Posted on 11/30/2004 8:43:04 AM PST by Tumbleweed_Connection
With a quick glance, it looks just like any other pedestrian crossing sign -- a yellow, diamond-shaped sign with a person walking.
But a long stare at the sign and there's something strange -- a Hula-Hoop around the pedestrian's body.
Across the country -- and now Chicago -- these unusual pedestrian crossing signs are popping up and leaving people scratching their heads as to who left them and what they mean. The signs have also appeared in New York, Washington, D.C., and even Utah's Arches National Park.
"I figured it was done as a joke," said Paul Puskar, who lives near one of the signs on Chicago's North Side. "If the Hula-Hoop is actually part of the sign I'd like to know what it means. Although I haven't seen any pedestrians with Hula-Hoops walking across the street, I have been on the lookout.
"They would be a great threat to traffic as it would be difficult to hula and walk across the street at the same time, especially while wearing a winter coat."
Decals used
The signs are real pedestrian crossing signs that have been altered by someone slapping on a transparency of the Hula-Hoop.
City officials say they aren't sure what the signs mean, but fans of a Colorado music group may have some idea. Internet blogs and chat rooms that have noticed the signs point to the fans of String Cheese Incident as the main culprit.
The band -- a jam band that plays a mix of rock, blues, bluegrass, funk and salsa -- has adopted the Hula-Hooped pedestrian as its mascot. The group is now on tour and passed through Chicago late last month.
Link to band
According to the band's publicist, the band doesn't condone its fans defacing city signs, but said the tradition dates back to the band's earliest days in the 1990s. It was then that the fledgling band could barely get two dozen people to attend a show. Some of the band's friends decided to do something to generate some interest and fill the empty bars.
"They started to bring Hula-Hoops to encourage people to dance," said Carrie Lombardi, the group's publicist. "People still bring the Hula-Hoops to shows."
Some people credit String Cheese Incident with bringing Hula-Hooping back into the mainstream in the early '90s.
But the stickers could land someone in hot water. According to Chicago city code, anyone defacing a city sign could be hit with a misdemeanor -- a maximum punishment of $500 fine and 30 days in jail.
Why do I get the feeling Lucero Guerrero received this story ready made from the band's publicist?
It used to be fun to modify street signs. In the 80s, on occasion, I'd add a big red nose to a "Deer Crossing" sign, or change a "No Dumping Allowed Sign" to read "No Humping Allowed", and sometimes the "Deer Crossing" Sign would be modified so a Doe was added right underneath the leaping Buck etc...
Todays kids think they are starting new trends. Yawn.
Here in Kalistan we just put red noses on the deer crossing signs.
(BTW Did anyone notice that the antlers are backwards???)
Traveling String Cheese Incident Fans Spread...Er, "Share" Hepatitis (Profanity alert)
I like that one!!!!!!!!!!
I went to the trouble of figuring out your tagline.
< |:)*~
Do I get a prize?
Mmmm. Cheese.
I hope you don't mind if I copy your idea. It's pretty funny!
I have to confess I chuckle every time I see the little sign on vending machines that shows a vending machine falling on a stick figure.
01001100 01100001 01100010 01101111 01110010 00100000 01101001 01110011 00100000 01101001 01110100 01110011 00100000 01101111 01110111 01101110 00100000 01110010 01100101 01110111 01100001 01110010 01100100
Blue state...
OK .... I admit it .... I am binarily challenged. I don't want to spoil the fun on this thread, but I would like to know what 01001100 et al means. Would you mind freepmailing me with the answer?
All your sign belong to us
STOP THAT! :))
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