I’m taking a break from my multipart Tokyo trip report (here’s installment 1 | 2 | 3) to share some weird and notable signs I’ve come across recently. Do Not Push At the intersection of Laurel Canyon and Hollywood Blvd in Los Angeles, a sign mounted above a push-to-walk sign says “DO NOT PUSH. WAIT FOR NEXT WALK.” It’s been there for months. Every time I drove past it, I wondered why the LA Department of Transportation would install such a sign. Here’s my best guess: the sign is fake. It was installed by an individual in the neighborhood who commutes to work and drives past this particular intersection every day. This person is too impatient to deal with pedestrians who push the walk button, which forces them to wait at the red light. So they took matters into their own hands and made this official-looking sign, professionally printed on corrugated plastic. They spent considerable resources to make the sign look official, just so they wouldn't have to wait as often at the intersection. Do you have a better guess?
Sounds like there is no rebus answer, but I have an answer anyway. FLAWS (the birthmark and the hairline) + EYE - FLIES = AW. AW + SOME (not all of the pepper, just some that spilled) = AWESOME.
I do love it when The Magnet appears in my inbox.... I have no better suggestions to add for any of those signs, but will add that for years growing up our local Chinese take away had a sign behind the counter that read: “No type of credits not unaccepted”. Any questions about credit cards were met with a stern countenance & finger pointed to the sign.
I never did found out whether they accepted credit card....
“Do not push” sign is real and left over from COVID when they changed all the walk signals to automatically trigger to try and cut down on people having to touch things.
I'm curious about the rebus and I suspect it may be intentionally inscrutable as you mention. For fun, I thought I'd ask ChatGPT about it, which resulted in this amusing response:
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Sure, I'd be happy to help you solve the rebus! Let's break it down step by step:
1. "Gorbachev" - This likely refers to the former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev.
2. "Eye" - This could simply represent the word "eye."
3. "Flies" - This may refer to the insect "flies."
4. "Pepper" - This probably refers to the spice "pepper."
Now, let's put it all together:
"Gorbachev + Eye - Flies + Pepper"
If we remove "Eye" from "Gorbachev" and add "Pepper" while subtracting "Flies," we get:
"Gorbach + Pepper"
Now, if we add "eye" to "Gorbach" we get:
"Gorbachepper"
So, the solution to the rebus might be "Gorbachepper." However, it's important to note that rebuses can sometimes be open to interpretation, and the exact answer might depend on the specific images used in the rebus you saw.
I’m with the suggestion that do not push is from COVID. I just don’t know why the sign doesn’t say anything about COVID. Perhaps because people might then push it out of bloodymindedness? In Sydney all the push to walk buttons were covered early in the pandemic with cardboard signs and the lights switched to change periodically. People ripped off the cardboard signs. Then they were covered with stronger signs that couldn’t be ripped off.
Sounds like there is no rebus answer, but I have an answer anyway. FLAWS (the birthmark and the hairline) + EYE - FLIES = AW. AW + SOME (not all of the pepper, just some that spilled) = AWESOME.
Re rebus: https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-help-me-solve-this-rebus/573672/129 Scroll to the near the end. Artist finally admitted there is no answer and he “made it just to fuck with people”
I do love it when The Magnet appears in my inbox.... I have no better suggestions to add for any of those signs, but will add that for years growing up our local Chinese take away had a sign behind the counter that read: “No type of credits not unaccepted”. Any questions about credit cards were met with a stern countenance & finger pointed to the sign.
I never did found out whether they accepted credit card....
“Do not push” sign is real and left over from COVID when they changed all the walk signals to automatically trigger to try and cut down on people having to touch things.
I'm curious about the rebus and I suspect it may be intentionally inscrutable as you mention. For fun, I thought I'd ask ChatGPT about it, which resulted in this amusing response:
-----
Sure, I'd be happy to help you solve the rebus! Let's break it down step by step:
1. "Gorbachev" - This likely refers to the former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev.
2. "Eye" - This could simply represent the word "eye."
3. "Flies" - This may refer to the insect "flies."
4. "Pepper" - This probably refers to the spice "pepper."
Now, let's put it all together:
"Gorbachev + Eye - Flies + Pepper"
If we remove "Eye" from "Gorbachev" and add "Pepper" while subtracting "Flies," we get:
"Gorbach + Pepper"
Now, if we add "eye" to "Gorbach" we get:
"Gorbachepper"
So, the solution to the rebus might be "Gorbachepper." However, it's important to note that rebuses can sometimes be open to interpretation, and the exact answer might depend on the specific images used in the rebus you saw.
I’m with the suggestion that do not push is from COVID. I just don’t know why the sign doesn’t say anything about COVID. Perhaps because people might then push it out of bloodymindedness? In Sydney all the push to walk buttons were covered early in the pandemic with cardboard signs and the lights switched to change periodically. People ripped off the cardboard signs. Then they were covered with stronger signs that couldn’t be ripped off.