17 June, 2008

Back at last


Hi everybody, sorry to have been away for so long. It's been a crazy few weeks, but I'm back, and happy to be.


My brother came to visit last week, and we had a great (albeit hurried) time with him. We were chatting in the kitchen one day, and naturally, the conversation eventually turned to silly street signs. I told him about a funny one that I had briefly seen in Jerusalem, while sitting at a red light. Unfortunately, by the time I had gotten my camera out, the light was green, and I had to settle for "I'll come back and get it someday." Anyway, I went to work, and he went touring, and lo and behold, by the time he got back, he had managed to photograph that very sign! I was quite excited, to say the least, and I hope you enjoy our cooperative efforts:


This one is equally funny in English and in Hebrew, and I assume also in Arabic, although that one I can't yet read. It's near those things in the entrances to one-way driveways or parking lots. You know, those pointy things sticking up out of the ground to discourage you from driving in the wrong direction. I actually know someone who blew two tires as she went the wrong way, but that's a whole different story.

Anyway, the funny thing to me is that although the sign is presumably a warning, no actual warning appears. It doesn't say "Beware, Spikes" or "Wrong Way, Spikes," just "Spikes." Then the exclamation point comes and adds a simple, almost childish look, as if to say "Woo hoo! Spikes! It's a party!"

Dunno - I enjoyed it.

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

Yea, I hear you, but the message of the sign is pretty clear- I think your being a bit hard on this one. (On a different note, why does every parking lot entrance need spikes in this country? Do people drive the wrong way all the time?
Yechiel

toby said...

Anonymous Yechiel - I fully admit that most people don't agree with my definition of funny, so it's no big deal if you don't like this one. Personally, I'm always terrified to drive over those spike things, even when I know for absolutely certain that I'm going the right way. I'd be only too happy if those in charge decided that we don't really need them, after all.

Anonymous said...

As well you know, I fully appreciated your humor. And I quite agree with you about those spike thingys.

toby said...

Niki'leh! Nice to see you - thanks so much for stopping by! I'm pleased to know that we still share the same sense of humor, even with oceans between us...

Yehudha said...

I used to live in Qiryath Moshe, Jerusalem where there is a school for the blind.
On the street next to the school there is a sign that says in Hebrew: "'Iwrim". In English it says: BLIND!

toby said...

yehudha,
Next time you see it, snap a photo and you can guest blog!
Thanks for reading!