Sign, Sign, Everywhere a Sign

Back when I was a journalism student, I had a photography teacher who was an absolute nazi about us taking photos with signs of any sort in them. She said writing would draw the reader's attention away from the focus of the picture. And she'd dock us marks if we handed anything in with a sign in it. Stephen Shore, on the other hand, captured the essence of the American experience in his iconic images of road signs.

Community college instructor who was late getting our final marks in because she couldn't tear herself away from Doom, or master photographer who pioneered the use of colour in his art? Hmmm...who do I trust?

So, I decided on this road trip that I was going to capture as many interesting, funny and frightening signs as I could. The Captain was a real party-pooper about it, refusing to stop every fifty feet so I could get out of the car and get a proper shot. As a result, some of these images are VERY blurry. Thank goodness Stephen Shore doesn't read my blog. I'd simply die.


Here are a few of my favourites:



This is why I don't bother playing the lottery. Here in Canada, on very rare occasions, the jackpot might reach $30 million. Whoop-dee-doo. If you're not winning enough to outfit 50 of your closest friends with their own mansions, hyperbaric oxygen chambers and exotic petting zoos, then really, what on earth is the point?

How many people do you think have walked out of court really ticked off that they didn't have an actual gorilla representing them? Lawyers, of all people, should know better.

When I was a kid, this is the kind of road sign that would've sent my dad veering across three lanes to make the exit. And he still would've lied about how many kids were in the car and snuck in air mattresses for us to sleep on.

Do you think after they finish regaling you with super hits like "Can't Fight This Feeling" and "Take It On The Run", that blonde guy in the middle gives you a psychic reading? Because that's a show I really need to see.





This was posted at an IHOP in Georgia. To me, it kind of suggests that they might be accepting cheques in the future. Does anyone even write cheques in restaurants anymore? If they do, I'm pretty sure it's not something that's going to get more popular as time goes on.



This one sure gave me pause for thought. I still haven't figured out which show I'd like to see less.

I KNEW it!!


And if you're trying to figure out which university to attend, may I suggest forgetting the school's reputation, programs, sports teams or location, and instead take a look at it's distinguished alumni? Case in point:





This was on the bathroom counter at a Comfort Inn. How much do you think they'll be charging us for the full-length mirror Rosemary's Baby managed to pry off the wall and smash? No, I'm not joking...