Auto Dealer wants flagpole taller than Statue of Liberty...

[cynatnite]

An auto dealer in Lake Park, Fla., has petitioned his town council for approval to install a 341-foot flagpole on his car lot.

The Palm Beach Post reported that Earl Stewart, 71, wants to dedicate the giant flagpole to the victims of the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks.

According to the newspaper, Stewart's $800,000 project calls for a 5-foot-wide steel pole at the base and would carry a 50-foot by 30-foot flag.

The flagpole will also have to be constructed to withstand hurricane-force winds and gain Federal Aviation Administration approval.
"Yes, it's self-serving. I'm 71 years old. I want to build something that will be around for a long time," Stewart told the Post.

http://www.wcyb.com/watercooler/31150601/detail.html

[Ian David]

1. Small penis much? n/t

[longship]

6. He could try Viagra.

But the FAA might still veto it.

[Blue_Tires]

2. "I want to build something that will be around for a long time"

If his stealership ever goes under, that pole is coming down, so what's the point??

[hifiguy]

3. Imbecile. nt

[ET Awful]

4. I want to install a ridiculously garish flagpole to commemorate an event that happened ten years ago

at a time that just happens to coincide with my flagging sales.

[northoftheborder]

5. Is this enormous flag going to be lit at night so that planes will not fly into it?

Is this enormous flag going to be lit at night so that, according to flag etiquette, it must be lowered every day at dusk unless lit at night? (I see that rule violated all the time.) Is this enormous flag going to be lowered when it is raining, snowing, hurricaning, and hailing? Is this enormous flag ever going to be lowered to half staff when appropriate?

This enormous flag is ridiculous and totally out of context in my opinion.

What a waste of somebody's money, but, guess it's a free country.

[Ian David]

7. At least it's not a Giant Jesus. n/t

[milwaukeelib33]

8. An insurance headquarters in Sheboygan, WI put one up

Apparently, there is more to it than sticking a thick pole in the ground as it's been put up and taken down twice. It still is down and I don't know if they're going to try a third time:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acuity_Insurance

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

9. Schopenhauer really was right "Patriotism is the most foolish of passions and the passion of fools".

[haele]

10. And it's all because he's just that much more patriotic that you are...

In reality, he most likely wants to a) score patriotism points over his VFW neighbors and b) enable his dealership to stand out above the others - for some reason, a big-assed patio-sized to garage-sized flag is the way a lot of auto dealerships advertise.

Problem is - the flag that will go on a flagpole that size will have to stay up all night instead of being brought down every night per the flag code - he'd need about eight people to properly handle it coming down. Which means he'll also have to annoy the neighbors with pole lighting bright enough to illuminate that flag all night long...

Hope he can pay the electric bill. One 100watt CFL light won't do it.

Dedicate the "biggest flagpole" to the victims of Sept. 11, my ass.

Haele

[Solly Mack]

11. Alrighty then.

$800,000 could feed a lot of people.

Just saying...it's his money, I know that.

Still...


Damn.

[Enrique]

12. this will end in some kind of bizarre tragedy

remember, this is in Florida.

[Woody Woodpecker]

13. Like having that flag pole shoved up where the sun don't shine?

A need to build a pole bigger than a statue needs to have this guy examined for dementia and early onset Alzheimer's.