OLYMPIC UPDATE

Here's a picture of a totally mysterious sign near where I'm staying in Greece. It's a tall, very sturdy sign that has been erected smack in the middle of the sidewalk, in the middle of a block. It seems to be directing traffic to go straight, but why? I mean, it's in the middle of the block! The traffic has to go straight here. Maybe it's meant as a reminder to motorists that they shouldn't just suddenly lunge sideways and kill pedestrians. I frankly don't know.

This has been your Olympic update.

Comments

[Scott McDonald]

maybe motorists get so used to curves that they kept freaking out and hitting cars on that rare straight away

[Justin]

first!

[TN]

I'd say it was a one way sign, but then that white car is pointed the wrong way for that. On the other hand the driver of the white car may be from Florida....I'm going with that theory.

[PETER]

TOPIWILEYECOYOTEOPKTI!?

[Justin]

or second, i guess. damn!

I think the sign is directing traffic up, not straight. This way to divine reckoning.

[PETER]

TOPIWILEYECOYOTEOPKTI!?

[MOTW]

Here in the States, there is usually another auxiliary sign such as a blue capital "H" to go with the arrow, directing folks who are looking for a hospital. Is this sign missing the auxiliary sign?

[PETER]

HMMM, ANYONE ELSE HAVING PROBLEMS? HOPING FOR
FIRST, FIRST BUT...

[shaky]

it's a clever trick - it is trying to get the pedestrian to look up, so they run into the sign, which is in the middle of the sidewalk......kinda like that trick where someone points to your chest, and when you look down, they flip their finger up into your nose.

get it?

either that, or it is simply there to get american journalists something to blog about.

[outside observer]

Oh come on Dave, be adventurous!!! Loosen the nuts and bolts holding the sign and turn it 90 degrees (kilograms?) to the right (or left) towards the USA, and write FLA - HOME! on it. Then see how many grecian formulas....er..greeks find it amusing.

All right... I'll stick to my day job....

[Ben]

Watch for falling pianos???

[queensbee]

heheheh ben. upward pointing signs wbagnfarb.

[Higgy]

I believe it's a tourism sign to the world's tallest AND skinniest house...

[Mahatma Kane Jeeves]

Viagra ad

[melcooley]

That's an arrow pointing to the spot where Jimi Hendrix first said, "hey Joe, where you goona run to now just follow that arrow."

Dave. It's an historical landmarker with a capital J.

If you see Sally Struthers will you tell her beach volleyball uniform is currently on display at the Smithsonian and she is nekkid?

[Fidelyungsang]

Hey Day,

Is is hard to beef over der when (Nguyen) you got to the mountain to get foot? You know foot? Like Rice krispie? Hey Day?

[TN]

I'd say it was a one way sign, but then that white car is pointed the wrong way for that. On the other hand the driver of the white car may be from Florida....I'm going with that theory.

[HerbieEssence]

Dave I saw you on the Tomorrow show. Tom Snyder's hair look great. Wasn't you smokin' a but? I think Tom's brother Duke is king of Greece now? Maybe He only the Duke, not sure?

[Mahatma Kane Jeeves]

Okay after this wimpy "Olympic Update" I was forced to read some of the recent DB columns, Mr. B is on a roll over there . . .

[MorieAmsterdam]

Isn't that the Candid Camera crew over atop that hill? I think I see Derwood's Kirby? Maybe that's Jane's Pauley, it's kind of far and really fuscia?
Have you seen Hall or Oates over is grease? Which one is Oates anyway? I know Hall got sick on a shellfish, but Oates, I think he's in Rap jail or something like that, but I don't believe it. I think He's in the Olympic pool. I mean it's his kiss that's one of the best things in life when your next to Hall and all.

[BurtWard]

Stick 'em up. And boo to the American gymnist who really sucks because He ordered Korea to be exiled back to the Chinese.

[Federal Duck]

I did a few Google searches for international traffic signs and I couldn't find that particular one. However, I did find several with white arrows that explained the upcoming lane situation. So if it's just a straight white arrow, perhaps it means the road will be one-lane for a while. Either that or it's an elaborate prank by the crack stupid signs division of the highway clutter department. Booger.

[JohnQuest]

I think Haji is over there, I saw him smokin' a big cigar and drivin' a Cadillac car. And I KNOW bandit is there. I saw him with Burt Ward cruisin' down the road in a V8 Ford cause He's bad, bad, bad...He's nationwide.

[tombrown]

I did a search for Halley and ended up here wrecking my truck.

[BillyGibbons]

I'm sick. Headed for La Grange. They gotta lot of nice girls there. How, how, how how. Well the air is fine. If you got the time.

[MOTW]

Ode to Grecian Turn
In middle of the sidewalk
Sign points to one-way

* this is a haiku *

[D'Artagnan]

OYMPIC UPDATE, Dave?

[PETER]

Drew,

Good going, I mean, tipiyokti - to you.

[Mahatma Kane Jeeves]

"To Mount Olympus! Excelsior!"

[LMC]

This thread was getting dangerously hallucinatory there for a little while.

[echo]

Points the way to mecca? Points the way to ET?

[Citry Peough]

You ninny, it's one-third of the Olympic motto, "Faster, stronger, HIGHER"

[MOTW]

good catch, D'Art - I think the "L" is being sold on e-Bay in an effort to raise funds for an army to invade Britain to get the Greek marbles back.

[Tipyokti]

The arrow on the sign is pointing to a word at the top that is too small to be legible in the photo. The word is......

[asane]

D'Art: It's funny how they have a minimum speed and no sign listed for a maximum speed. I think they're on to something.

[Tomorrow's Man]

I think Dave left his L in that last bottle of ouzo...

The sign is pointing to beer. I know this, because let's face it, all signs point to beeeeeeer.........

[Chaz Stevens]

Dave;

Never go straight, always go gaily forward. Especially around Greeks.

Chaz

[Gaily Forward Greeks]

We resent that.

[mudstuffin]

Pedestrians, they're
gazes lured upward question
WTF,you know?

[Chaz Stevens]

Dave;

Never go straight, always go gaily forward. Especially around Greeks.

Chaz

[iolite]

I suddenly feel a little Friendly Giant moment coming on 'Look up...waaaaay up.' Hopefully I'm not the only person who remembers that show or this will make no sense whatsoever.

[MOTW]

It's okay, iolite. Friendly Giant

[MOTW]

It's okay, iolite. Friendly Giant

[Bill]

Not to interupt your OLYMIPIC UPDATE, but as long as you're there Dave, isn't there some sporting events or something going on?

[Critic]

mudstuffin,
"WTF, you know"?

That is not a haiku.

(neither is this.)

[Critic]

mudstuffin,
"WTF, you know"?

That is not a haiku.

(neither is this.)

[mudstuffin]

You're point would be...?

[teacher]

"You're" means "You are."

You mean "Your."

For SHAME!!!

[Critic]

Apology:

mudstuffin,
I apologize. I was counting "Dou, Ble, U, T, F, You, Know". I now realize, if you actually do the swearing, it works.

everyone else,
sorry for the double post. I only pressed Post once... I swear (but not with the same words)

[Christobol]

It's a joke sign, Dave. Completely meaningless. We have them here in the states. Lots of them say stuff like "Speed Limit" or "No Passing" or "Watch for Falling Llama Reproductive Organs" but who really pays attention, other than to chuckle at the zany folks who work for the roads dept.

[BarryFS]

It's a fire valve access sign.

[Jeff Meyerson]

I think everyone missed the key point. Dave wants us to believe a big time powerful journalist cum Presidential candidate is staying in a suburban neighborhood like this rather than the El Presidente Suite of the Athens MegaHilton. The truth is, this is Dave's block in Florida and the white car was a Florida driver parking backwards, as TN suggested earlier.

[Bob]

There are no mountains like that in Florida, let alone Miami.

I live near the highest point in Florida (approximately 150ft above sea level) and it only appears asa gentle slope.

[Layla]

Maybe the white car is what Dave's been using to transport Rice Krispies.

[cheesefondue]

Like signs in the U.S. saying a church is coming up around the corner, this sign indicates that the Gods of Greece are just ahead - and up a bit. It's kinda like a sign warning that kids will be playing in the street.

[Jeff Meyerson]

Right, the Rice Krispies thing should have been the giveaway. Dave WANTS to get caught.

Bob, haven't you been to the movies? That's a matte background, not the real Florida.

[crash]

!Grecian UFO Crossing!

[Brad]

Jeff,

You are close. The scenery looks suspiciously like Chatsworth, CA. I bet he is out here for the porn trailers and segments in G2G.

[iolite]

Thanks MOTW. Phew!

[punky brewster]

I'm not sure what that sign means ... but it sure makes me feel frisky ... here's what I did learn about driving in Greece ...

Toot your horn at every opportunity. Greeks do it at the drop of a hat, usually for no apparent reason.

Ignore speed limits. Greek drivers travel at twice the limit or more unless driving a tractor or a car with three wheels.

It is highly dangerous to leave any space behind the car in front. It leaves room for other cars to weave in and out at high speed.

Do not indicate - it is an unnecessary affectation. A Greek driver may indicate after turning but this is rare.

Always overtake on blind corners. Overtaking on a clear road is for wimps.

Do not flash lights to let a driver through. Flashing lights means 'Get out of my way now or I will ram you!'

Ignore No Parking signs and park on a corner or in a narrow street whenever possible.

Tailgate at traffic lights. Up to six cars can squeeze through after lights turn red. Car seven still has a 50/50 chance of overtaking.

Hope this helps!

[/chet]

Since the blue car in the foreground and the white car in the background are facing each other, perhaps it is an instruction to the blue car to smash head first into the white one...

[Ernie G]

If the Chief Florida Traffic Sign Person is reading this blog, we may be seeing thousands of these soon.

BTW, the most useless, ignored, waste-of-paint traffic sign in Florida is not SPEED LIMIT, or NO PASSING, it's MINIMUM SPEED.

[Gregg]

When I was in the Cayman Islands, I was mystified by street signs that had nothing but a huge black circle on them, and then the words "BLACK SPOT."

At first I went, "huh?," of course, then I searched for anything even vaguely or figuratively resembling a black spot on the road. Nothing.

I asked a local, who told me that the signs mark places where there have been many accidents, so watch out and be careful. So I guess rather than actually fix anything and improve the road, or put a signal up at an intersection, they just decided to put up these BLACK SPOT signs and be done with it.

[Kat]

It's hard to tell from the pic, but it almost looks handpainted, rather than mass-produced. Maybe its a philosophical arrow, put there to make people think, ponder, speculate. If that's the case, its most certainly working.

The other option of course is that it's a practical joke on the tourists, played by the tourism council and the IOC after an ouzo-soaked meeting of the minds.... ya never know!

[Brendan]

I think you'll find that what you refer to as a 'sign' is actually an artist's impression of what the Pole will look like once it is completed.

[punky brewster]

I hope online poker gets a poker up the ass ...

[ME]

its to remind all the stupid people which way there dick goes when they get aroused laying down