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The Mole Man Has Been Evicted From His Underground Burrow!
local6.com — A homeless contractor known as the "mole man" dug a multi-room 200-square foot home underground in Fresno that surprised police when they recently stumbled upon a hidden entrance.
msaleem- 1501 diggs
- digg it
- gbarberi, on 11/27/2007, -1/+335Technically, he wasn't homeless until the police evicted him.
- RearNakedChoke, on 11/27/2007, -13/+3Now THAT my friends, is a DIGGER!
Someone needs to inform this guy about adverse possession. Hell if an ex-judge can do it, a homeless man can do it!- ropers, on 11/28/2007, -0/+2You fail. Requirement one was not satisfied. (physical: open and notorious (visible); actual; exclusive;)
And I doubt he was in there long enough.- RearNakedChoke, on 11/28/2007, -0/+1Exactly, which is why I said someone needs to INFORM this guy about adverse possession, including how to go about doing it correctly.
- ropers, on 11/28/2007, -0/+2You fail. Requirement one was not satisfied. (physical: open and notorious (visible); actual; exclusive;)
- schuder, on 11/28/2007, -0/+6I was saying Boo-erns.
- RearNakedChoke, on 11/27/2007, -13/+3Now THAT my friends, is a DIGGER!
- curtistheory, on 11/27/2007, -1/+112When you wack the hole he's in he just pops out of another one...
- dbsmoker, on 11/27/2007, -7/+0HILARIOUS!!!! LMAO!!!! =D
- nimadude, on 11/28/2007, -6/+0like that crocodile game where you hit them with hammer, in the cheapass arcades
- zizzy, on 11/28/2007, -0/+3Thank you for explaining it. I'm sure no one would have got it otherwise.
- electrichead, on 11/28/2007, -0/+1.. or that other game .. where they have moles instead of crocodiles!
- coltrane68, on 11/27/2007, -16/+3Does he look like the Mole Man from Marvel Comics? 'Cause that guy's ugly!
- ostracize, on 11/27/2007, -1/+15I imagine he would look like this:
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/e/e7/Hans ...
- ostracize, on 11/27/2007, -1/+15I imagine he would look like this:
- positron, on 11/27/2007, -7/+42Amazing to see such ingenuity from a "homeless" man. Makes one wonder why he is homeless to begin with. I'm interested in how he chooses the property on which he digs. Is it public or private land? If public or abandoned, did he follow squatting protocol? If private, did he have the land owner's consent? I'm assuming he didn't, in which case I can't say I'm very sympathetic towards his eviction. Searched around but details are scarce.
- mightydavefish, on 11/27/2007, -14/+12Yeah, much better for him to be homeless on the street than to live on some unused private property.
I hear where you are coming from, but have some compassion.
Or is property value the only thing that's important?- Soofi, on 11/27/2007, -0/+9From the article we can only say that he was evicted due to safety reasons to nearby people, thus the intention to demolish it.
- affanjam, on 11/27/2007, -2/+3It would be fine if he had land but no money to build a home. Then digging would be fine.
- blesbok, on 11/27/2007, -0/+1It looks like it is just off the side of a road, which means it is probably public land.
- ptFoe, on 11/28/2007, -2/+4most homeless people are more resourceful than people like you, 9 to 5 follow the straight and narrow path.
- positron, on 11/29/2007, -0/+1I'll cut out the part where I quote the old saying about assumptions 'cause anybody with a brain can see you're an ass. I spent a few years of my life as a homeless street punk squatting abandoned buildings in cracktown Saint Louis so don't lecture me, professor. After a few stints in County I turned my ***** around and now I work for myself, whenever the ***** I want. I'll give you a little advice boy: Don't pretend that you know people you don't and cut the self righteous attitude while you're still young or some day that ***** will get a shard of glass buried in your carotid.
- Myztry, on 11/28/2007, -0/+1He would be better off in Cooper Pedy (Opal Mining Town) in South Australia where that style on home is legal, and fairly common. Similar to what is used in Star Wars for the desert community scenes.
- mightydavefish, on 11/27/2007, -14/+12Yeah, much better for him to be homeless on the street than to live on some unused private property.
- ripstuntz, on 11/27/2007, -8/+4I was seriously expecting some wrinkled up shriveled old man that lives underground for publicity sake... Needless to say I was highly disappointed.
- Mockylock, on 11/27/2007, -21/+1It was bin laden.
- Etchii, on 11/27/2007, -20/+4Batman!
He lives in a lair...
Wayne Manor. - natdowner, on 11/27/2007, -4/+27Yeah, if it was on private property I guess I can see why they would evict him, but really, who is he hurting? They stated in the article that they were evicting him because it was a danger to the people living nearby... how so? I can only assume that it is because he dugg out all the earth from under something?? (which really hasn't been suggested and judging by the pic, it doesn't look like he was near any buildings..) because otherwise, it's kind of just mean to evict the poor mole guy lol. I know I'd be pissed if I spent all that time diggin a little underground pad and someone booted me out lol
- OKeric, on 05/12/2008, -1/+4It'll give him something to do for the next few days.
- thumperings, on 11/28/2007, -1/+2few months....hell this should be totally legal, provided they learn basic framing skills. Worst case scenario they kill themselves by accident.
- banmaster, on 11/27/2007, -7/+2No natdowner, the article clearly said he was evicted because "it" (his home) was a danger, not the man himself.
I personally wouldn't want my house undermined by this guy and that was the concern the cops had too.- MunkeeBoy, on 11/27/2007, -1/+4Do you believe everything you read? There wasn't enough detail in the article to make a judgment call.
- salinemist, on 11/27/2007, -2/+4I'm guessing you don't own private property or take your kids to public places to play.
- obxjdt, on 11/28/2007, -0/+1I agree with your point, but it didn't really say where it was. If it's private unused land, and the owner doesn't care, then let him stay. Public land, well, then he has to go.
- StaticThunder, on 11/27/2007, -1/+0The next time somebody drives a vehicle over his roof, THAT is who he's hurting. Come on, don't be an idiot. His house isn't up to code by any stretch of the imagination and is a danger to the community. If he were doing this in a national forest or something like that, and only hurting himself and the egos of the park service, I'd be all for it, but he's not.
- StaticThunder, on 11/27/2007, -1/+3Look, don't agree all you want. Want to support living off the grid? Great!
But the police have no choice, he isn't licensed to build underground dwellings, its not his land, and rather than go get a bunch of experts to say "sure, that house is well constructed and not a hazard" and get the state to insure it (because he sure can't), easier to kick him out because... survey says "ITS NOT THE WAY YOU BUILD IN A COMMUNITY".
If you want to be a hermit in Saskatchewan digging a hole for yourself, be my guest. You do it in San Diego, expect the zoning office, the surveyor, the tax collector, the code inspector, to be ALL OVER YOUR ASS.
- StaticThunder, on 11/27/2007, -1/+3Look, don't agree all you want. Want to support living off the grid? Great!
- OKeric, on 05/12/2008, -1/+4It'll give him something to do for the next few days.
- Animental, on 11/27/2007, -3/+61THE UNDERMINER!!
- chewbacca77, on 11/27/2007, -0/+14He can't afford a really cool burrowing machine, so he just uses a shovel instead.
- StaticThunder, on 11/27/2007, -1/+0So he's like, the shoveler?
"I have a gift. I shovel well. I shovel really well." - thumperings, on 11/28/2007, -0/+2the underminer lol nice... All he was mining for, was the right to lay his head on a pillow without getting kicked to death by some fratboys.
- StaticThunder, on 11/27/2007, -1/+0So he's like, the shoveler?
- ChronicColonic, on 11/27/2007, -5/+1Moley Moley Mole...
- MadOgre, on 11/28/2007, -0/+3He might be beneath you, but nothing is beneath him!
- cpovey, on 11/28/2007, -0/+1you beat me to it - that's totally the first thing I thought of. Incredibles FTW!
- chewbacca77, on 11/27/2007, -0/+14He can't afford a really cool burrowing machine, so he just uses a shovel instead.
- farrell13, on 11/27/2007, -2/+12Hans?
- drizzlelicious, on 11/27/2007, -1/+18Homer: I thought you were dead
Mother Simpson: I thought you were dead
Gravedigger: Dang Blasted! Isn't anybody in this dad-gummed cemetery dead?
Hans Moleman: (popping out of coffin) I didn't want to make a fuss, but now that you mention it... - isunktheship, on 11/27/2007, -0/+2*upon being turned into an actual mole on a simpsons halloween episode*
But I wasn't wearing a costume...
Ohhhhh..... - blindmelon1, on 11/28/2007, -0/+1Awww. he just made his last payment.
- drizzlelicious, on 11/27/2007, -1/+18Homer: I thought you were dead
- GuacamoleSan, on 11/27/2007, -0/+48I hope he wears dusty overalls, has a big twirly moustache, and has one of those miner helmets with a light attached
- thumperings, on 11/28/2007, -0/+1feel free to comment anytime... I wish Digg had email notification of comment replies though like youtube does. I doubt I've ever gone back to a thread to se if i had a reply. :O( if im being tupid here feel free to set me straight. same iD @gmail
- whatthefu, on 11/27/2007, -0/+124"Tracy said it is no big deal and he is already looking for a new location for his next underground home." That guy is ***** awesome.
- treehuggermum, on 11/27/2007, -0/+6What he said.
- thumperings, on 11/28/2007, -0/+1but this time h won't get caught. We'll consider this go round on the job training.
- treehuggermum, on 11/27/2007, -0/+6What he said.
- Niddik, on 11/27/2007, -2/+27He's just the person we need to prepare for the upcoming zombie invasion!
- SpamDog, on 11/27/2007, -0/+5It is commonly known that the best places to hide out in an zombie invasion is up HIGH not buried in a hole in the ground.
In fact, sure go in the hole when those zombies come, it will give me more time to tear out the stairs of my 2 story house!- MunkeeBoy, on 11/27/2007, -0/+3Who said anything about staying in the hole... it would be the perfect trap! Now all we need is some bait...
- SpamDog, on 11/27/2007, -0/+5It is commonly known that the best places to hide out in an zombie invasion is up HIGH not buried in a hole in the ground.
- sockpuppets, on 11/27/2007, -2/+52He needs to get together with that guy that made the island out of water bottles.
- banmaster, on 11/27/2007, -8/+1The bottles that all eventually leaked and broke apart then sank? Yeah, that'd work!
- centran, on 11/27/2007, -0/+3man, you make one little mistake like not making your island hurricane proof and people get all over the guys ass.
I guess that is why he is building a bigger, stronger islands that can be moved out of the way of a hurricane.- cmpshotty, on 11/28/2007, -0/+1A boat?
- thumperings, on 11/28/2007, -0/+1orrrr just one really huge 4.5 million ounce pepsi bottle .......but with a flat side.
- centran, on 11/28/2007, -0/+1Not really a boat... more like a huge barge. And a very very slow moving one at that.
He is making it so he can move it with small motors. The idea is to build the island strong enough to survive a pretty big storm. However with a big hurricane you have several days notice which would be enough time for him to get the island out of the way. - bonedead, on 11/28/2007, -0/+1Because hurricanes are so predictable. Living in Florida I feel qualified to act like I know what I'm talking about. After seeing plenty of predictions on the weather channel, every hurricane always has like 50 possible paths.
- cmpshotty, on 11/28/2007, -0/+1A boat?
- centran, on 11/27/2007, -0/+3man, you make one little mistake like not making your island hurricane proof and people get all over the guys ass.
- jhnewt, on 11/27/2007, -1/+4He could dig an underground burrow on an island of water bottles!
- itwasstinky, on 11/28/2007, -0/+31.water bottle island
2.underground mansion
3.????????
4.antigravity!
- banmaster, on 11/27/2007, -8/+1The bottles that all eventually leaked and broke apart then sank? Yeah, that'd work!
- geneticlemon, on 11/27/2007, -8/+5When I read the title I thought it was going to be a picture of a guy that looks like Mole Man from The Simpsons. Disappointed.
- cracker42, on 11/27/2007, -3/+33Disappointed with the pictures :-/
- zoxx, on 11/27/2007, -9/+4ok here's the obvious question: how the ***** did he do that?
- ghank, on 11/27/2007, -1/+7ok here's the obvious answer: with a shovel.
- kaintehdragoon, on 11/27/2007, -1/+2Here's the obvious answer: With a shovel
- arunforce, on 11/27/2007, -4/+35I tried this when I was a kid. I failed miserably =
- chess10, on 11/27/2007, -10/+6I don't know why everybody isn't all up in arms about the city evicting him and putting this man on the streets again...where are your consciouses Diggers!? I mean seriously, you all will yell for hours over some men in jail in Cuba, but nobody cares about this crisis at home!
- XZanatos, on 11/27/2007, -2/+2We do think it sucks to some degree, however there are most likely zoning and building laws that make his actions illegal. Even though many of us would and do disagree with these laws in this particular case there are plenty of more important things to spend out time being upset about. Such as war, violence, the environment, etc.
- h4k0r, on 11/27/2007, -6/+3In other words, you're a selective hippie activist dick wad
- StaticThunder, on 11/27/2007, -1/+3Unmapped, unzoned, non-code underground dwellings in busy urban areas are dangerous. Dick wad.
- h4k0r, on 11/27/2007, -6/+3In other words, you're a selective hippie activist dick wad
- XZanatos, on 11/27/2007, -2/+2We do think it sucks to some degree, however there are most likely zoning and building laws that make his actions illegal. Even though many of us would and do disagree with these laws in this particular case there are plenty of more important things to spend out time being upset about. Such as war, violence, the environment, etc.
- removesstains, on 11/27/2007, -7/+5That guy should be given the Key to the city, cause he's a local HERO.
- jglessner, on 11/27/2007, -5/+4Sorry, I live in Fresno, and he's not a "hero" by any means. He's a bum. He's likely homeless because he's on meth (BIG problem - especially in the construction trade - around here). I'll give him this, he's good at improvisation.
I drove by where this is on my way home from work, and the reason it's being called dangerous is that it is less than 100 yards from an irrigation canal, and unfortunately there are lots of kids playing in that area (it's a bad part of town to boot).
He's willing to work for his shelter, so all he really needs to do is pick somewhere less likely to cause an immanent danger of flooding, and the city will likely leave him alone.
Hell we have an entire bum city just south of downtown (they took over a closed freeway offramp, and then somehow successfully sued the city when the cops tried to roust them). Freaking unbelievable.- dylio, on 11/28/2007, -0/+3"Hell we have an entire bum city just south of downtown (they took over a closed freeway offramp, and then somehow successfully sued the city when the cops tried to roust them). Freaking unbelievable."
South Park ftw?
- dylio, on 11/28/2007, -0/+3"Hell we have an entire bum city just south of downtown (they took over a closed freeway offramp, and then somehow successfully sued the city when the cops tried to roust them). Freaking unbelievable."
- jglessner, on 11/27/2007, -5/+4Sorry, I live in Fresno, and he's not a "hero" by any means. He's a bum. He's likely homeless because he's on meth (BIG problem - especially in the construction trade - around here). I'll give him this, he's good at improvisation.
- Timmetie, on 11/27/2007, -3/+4When the zombies come, he'll be ready.
- bonkeykong, on 11/27/2007, -3/+50"Homeless Man Found Living In [...] Home"
- carpespasm, on 11/28/2007, -0/+3havn't you heard? you're homeless unless you pay taxes to be housed.
- thecompkid, on 11/28/2007, -0/+1Well, in this thing we call the engilsh language, the suffix -less means "without", so homeless would be defined as without a home, right?
- carpespasm, on 11/28/2007, -0/+3havn't you heard? you're homeless unless you pay taxes to be housed.
- SomeoneLikeYou, on 11/27/2007, -6/+6I digg it.
- bonkeykong, on 11/27/2007, -0/+2I bury you.
- MattB123, on 11/27/2007, -2/+4"Watch Local 6 News for more on this story."
Damn it! I can't get it to come in!- thumperings, on 11/28/2007, -0/+1...from Vermont
- wutitang, on 11/27/2007, -1/+5What a smart hobo! I'd imagine it gets pretty cold in Fresno around this time, an underground home stays relatively the same temperature all year round. The police need to give the guy a break, especially if he wasn't digging under a house or something. If he was, then sure I can see why they would need to kick him out. At least he plans to build again.
- frozenwookie, on 11/27/2007, -0/+6no property tax here, genius!
- ZenFountain, on 11/27/2007, -1/+13Why not just leave the man alone? Christ, it's not like there is going to be a rush on homeless people building underground lairs if they just let him be.
- unicornography, on 11/27/2007, -2/+47That's too bad. Underground is probably the nicest part of Fresno.
- h4k0r, on 11/27/2007, -8/+2Wow, such a witty remark. Because making fun of Fresno such a tough endeavor
- HarryTruman, on 11/28/2007, -0/+2Careful, looks like you just upset a local.
- scabbers, on 11/27/2007, -1/+13It could be dangerous to anyone who walked over it. If it collapsed under them, they would probably be buried alive.
- bonkeykong, on 11/27/2007, -1/+2How would you like it if HE walked all over your roof and it collapsed?
- StaticThunder, on 11/27/2007, -1/+3My roof isn't hidden, and technically, you'd be trespassing and my liability insurance would probably, stupidly, pay for your injuries. Does HE have liability insurance on his hovel?
- bonkeykong, on 11/27/2007, -1/+2How would you like it if HE walked all over your roof and it collapsed?
- kuppoppo, on 11/27/2007, -4/+2Today, part four of our series of the agonizing pain in which I live every day.
- someone173406, on 11/27/2007, -1/+3Not the best place to be during a flood.
- div2n, on 11/27/2007, -0/+2Which is why if you wanted to do something like this for real such as an Earthship, you pick a hill that has virtually no hope for flooding barring a plate shift downwards that turns the entire area into an ocean.
- bonkeykong, on 11/27/2007, -0/+1Not the worst place, either, if you think about it.
- Ignignokt8264, on 11/27/2007, -0/+2Thats quite the house hole he made, hopefully he can make a really nice one somewhere that the police wont find it.
- superrandomguy, on 11/27/2007, -1/+9i clicked "digg tools" at the bottom of the page... it didnt bring me to a list of the items he used to build the house. Sigh :-(
/lameness - Rsam, on 11/27/2007, -1/+6Apparently they took him out with a football in the groin.
- geoboy, on 11/28/2007, -0/+2Give that man the $10,000!
- paulinsf, on 11/27/2007, -0/+16There was a similar situation up in Olympia, WA a few months ago. Police following a man they thought was a rape suspect (turned out he wasn't) found his underground home. Was pretty fancy, including couch, stove, lamps, bed and cupboards. Even had a real glass window (usually kept covered with brush) looking out on hillside. Even though the guy wasn't the rapist the cops were looking for, they still took a bulldozer and filled in his house. Thou shalt not turn thy back on the system.
- gilgamesh23, on 11/27/2007, -0/+12Thou shalt not live "off the grid".
- zaphar, on 11/28/2007, -0/+1I've been wanting to do this, well sort of. It would be best to buy a plot of land somewhere, put a shack on it, and build a huge underground "basement" in it.
- Myztry, on 11/28/2007, -1/+1A few years back in my home town, some sicko kept a teenage girl in an abandoned gold rush tunnel, and sexually abused her. Not that it doesn't happen 100 fold in actual residences. I had explored that mine heaps of times as a youth, so was pretty disappointed by its destruction.
- blesbok, on 11/27/2007, -1/+1I'm pretty sure that for the amount of work he put into that thing, he could make an easy $30k+/yr working for a real construction company. Being homeless and still working seems kinda of contradictive to me
- blesbok, on 11/27/2007, -0/+5"kinda of" seems kinda of redundant too. :o
- demonsnake69, on 11/27/2007, -1/+6So they're going to kick some guy the ***** out of his home and make him homeless again -- good going California!
- h4k0r, on 11/27/2007, -0/+5On behalf of CA i would like to say thanks. We have always taken pride in our innovative homeless and in doing this we only push them to become more creative.
- noahhoward, on 11/27/2007, -2/+3How is a 200 Square foot burrow endangering the surrounding area?
- StaticThunder, on 11/27/2007, -0/+2Nobody knows its there, next time anybody drives any sort of construction equipment over it... boom. Thats how. Its basically a proto-sinkhole.
- Piggycow, on 11/27/2007, -0/+2Someone needs to show him a computer and the new Dwarf Fortress with Z axis. It's a match made in heaven
- Skooma714, on 11/28/2007, -0/+1***** yeah Dwarf Fortress!
STRIKE THE EARTH!
- Skooma714, on 11/28/2007, -0/+1***** yeah Dwarf Fortress!
- chicoer2001, on 11/27/2007, -0/+4The station reporting the news is in Orlando. The story is about Fresno, CA, though you'd never know that. Not once is California mentioned.
- brettville, on 11/27/2007, -0/+5That's my hometown! And if we're talking underground dwellings in Fresno then I say Forestiere FTW. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forestiere_Undergroun ...
- jaygray, on 11/27/2007, -0/+8I now know exactly what I plan to do if I ever become homeless.
- aussiedood, on 11/27/2007, -0/+0I thought this only happened in Yorkshire!!
http://youtube.com/watch?v=Xe1a1wHxTyo - kjd84, on 11/27/2007, -0/+3Why bother him I bet you like in Australia the Government doesn't stop mining companies from causing millions in damage from longwall mining under bridges, houses and towns. *Mining companies are Assholes!
*For the Environment and for the people affected by their work but they are good for the Economy unfortunately. - smarba, on 11/27/2007, -0/+14he's a true Digger!
- xman00, on 11/27/2007, -7/+1He made himself a dirt cave. I didn't see any structural supports inside. He was just asking to be buried alive. One of the things that separates the U.S. from third world countries is annoying but very useful safety codes. Like for example, you can't just decide to do the wiring in your house unless you are a certified electrician. And likewise you can't just dig a hole in the ground and start living in it. Where is his toilet for example? For you Ron Paul supporters out there, imagine a country with no electrical/housing/sanitation codes. Then imagine rural Mexico where people do in fact dig themselves dirt holes to live in and I think you'll get an idea of what the Libertarian philosophy leads to.
- h4k0r, on 11/27/2007, -1/+2Seems a littlie extreme to say thats what Ron Paul wants
- pirloui, on 11/28/2007, -0/+2So he should rather die than not have a toilet?
- StaticThunder, on 11/28/2007, -1/+0So he's going to die for lack of a hole in the ground? Theres NOTHING else he could do to survive. The state is killing him by trying to insure that he not contaminate the watershed with his *****.
This is me shaking my head in disgust at your idiocy.
- StaticThunder, on 11/28/2007, -1/+0So he's going to die for lack of a hole in the ground? Theres NOTHING else he could do to survive. The state is killing him by trying to insure that he not contaminate the watershed with his *****.
- kerguelen72, on 11/27/2007, -1/+3There are stories like this that come up once in a while about people (sometimes homeless) who live underground like this. What I can tell you with certainty, is that in EVERY CASE, they ALWAYS evict and demolish the residence. Why?
- StaticThunder, on 11/27/2007, -0/+2Because unmapped, unzoned, non-code cavities under urban ground are a hazard to traffic on the surface. Is it that hard to figure out?
- carpespasm, on 11/28/2007, -0/+1no, you can buy books all about building subteranean homes, and most places you can get a permit to build a basement will allow you to build one. Listen to staticthunder.
- thecompkid, on 11/28/2007, -0/+1Yeah, okay, one problem with your theory, you actually have to own the land.
- ussoldier, on 11/27/2007, -3/+4The Vietcong should hire this guy...
- thecompkid, on 11/28/2007, -0/+2your mom hired this guy
- PamalaLauren, on 11/27/2007, -1/+1I imagine not only is the collapse danger there but if people walk over it how stable is it? Imagine if it fell in and the people walking over it and the guy himself got trapped. I think digging holes isn't the best idea.
- rkho, on 11/27/2007, -1/+1See? He solved his problem of being homeless by creating a home. From now on, no excuses for beggars on the streets. Either they go dig a home, or they don't get my spare change.
- pirloui, on 11/28/2007, -0/+2Well, aparently not, since the cops essentially put him out on the street again..
-
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