I must’ve passed this sign a dozen times. The building at the corner of 14th and H Streets, NW in downtown Washington DC is under construction, and there’s a roofed corral to keep pedestrians safe as they pass along this building. This sign directs people to this corral.
Today, for some reason, I took a closer look at this sign, and noticed something weird about this sign. There’s some kind of stick figure on this sign, and it’s doing something. I just can’t figure out what the stick figure is doing. (And no, it’s not a sticker that some wise-ass pasted onto this sign.)
Ok, so you tell me. What is this supposed to mean?!
© Copyrighted material. This article cannot be copied, reproduced or redistributed without the express written consent of the author. As with every blog on this website, this blog does not reflect the opinion of DeafDC.com.
26 Comments
Sorry, the comment form is closed at this time.
Maybe the stick figure’s telling you exactly how to access the access!
“I’ve fallen, and I can’t get up!”
You wikipedied this????
Begging/praying/pleading for access?
Amused - nope, they’re honest-to-gosh snapshots I took with my Palm Treo as I was passing by on my way to work!
No, I was directing that comment at Shane. He linked his comment to the Wikipedia entry. *shaking head* :)
It’s really quite simple. To have equal pedestrian access, one should be able to pick an angle out of 360 degrees and start walking. Therefore it’s better to have one’s legs sticking straight out from the hip instead of straight down, so as to better point out what angle one is gonna choose.
Sort of like spin the bottle!
(-:
it looks like an adventurous stick figure diving into traffic
maybe it’s graffiti with sense of a humor?
It’s a frustrated person sitting down with arms up going “I just don’t know how to access anything. I’m a pedestrian. I’ve got rights too, you know??”
And no hands or feet, either…
I think the stick figure was put on as a joke of sort with a bit of tongue-in-cheek seriousness. It’s a stick figure on his/her knees praying. Praying, which pedestrians should be doing, before entering the roofed corral never knowing if something from above during building construction will crash through the roof.
Pray all ye who enters.
To enter King Tutankhamen’s tomb, you must walk down to your right, and make a left. Walk directly ahead, if you veneer right, you will find yourself stuck forever, cursed by the wrath of King Tut. If you are lucky, you will reach his circular tomb and bathe yourselves in his wealth and glory.
I know! I know what it means! This YouTube video explains it all:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0bK63uSTTNs
Funny video, Kyle! Thanks for sharing that with us. Wonder if that game show’ll ever make it to the States.
Oh this is funny! It’s the kind of thing that will drive you bonkers trying to figure out! You caught a good one!
~ LaRonda
Kyle, thanks for the good morning laugh!
Kneel to give fellatio?
this look like a sexual logo to me….
I echo that!
Maybe it’s an inside joke?
I was going to say “pray”, but someone else already beat me to it.
How about this: this stick figure is sitting down and pointing to the direction you’re supposed to go, in an effort to be more helpful for those who cannot read?
One more suggestion, Josh. Since you’re in DC area, why don’t you send this question to Dr. Gridlock? (He has a column in Washington Post and answers all questions related to traffic, signage, etc etc.)
The enclosed symbol on “Pedesterian Access” was originally intended for the handicapped symbol. The DC Public Works Department somehow managed to cut off the handicapped symbol (person on wheelchair), then leave the half line for the wheelchair design.
That is my best guess!
Robert L. Mason (RLM)
RLM,
I don’t think so, here’s the typical handicapped accessible sign:
http://www.abledata.com/produc.....6A0386.jpg
The fella in Josh’s picture is holding his arm up diagonally.
Thanks, Shane - I was about to look up the International Symbol of Access, but you beat me to it. Also, the guy (gal?) in “my” sign has his (her?) legs back as well. Michele Ketcham’s suggestion — contacting Dr. Gridlock — is an excellent one. I just might do that!
You should post this to the “Stick Figures in Peril” photo pool on Flickr. Maybe people there will have some good guesses.
Love the Japanese Human Tetris video — it *does* look like a shape for that game!
Shane, Josh and Gally Grad, I see what you point out to the misassumption of so-called symbol on Pedesterian Access.
The DC Public Works Department probably done the symbol for their own inside joke as many animators usually insert their inside jokes on animation films.
Animators at the Disney animation unit DID insert the full nude boobs of hotty Jessica Rabbit with Micheal Eisner, Disney’s past CEO head’s phone number which the film audience would not notice anything at the theatre. The 80s popular Disney film was “Who Framed Roger Rabbit?”
Someone spotted the freeze frame of quicker glance of Jessica Rabbit’s nude boobs with the CEO’s private phone number.
For years, animators usually put many inside jokes on their animation works.
More film companies stringely screen all the new release films to make sure that no inside jokes or embrassing stuff on their products before the general release.
Did the DC Public Works Department intentionally create that kind of symbol or unintentionally?
Many people usually spot printed errors on public and private signs and posted them on the Web.
Why not inquire Dr. Gricklock of the Washington Post to follow up on the question of symbol from Josh’s pic?
Robert L. Mason (RLM)