Lubbock Business Furious With City Over Sign

"I'm trying to run a business," Roy said. "I'm trying to subtly get attention. I'm not wanting to have some idiot out here on the street dressed up as some hot dog or something, jumping up and down.

On December 29^th Tom Roy was given 24 hours to change the sign in front of his business.

"I have nothing against the city for wanting to keep it from being a distraction," Roy said. "And there are signs that are very distracting, but that is not what I'm doing."

The ordinance says signs can only change every 10 seconds, messages can not continue from frame to frame and they can not have any transition effects.

Roys sign violated all three.

"I would change the message every four seconds but I wasn't being obnoxious about it," Roy said.

Stuart Walker with the Lubbock code administration said the ordinances are put into place to keep drivers safe.  

"The reason for that is so that it doesn't distract drivers on the street and create a health and safety issue there," Walker said.

Roy did change his sign to comply but now it has a different message.

"It says don't look at this sign," Roy said. "This sign is bad.  Woodrow says bad city. "I'm just kind of making a point. The Nazi's down at city hall might want to come after me on that."

But Roy said he does not understand why he is being targeted now.

"I don't know why they suddenly chose after two years to say something," Roy said. "I've operated that sign the same since I've had it."

"We have to see a violation before we can address it," Walker said. "So until the inspector sees it, recognizes it and identifies it as a violation, we can then take time to address it."

Roy said he plans on addressing the city council in hopes they will change their requirements.