{"id":972,"date":"2014-02-10T12:01:00","date_gmt":"2014-02-10T12:01:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/newsinteractive.post-gazette.com\/thedigs\/?p=972"},"modified":"2015-01-09T15:48:30","modified_gmt":"2015-01-09T20:48:30","slug":"goofy-signs-seen-in-pittsburgh-area","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/newsinteractive.post-gazette.com\/thedigs\/2014\/02\/10\/goofy-signs-seen-in-pittsburgh-area\/","title":{"rendered":"Goofy signs seen in the Pittsburgh area"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\" <\/a> <\/div> <\/div>
\"\" <\/a> <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>
\"\" <\/a> <\/div> <\/div>
\"Cornered <\/a>
Cornered at the corner of Mossfield Boulevard & Mathilda Street in Garfield <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>
\"Meadville, <\/a>
Meadville, Pa. (UPI photo) <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>
\"\" <\/a> <\/div> <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>\n

No wonder Pittsburghers fail so miserably at following instructions. It\u2019s not our fault. All around the city there are so many confusing signs that just don\u2019t make sense, like an upside-down sign saying TRAFFIC MUST TURN RIGHT, KEEP MOVING ends with STOP AHEAD.<\/p>\n

\n

Decisions, decisions. You know how it is. It\u2019s been that way for a long time in Pittsburgh. We have photographs to prove it.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

There are a lot of goofy signs, too. If there were a tournament for the best snarky, funny, ridiculous signs, Pittsburgh would be ahead of the pack. It\u2019s as if they\u2019re the ultimate expression of free speech for local retailers, drivers, construction workers and even corporate types.<\/p>\n

After spending a few days raking through three thick folders marked \u201cSIGNS\u201d in our photo archive, we reached a unanimous conclusion: One could write a book about extraordinary signs seen in the most ordinary places in and around our town.<\/p>\n

And for some people, collecting those jewels used to be a passion. Just as Jim Romenesko loves highlighting newspaper typos, photographer Ross Catanza of The Pittsburgh Press \u00a0used to collect \u2014 on film \u2014 unusual signs he came across. In 1973, Catanza shared his collection with his colleagues. The Pittsburgh Press ran a series of his favorites.<\/p>\n

Funny warning signs? You got it. DANGER: MEN WORKING. That, indeed, sounds dangerous, especially considering the photo shows the men NOT working.<\/p>\n

There was a photo of a truck carrying a squelch designed to further frustrate an already fuming motorist bringing up the rear: \u201cI may be slow BUT I\u2019m ahead of YOU!\u201d<\/p>\n

How about incongruous signs? We\u2019ve seen those, too: A used-cow dealer who sells new antiques.<\/p>\n

One photo of a sign posted on a drive-in theater in Meadville could be re-used today: \u201cClosed \u2014 Too Cold for Kissin.\u201d<\/p>\n

It\u2019s indeed too cold. And a tad sad there aren\u2019t many drive-in theaters around town anymore.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

No wonder Pittsburghers fail so miserably at following instructions. It\u2019s not our fault. <\/p>\n

Look at the picturesGoofy signs seen in the Pittsburgh area<\/span><\/a><\/p>","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":973,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"gallery","meta":{"jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_is_tweetstorm":false,"jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true},"categories":[946],"tags":[963,1025,1017,1033],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"acf":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newsinteractive.post-gazette.com\/thedigs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/02\/tumblr_n0ncnqVRB81rr5swxo1_1280.jpg?fit=1280%2C869&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":2638,"url":"https:\/\/newsinteractive.post-gazette.com\/thedigs\/2012\/08\/15\/nixon-rally-inside-the-civic\/","url_meta":{"origin":972,"position":0},"title":"Nixon rally inside the Civic Arena","date":"August 15, 2012","format":"gallery","excerpt":"An enthusiastic crowd of some 17,000 cheered the Republican candidate.","rel":"","context":"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newsinteractive.post-gazette.com\/thedigs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/08\/tumblr_m8rpjcAhvQ1rr5swxo1_1280.jpg?fit=1200%2C931&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":1394,"url":"https:\/\/newsinteractive.post-gazette.com\/thedigs\/2013\/09\/16\/joseph-horne-co-department-stores\/","url_meta":{"origin":972,"position":1},"title":"Joseph Horne Co. department stores","date":"September 16, 2013","format":"gallery","excerpt":"Many residents still reminisce about the first department store in Downtown Pittsburgh.","rel":"","context":"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newsinteractive.post-gazette.com\/thedigs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/09\/tumblr_mt34d2OVP21rr5swxo3_1280.jpg?fit=1200%2C846&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":1356,"url":"https:\/\/newsinteractive.post-gazette.com\/thedigs\/2013\/09\/27\/the-strip-districts-character-remains\/","url_meta":{"origin":972,"position":2},"title":"The Strip District\u2019s character remains","date":"September 27, 2013","format":"gallery","excerpt":"One place that remains virtually unchanged in Pittsburgh is the Strip District.","rel":"","context":"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newsinteractive.post-gazette.com\/thedigs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/09\/tumblr_mtrcf9qTFj1rr5swxo1_1280.jpg?fit=1200%2C714&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":6549,"url":"https:\/\/newsinteractive.post-gazette.com\/thedigs\/2016\/02\/17\/pittsburgh-street-cars-and-trolley-lines\/","url_meta":{"origin":972,"position":3},"title":"Pittsburgh’s romance with street cars and trolley lines","date":"February 17, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"Street cars were hated, hated by auto owners, by jaywalkers, by people who never used them, a familiar sentiment one observes today towards PAT buses.","rel":"","context":"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newsinteractive.post-gazette.com\/thedigs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/streetcars028.jpg?fit=1200%2C833&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":2144,"url":"https:\/\/newsinteractive.post-gazette.com\/thedigs\/2013\/01\/14\/lemieux-on-the-ice-in-philadelphia\/","url_meta":{"origin":972,"position":4},"title":"Lemieux on the ice in Philadelphia","date":"January 14, 2013","format":"gallery","excerpt":"The Pens were on the verge of true glory \u2014 the team went onto win back-to-back Stanley Cups in 1991 and 1992.","rel":"","context":"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newsinteractive.post-gazette.com\/thedigs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/01\/tumblr_mgfmqgUb1d1rr5swxo1_1280.jpg?fit=1076%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":1074,"url":"https:\/\/newsinteractive.post-gazette.com\/thedigs\/2014\/01\/10\/the-trouble-with-those-pittsburgh-tunnels\/","url_meta":{"origin":972,"position":5},"title":"The trouble with those Pittsburgh tunnels","date":"January 10, 2014","format":"gallery","excerpt":"Traffic snarled at the tunnel entrances. 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