Resident shares photo after obnoxious sign gets installed right outside street-view window: 'Guess I'll get curtains'

There are electronic billboards, and then there are electronic billboards so bright that they necessitate blackout curtains for their neighbors. For one unlucky resident, a new installation across the street was the latter.

They posted a photo of the offending sign on the subreddit r/mildlyinfuriating, where they wrote, "It's so bright it lights up my livingroom and ruins the view of an otherwise beautiful street. Guess I'll get curtains."

Another photo they shared captured the blazing light reflected in their living room mirror.

"I see they installed the eye fryer 9000," one person half-joked.

Other commenters jumped in with their ideas beyond simply buying curtains.

"Is there a local ordinance on the brightness of signs? Gather the evidence and file a complaint," one person suggested.

Another pointed out that a complaint would be the best way to go: "Light pollution is regulated and such stuff could be considered a nuisance."

While light pollution may not seem like an obvious threat, it actually is a major concern. Artificial light at night (ALAN) has been tied to disruptions in migratory patterns, mating rituals, and general behavior in many animals, including coral reefs. It also, obviously, disrupts human sleep.

And not only does this particular billboard shine into nearby apartments, but it's situated on a street corner, posing risks for drivers and cyclists. One commenter suggested using that fact as a way to get the issue remediated quickly.

"Tell them it's blinding drivers and they will move super fast," they wrote.

Shockingly, while a glaring digital sign seems like an obvious safety hazard for drivers, these have been installed even closer to the roads than this sign. Many people have posted photos of brightly lit screens installed directly on the sides of cars and trucks, flashing advertisements at nearby drivers. 

Not only is this extremely dangerous, but it promotes excessive consumerism and manufacturing, as more people are driven to buy more items. In turn, this overconsumption is driving up planet-heating waste production and energy pollution from manufacturing.

So aside from filing a light pollution complaint, OP can keep their dollars out of the advertising industry by getting those blackout curtains at a thrift store or on Facebook.

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