Man plants 'used condom' garden in anger... eww..

[Grimmlok]

A Cape Coral resident concerned about people having sex in a yacht club parking lot, took that concern to the streets.

Robert Payne, who lives next to the Cape Coral Yacht Club's overflow parking lot, recently placed used condoms he found in the lot on sticks and planted them in the street median in front of a sign at the entrance to the facility.

Payne's not-so-subtle message was a response to anger building among neighborhood residents over condoms littering the parking lot and other problems at the riverside park.

Payne and Mike Hermansen, who live adjacent to the park, are concerned that as the park grows, these problems need to be addressed before they get worse.

"Things happen very slowly," said Hermansen, referring to city officials' response to their complaints. "We're right on the front line. If we don't speak up, we have a lot to lose."

Other problems, besides used condoms, include speeding on Driftwood Parkway; pedestrians, including children, mixing with trucks and boat trailers in the boat ramp area; and personal water devices and propeller-driven boats operating close to the swimming area, Hermansen said.

The city is developing a master plan to upgrade and expand the city's oldest — and one of its most popular — parks.

Payne could not be reached for comment. But he wrote the following about "public copulation in your parking lot next to my Florida room" in a Feb. 27 e-mail to city officials:

"I wanted to do my part as a concerned law-abiding citizen by removing the beautiful blue rubbers from the parking lot, but I was unsure what to do with them because they represent a biohazard waste product that should be properly disposed of.

"So to help you and your hazardous waste team out, I stuck each of them with a stick and planted them on Driftwood Drive in front of the welcome sign to the Yacht Club. There they hang tonight, flying in the breeze as a proud symbol of our freedom and the great traditions of Cape Coral. Much like our beloved flag."

Payne's protest grabbed the attention of city officials, who've been exchanging e-mails about the "bright blue rubbers flying at the Yacht Club" and ferreting out all the yacht club-related police activity they can find for the past seven months.

The search turned up 561 police actions, including 378 checks by the police. Among them were 49 traffic-related events; five ordinance violations; five suspicious vehicles; four juvenile problems and two narcotics violations.

City employees did remove the condoms on sticks and placed them in biohazard bags, according to city e-mails.

More condoms were found in the park's overflow parking lot Monday, along with four open condom packages.

"No one wants to see any activity that's a danger to children," Mayor Eric Feichthaler said.

The mayor said he's well aware of Payne's concerns and has been for some time. But his method of protest was "repulsive," the mayor said. In one e-mail to the police chief and city manager he said, "I will be disappointed if he is not at least cited by code for items in the right of way, as well as any other law violated."

Police are investigating the case, but no decision has been made about issuing Payne a citation.

A citation would be appropriate, the mayor said, but if none is issued he won't make an issue of it.

Hermansen, 45, whose home at 1048 Dolphin Drive overlooks the overflow-parking area, said city officials are getting tired of hearing from him and Payne.

"When we see something now, we call it in," Hermansen said.

The yacht club was opened in 1962 by the Gulf American Corp. as a showcase to help sell property in Cape Coral. Today, the park includes the ballroom where parties, candidate forums and other events are held.