There I was, sitting at the traffic light on the way home from work the other day. An intersection I had traveled a thousand times before. Suddenly, right before my eyes “as they say,” I noticed a traffic sign that said “NO” THRU TRUCKING (photo above).

That’s all I need to start-up the “question machine” in my head. 1. A straight traffic question; who are these trucks, and why have they been driving through. 2. Why is this sign not like almost every other sign I have seen where it would say NO THRU TRUCKS. Why does it say TRUCKING? 3. Most importantly; why is the word NO in quotation marks? 4. In contemplating either the modern evolution of the English language or the proliferation of bad spelling (from a writer who struggles all the time), has the word THRU versus through, become as acceptable as Lite for Light, and Nite for Night? As if I wasn’t dealing with enough here, now a commercial from my youth has popped and stuck in my head for the toy Lite Brite. Que music; “Light Brite, making things with light!”

Now I’m back to the quotation marks. I thought to myself, maybe it’s graffiti? It would have to be graffiti from some deviant English Major students, but that doesn’t seem likely. I am at a loss for an explanation, and yet, I STILL want answers. As if my thoughts are not insane enough, in my pursuit of enlightenment, I have sent an email to the City’s Public Works Department asking for an explanation. If my readers don’t see any blogs after this one, you will know the City has had me committed to an “institution” for evaluation. If they don’t and provide an answer, I’ll get back to you on what it is.

I “almost” can’t believe what I am about to write next. As I sit here sipping my tea (tea; the cradle of civilization), I am staring at the picture in my post, and I suddenly notice that the street sign above the truck ……ah whoops………I mean the Trucking sign is also “not quite right.” The name of the street is Cumberland Hill Rd. I understand Rd for Road and St. for Street, but it is not CUMB.Hill RD. Besides knowing what the street is, I know I have seen plenty of other signs that spell out the full name of the street; regardless of how much extra metal the proper name would take up.

I might have to start taking an alternate route home. Not because of the weird signs, but for the possibility that more insane observations await me.

Don’t worry, I’ll blog about them when I see them!

Lucky you!

“It’s a planet full of traffic lights and traffic light abusers” From the Irish Band; An Emotional Fish