Civic Activism : Parking Protester Drives Home Point in Laguna Beach

Is he a lone voice crying out against constitutional abuse or an annoying, foul-mouthed publicity seeker?

Patrick Crosby could be both. You may remember the 39-year-old electrical engineer and Laguna Beach resident as the world’s first parking rights activist.

Parking, at least, was how Crosby made his mark on Laguna about a week ago, when he stationed his 1967 Dodge Monaco in front of Regatta’s hair styling salon with the message, “Laguna Cops Suck. Parking for Locals First” in the window.

The homemade sign, penned in red Magic Marker, said a few more things, too, some of which cannot be printed in this newspaper.

But that turned out to be academic, because Laguna Beach police quickly removed the offending sign by breaking into Crosby’s car. The cops cited Motor Vehicle Code 21465 on “unauthorized traffic devices” and wrote him a ticket that carries a $27 fine.

An outraged Crosby complained that his First and Fourth Amendment rights had been trampled upon. He wrote yet another sign: same message but more chatty.

The cops were also fascist and so were “certain (expletive) Yuppie hair stylists who call in bogus parking complaints.”

That, according to police, was accompanied by Crosby calling Regatta’s salon, “yelling and screaming.” Regatta’s called the police. The customers were upset. Owner Jorgen Nielsen was upset.

And besides, Nielsen said, he and his customers don’t like seeing Crosby’s “very ugly” cars parked right at the shop’s entrance.

“About a year ago, I left him a nice little note asking if he could please park up the street,” Nielsen said. “Especially when it rains, my customers like to be able to come out of the shop and get right into their cars. I even put up a very expensive canopy that goes all the way to the street.”

Several times, police have acted on Regatta’s complaints and ticketed Crosby for overstaying the 72-hour parking limit in front of the shop.

With the latest Regatta complaint--and the newest sign--police again arrived on La Brea Street.

Crosby’s car was towed. The police asked the district attorney’s office to charge Crosby with being a public nuisance.

But it didn’t end there. Crosby, who said he didn’t have the $95 to release his car, tried to get some papers and his glasses from the car.

Sgt. Danell Adams said Crosby had a “verbal altercation” with the tow truck driver, who called her to say, “This guy is losing it.”

Crosby called City Councilwoman Lida Lenney, who called City Manager Kenneth G. Frank, who called Crosby to say enough was enough and he could have his car back without paying the fine.

“This is really an irritant,” Adams said. “It has taken up a tremendous amount of time. It’s just ridiculous.”

And as for the disparaging comments about her officers, Adams said, “We don’t care. . . . We’ve been called much worse over much less.”

But Patrick Crosby is not one to let such things just fade away. He has called Irvine attorney William Snyder, who said he would write to the Laguna Beach police on behalf of the Orange County chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union.

“It may seem to be a ridiculous thing,” Snyder said. “And some may even question Mr. Crosby’s motives, but there are rights to be protected.”

And what about the future of Crosby’s civic activism?

He says he’s mulling over the idea of forming a “Liberate Laguna” political coalition. And on Saturday he marched up and down Laguna’s Main Beach, carrying a sign again impugning the city’s police force and adding the Design Review Board to his enemy’s list.

Crosby said he got “an overwhelmingly positive response from passers-by.”

Oh, and a motorcycle cop stopped, smiled and snapped his picture.

“Kind of curious,” Crosby said.