses no immediate hazard to traffic, it is legal."
CBS13 tried to get in contact with the land owner. We spoke to a real estate agent who assured us that while the owner had no comment, the Occupy message and the added phrase were the work of vandals. But as for removing it, we couldn't get an answer.
"I just think it should be obliterated."
Free speech, maybe, but drivers prefer it occupied someone else's view.
"There's a certain limit; you can't just post that there for everyone to see."
So for now, apparently, that message stays. That is, unless the property owner, or even another vandal, wants to change it.
CHP says if they had reason to believe the message was distracting drivers, they would be able to step in. So far, there have been no reports of the message distracting drivers into causing crashes.
