All in all an excellent issue. It's got a huge article on girls that race cars. Leilani Munter is worth the admission price alone.....meeeeeoow! Also some great pictures of psychedelic '70s paint jobs. But the article that got me steamed was about the closing of Roy's Drive In in Salinas, California. Apparently some predatory parapelegic by the name of Jarek Molski (AKA The Sheriff) brought a lawsuit that put the owners in such a financial bind that they had no choice but to close. He's brought 400 such lawsuits against different establishments to make them handicapped compliant. Some are saying that this is not so much a disabled person fighting for his rights as one who's running an extortion ring. I know how the owners of Roy's feel, we've had the same thing happen to us, it cost us tens of thousands of dollars in fines and upgrades. Mind you some of our establishments have been operating harrasment free since the early '80s. We were fortunate that we could withstand the financial burden, many others aren't so lucky. It's one thing to lose an historic diner to escalating land values, it's quite another to lose it to an asshole using his disability for nefarious purposes.
I read that article and saw a news report on the guy. He is ruining peoples lives up and down the coast. He is a complete shake down artist and seems to be going after cruise night places cause he was spotted at bobs in burbank (i heard he was booed and left).
http://www.abanet.org/journal/redesign/f18vex.html he ( Jarek Molski) sounds like a bit of a dick with both arms in the barrel stirring it up but looks like a judge is slowing him down maybe
my god, i read the article and sounds like this guy and the law firm are abusing the system so badly that it's unfreaking believable. Molski or whatever the hell his name is reported being injured twice on the same day in many cases and that the lawsuit filings are identical even to the typos for different establishments. their goal, though impossible to prove, is that they are hoping for cash settlements. these guys should be killed because this is why shit cost so much, people that abuse the system. scumbags.
I agree that this guy is an asshole using extortion tactics to make money of this law. but that's the problem. The Law, and the way the dumbass politicians wrote it. They passed a law requiring all public businesses to have wheelchair handicapped entry and rest rooms but they wrote it so it left enforcement up to individuals like this guy to file individual complaints against business before any legal action is taken against a business. So rather than have local health departments check and require the upgrades as part of their inspections (they said that would cost too much more money) they wrote in this loophole that not only lets business owners off the hook on following the law but makes it possible for this asshole to make a killing abusing the loophole. The reason for the law was for good intentions, I guess, or maybe not, (Why do ice skating rinks need handicapped parking?) but almost as if they must, the stupid law makers put a monkey wrench in the fine print of the law. They should have just had a grandfather clause that made new construction, corporate owned businesses, and their franchises, new license or transfer of name of owner of license require the upgrades. and leave thes old diners alone. I remember years, decades ago going to a restaurant in Oregon right on the I-5 called Mejias and it was a park and walk up steps to get in affair. I guess you can't have a restaurant on a hill that only has a steep staircase for access? Is this guy going to want a wheel chair ramp up the side of Mt. Whitney next? Again, blame the fucking lazy, stupid or down right crooked POLITICIANS for writing in the loophole that makes it possible for this guy to do this. It used to be illegal to wear a bathing suit on the public beach that exposes the navel here in Long Beach, and illegal to pluck chickens in the street. I wonder if those laws are still on the books? I bet this guy is in some way related to someone who had a hand in writing the law... That's usually the case. Government = The biggest GANG in town.
There's a special place in hell for those who make money off the misery of others. Somebody needs to let the air out of his tires.
Wow what a joke......i can't beleive no wait i can.......anther sign of a scumbag waiving the flag of a good cause........
This Jerk Molester or what ever his name, just needs to be Capped! And to think I'm a pacifist Tree hugging Liberal. Pogo
the guy's making a living from these lawsuits, not exactly the intent of the legislation. he's been barred from filing new suits in los angeles, but the damage is done, especially in the case of Roy's. i know that there are places i can't go anymore, but driving someone out of business isn't gonna solve the problem. government buildings need to be accessible to everyone, but not everyone has the resources or responsibilities of the federal or state government(s).
That guy sued all our local wineries here in Livermore, too. Didn't know he made a business out of it. Where's a gun-toting vigilante when you need him?
So cole didja take your hot gals for breakfast to Roy's when you were done playing with 'em? I'm worried sick that there's another lawsuit just around the corner waiting to pounce on us. I am not without compassion but there's no way that small businesses like ours can be compliant with every respect of whatever 'Act' the government enacts to pacify whatever group that feels slighted. The whole time this shit went down with us I had a distinct feeling that Feds and the bum that sued were going out drinking together after the day's proceedings. Call me paranoid, but I think the government is capable of inflicting severe damage on its populace. DrJ's my hero.
Glad this jerk is getting exposed to some national scrutiny. Moleski & his lawyer have been hitting small businesses all up and down the coast. I know he went through Paso too as I was eating at Wilson's one day passing through, the waitresses were talking about him and how he put some other local area place under. They were worried for their jobs! The ADA is well meaning legislation but was poorly written as to real world enforcement. Moleski has been through our small town too, and now we have a local lady who is doing exactly the same pattern of behaviour as Moleski, maight even use the same lawyer. I really miss Roy's, the food was not so hot but it was about the last true little owner operator drive around and was just damn cool looking. We used to take all our cars there and shoot pics of them. I know we have a HAMBer here who is in a chair, he was at the HAMB drags, I'm sorry I do not remember his name but he was a really cool guy. The dragstrip was not exactally handicap friendly but everyone seemed more than willing to help this HAMBer out to have the best time possible, and he was digging on the whole scene and did not seem to have any trouble with where he was. I know I can't speak for him but it appears he had a realistic expectation as to what the place was going to be like. I guess cause I'm out of shape now nad don't feel like making the climb I'm going to have the Park Service build me an elevator to the top of Half Dome in Yosemite, now where is Moleski's lawyers phone number???........
That Moleski dude is a piece o' shit! Roy's has always been the place to stop and park when cruising down Main St. in Salinas... now it's just an empty building with a "For Lease" sign on it... looks dead! Other than that Salinas is doing great (yeah right!) libraries closing, 10+ homicides and 450+ armed robberies last year.... oh well I still love home!
I know we have a HAMBer here who is in a chair, he was at the HAMB drags, I'm sorry I do not remember his name but he was a really cool guy. The dragstrip was not exactally handicap friendly but everyone seemed more than willing to help this HAMBer out to have the best time possible, and he was digging on the whole scene and did not seem to have any trouble with where he was. I know I can't speak for him but it appears he had a realistic expectation as to what the place was going to be like. I guess cause I'm out of shape now nad don't feel like making the climb I'm going to have the Park Service build me an elevator to the top of Half Dome in Yosemite, now where is Moleski's lawyers phone number???........[/QUOTE] hey, that's me! it's true, most people are really helpful, and i would never sue some poor guy just 'cause his building isn't perfectly set up JUST FOR ME.
hey, that's me! it's true, most people are really helpful, and i would never sue some poor guy just 'cause his building isn't perfectly set up JUST FOR ME.[/QUOTE] There are people that NEED the accessable parking spots, that NEED a ramp or elevator. I also know folks in chairs that will park at the far end of the lot away from the blue spaces just to prove thier point. Monsterflake, I think you fall into this group of decent folk. I would hate to see a backlash towards people in chairs just because of this jackass out west. BTW, fun talking to you at Mokan.
i was happy to be there, glad to meet to meet everybody, and i'll be back at mokan this year, without legal representation!
The Jalopy Journal
