Election Posters, can I take them?

BuboBubo

As above, there's a pair of big election posters on a pole across the road. I'd like to take them down and use them to make birdhouses for my trees. Can I do this or would I be stealing someone's property?

Atoms for Peace

It's a bit "windy" tonight OP.

Roger Hassenforder

Youre doing them a favour

*cough

Ubbquittious

I got caught taking one before by some apparent family of the candidate. I had some ponce following me around in a Golf for a while and pointing a smart phone at me but ultimately nothing happened to me. If they had tried to make something happen to me it would have most likely failed because the poster was hanging too close to the ground.

This was 1 out of probably well over 100 that I have taken over the years. You be grand I'd say. Only thing is I wouldn't chance it in Norn Iron

RMAOK

Are you on any of the posters op?

If you are, then surely you're only taking back what's rightfully yours....

pgj2015

i wouldn't touch them. they are not your property so it will be theft if you take them. just go to a hardware store and buy some wood if you want to make bird houses, it wont cost much. also i read before that the material the posters are made from are not suitable for bird houses and bird boxes.

BuboBubo

Ubbquittious wrote: »

I got caught taking one before by some apparent family of the candidate. I had some ponce following me around in a Golf for a while and pointing a smart phone at me but ultimately nothing happened to me. If they had tried to make something happen to me it would have most likely failed because the poster was hanging too close to the ground.

This was 1 out of probably well over 100 that I have taken over the years. You be grand I'd say. Only thing is I wouldn't chance it in Norn Iron

Did you take it before or after the voting day?

MrMusician18

BuboBubo wrote: »

As above, there's a pair of big election posters on a pole across the road. I'd like to take them down and use them to make birdhouses for my trees. Can I do this or would I be stealing someone's property?

They are the property of the candidate. You can see that many of the candidates intend to reuse them in the next election as they haven't said what they are running for on the posters.

Taking them is theft

Ubbquittious

BuboBubo wrote: »

Did you take it before or after the voting day?

A good week before I'd say.


Took some down the day before in a different place. They had them replenished within hours so they be seen by people heading to the polling station the following morning. Pure dedication out of them altogether

MrMusician18

Ubbquittious wrote: »

A good week before I'd say.


Took some down the day before in a different place. They had them replenished within hours so they be seen by people heading to the polling station the following morning. Pure dedication out of them altogether

What were you doing taking them down, especially before polling day?

utyh2ikcq9z76b

BuboBubo wrote: »

As above, there's a pair of big election posters on a pole across the road. I'd like to take them down and use them to make birdhouses for my trees. Can I do this or would I be stealing someone's property?

No your recycling, green agenda and all that. Go take them down

policarp

Do them a favour and take them all down, because they should be fined if their posters are there after a week.

BuboBubo

MrMusician18 wrote: »

What were you doing taking them down, especially before polling day?

Wouldn't agree with taking them before polling day tbh.

Anyway I'll leave them be, if they are still there by Friday I'll take them down myself.

EmmetSpiceland

I wouldn’t mind a copy of McMorrow’s poster, would be awkward to hide though.

SmartinMartin

I take them the day after the vote. They're the perfect size and material for placing under motorbikes and cars for oil spills when servicing. Nothing like dropping the muck on Mary Lou's upturned face.

Zaph

BuboBubo wrote: »

As above, there's a pair of big election posters on a pole across the road. I'd like to take them down and use them to make birdhouses for my trees. Can I do this or would I be stealing someone's property?

Why would you think that you could just help yourself to them? If they're still up a week after the election they become a litter issue and should be reported to the local council. It doesn't make them fair game for you or anybody else to decide on alternative uses for them. As was mentioned above, candidates often use posters for multiple elections because they don't come cheap.

Ubbquittious

MrMusician18 wrote: »

What were you doing taking them down, especially before polling day?

Adding to my collection

sligojoek

My teenage son and his mates came in this evening and told my wife that Tom Fox wanted her at the door. (They know each other.). She opened the front door to find a larger than life poster of said Tom standing in front of the car.

Yer Da sells Avon

After a month of (mostly) behaving myself, I've started clipping them with the mirrors on my bus. Walloped Barry Andrews this morning in Dun Laoghaire.

Sonny noggs

Ubbquittious wrote: »

I got caught taking one before by some apparent family of the candidate. I had some ponce following me around in a Golf for a while and pointing a smart phone at me but ultimately nothing happened to me. If they had tried to make something happen to me it would have most likely failed because the poster was hanging too close to the ground.

This was 1 out of probably well over 100 that I have taken over the years. You be grand I'd say. Only thing is I wouldn't chance it in Norn Iron

Ponce or spiv?

ohnonotgmail

SmartinMartin wrote: »

I take them the day after the vote. They're the perfect size and material for placing under motorbikes and cars for oil spills when servicing. Nothing like dropping the muck on Mary Lou's upturned face.

well that is an image that nobody should dwell on for too long

ILoveYourVibes

Yeah just take em op. They are hardly going to use them again.

ohnonotgmail

ILoveYourVibes wrote: »

Yeah just take em op. They are hardly going to use them again.

They are reused. Some have been using the same posters for years.

razorblunt

I've taken Mary Lou's one. It's up over the mantelpiece.
Does a good job keeping the kids away from the fire.

topper75

sligojoek wrote: »

My teenage son and his mates came in this evening and told my wife that Tom Fox wanted her at the door. (They know each other.). She opened the front door to find a larger than life poster of said Tom standing in front of the car.

Get them a video games console or something. They'll never stop thanking you.

fryup

stay clear of the SF ones, if you value your kneecaps

ILoveYourVibes

fryup wrote: »

stay clear of the SF ones, if you value your kneecaps

That just makes it more of a tempting challenge!

Sky King

BuboBubo wrote: »

I'd like to take them down and use them to make birdhouses for my trees.

Make a little birdhouse in your soul.

Dial Hard

BuboBubo wrote: »

Wouldn't agree with taking them before polling day tbh.

Anyway I'll leave them be, if they are still there by Friday I'll take them down myself.

Why don't you contact the candidates in question and ask can you take them?

Ger Roe

Someone I know (cough), has a gathered collection of political heads over the years, by cutting the faces out of election posters. Handy at Halloween for making masks and it makes an interesting wall display in my.... in mean their, shed.

MrMusician18

Ubbquittious wrote: »

Adding to my collection

It's a fairly scummy thing to do to be honest.
Whether you agree with the candidates, or the proposition or not, these are the ones that are putting themselves out there and no one has any right to take them down.

BuboBubo

Update on the posters - they were taken down this afternoon by 2 lads with a ladder and a trailer, I presume they were working for the candidate (who I voted for, and he got elected to our council )the winds last night battered them a bit - they weren't as strong as I thought they were.

To remove the posters before the election is a bit sh1tty in my opinion, but when they're classed as litter a week later no harm in removing them imo.

The local agri supplies shop sells "glas approved" timber birdhouses, I'll buy some of those, they'd do the job much better!

Thanks for all the informative/witty/damning replies