The Big Appel is NOT for Spellers

OK, I spelled Apple wrong on purpose. Spent the weekend in NYC and had fun reading the amazing number of signs in the city and counting the Starbucks that one can see from one vantage point. Here are two of my favorites.

F in Signs

This won’t take long. Forgot that I snapped this photo last year as we were clearing out the stuff in the beach house before it was torn down. Always joke in our family about a summer trip out west when we were in Salida, CO and the street names were letters. Someone live on corner of F and Walnut, F and Elm, F and Broad–you get the idea. So . . . this vacuum bag just tickled my fancy and brought back memories of that trip. Any teachers out there know that you never have these two letters spend any time together and you never go from X to C!

Grammar Police

This sign was photographed on the Ocean City, NJ boardwalk this summer. Some things are just not “fare.” I know that I can be annoying in so many ways (just ask my family); however, even they understand my compulsive need to seek out and correct poor grammar and misspellings. My dream is to recruit others to join me in a geek squad that actually calls people and businesses on their badly spelled words and poor grammar. We could be to the English language what the justice league was to fighting crime. I envision us ticketing those who offend. If you are interested in joining me on this quest, let me know.

Funny signs I forgot I had

Gotta love it! My brother Paul lives in San Francisco and it was a visit to see him in 2005 that provided me with a lot of my funny signs. He sent me this sign this past summer and I am just getting around to posting it. It makes me smile to know that my brother and I find the same things humorous. He found this at an entrance to a San Francisco parking garage. The road sign is in St Andrews, Scotland where Dan is now a fresher. I snapped this in late 2007. Do the Scots see the humor in this or is it just juvenile Americans like me? The warning not to attack the bus driver was posted on a double-decker that took students and visitors from one campus to the other at the University of Edinburgh. I will keep looking in my photo “vault” for more gems like these.

Signs of Scotland

Finally got around to scanning these non-digital photos and adding them to my sign “posts.” When in Scotland in 2006, I was, as always, on the lookout for signs that caught my attention. Now I know that these may be commonplace in the UK, but they certainly made me laugh. What we call speed bumps, they call humps (Dornoch, Scotland). The Ho Ho Hostel was in Inverness. I have no idea how they chose that name but the implications are, well, you know. The electrocution sign was in Ayrshire on the west coast. I did appreciate that the Scots did not mince words. Danger meant death and they were not shy to say so. Even the cigarette packs had “SMOKING KILLS” printed in a font one could read from 100 meters away. And lastly, one of my favorites from a small cafe near Fort Williams along the lochs - “Everyone is free of smoke inside.” Could not be more clear!

Child Buffet

 

Not the funniest sign I’ve seen, but one that makes you wonder if anyone was thinking when they set it up. When I am hungry for young humans this is where I go. This one was at a local all-you-can-eat pizza buffet, the kind that seems to be springing up all over town. Is there really such a demand for mediocre all-you-can-eat pizza and salad for 5 bucks + your drink? I guess so, in this day and age of free refills of your bucket sized soda and portions that are so big they could feed a small family.

Here’s Your Sign

Yet another “sign” of the times. A case where someone did not think this all the way through. This is (was) a store on M Street in Georgetown. I actually stopped my car (traffic was so bad in D.C. that no one noticed) and took the photo. My apologies to all Europeans who have been too long maligned for their perceived lack of personal hygiene. I wonder if the store is still in business as the photo was taken in 2003? The second sign was actually placed at the entrance to my school’s athletic field. It has since been modified. The gym teacher used to have boys tell him they could not enter the area.

My First Signs

About 10 years ago there was some major road work in our town and entrances to businesses where displaced. One pulled into both Hooters and Jiffy Lube via a temporary entrance. This sign just made me laugh. I vowed to return with my camera! Not long after that a new business opened just down the street from my house. Just the premise is weird – colon hydrotherapy, but note the parking!

San Francisco Treats II

When my son (15 at the time) and I visited my brother in San Francisco in 2005, we of course took in all the sights. Golden Gate Bridge, Exploritorium, Alcatraz, cable cars, Muir Woods, etc. Somehow I was equally transfixed by the signage. I don’t even want to try to pronounce this Japanese restaurant and the speed limit sign was at a U.S. Government installation–go figure.

San Francisco Treats

Saw the one on the left in the parking area on the San Francisco side of the Golden Gate Bridge. I know that the intentions were good, but it does seem a bit counterproductive to TELL the thieves where to find your valuables. The second sign is in Marin County as you exit the ferry from San Francisco. Darn, and I was planning to bring my nuclear weapons with me. Thank goodness I saw this sign and was able to keep my warhead out of Marin County and in the trunk of my car in San Francisco!