Ted had long been dreaming of building a garage next to his house in Westford, where he could operate his truck repair and monofilament recycling businesses. However, every time he applied for a building permit, the town denied his request, claiming he did not meet the necessary requirements. Ted felt that the town officials had a grudge against him and were treating him unfairly. He spent years reapplying for the permit but to no avail.
Frustrated and seeking revenge, Ted decided to take matters into his own hands. He spent $4,000 to construct an enormous 700-pound wooden statue of a middle finger in the middle of his lawn. The statue was strategically placed in the glow of two floodlights, making it visible to drivers passing by on nearby Route 128 at all times.
Ted’s intention behind constructing the statue was apparent – he aimed to convey a message to the town authorities who had repeatedly denied his building permit application. While sitting at a bar, he shared his idea with his wife, stating that if the officials did not want to see his garage, they could not ignore the middle finger statue.
Despite the town’s strict rules regarding billboards, they were powerless to remove Ted’s middle finger since it was not an advertisement. Ted felt that the statue was worth the cost and effort, considering all that the town had put him through.
In the end, Ted’s middle finger statue became a symbol of defiance and rebellion against the town’s bureaucracy. It served as a reminder that sometimes when people are pushed too far, they take drastic measures to get their point across.