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September 5, 2025
StreetsTransportation

“If you see a road sign that says ‘Survey Crew Ahead’ they actually are not looking for your opinions. I know that now”

The road sign "Survey Crew Ahead" confuses many people. A crew is surveying the road. "I saw a sign on the road while driving today that said, Survey crew ahead. I did. They looked…

September 5, 2025
StreetsTransportation

“If you see a road sign that says ‘Survey Crew Ahead’ they are not actually interested in your opinion. I know that now”

The road sign "Survey Crew Ahead" confuses many people. A crew is surveying the road. "I saw a sign on the road while driving today that said, Survey crew ahead. I did. They looked…

September 6, 2025
StreetsTransportation

“If you see a road sign that says ‘Survey Crew Ahead’, they do not want you to stop and answer questions. I know that now”

The road sign "Survey Crew Ahead" confuses many people. A crew is surveying the road. "I saw a sign on the road while driving today that said, Survey crew ahead. I did. They looked…

September 20, 2021
Streets

“Instead of giving roads the names of leaders and celebrities. if we give the contractor’s name…”

A meme about road naming is: "One Simple Suggestion!Instead Of Giving Roads The Names Of Leaders And Celebrities, If We Give Names OfContractor Who Built It With His AddressAnd Number, I think…

May 11, 2017
Streets

“Is a cul-de-sac a spoon in the road?”

"Fork in the road" is a term, but what about "spoon in the road"? "Was walking, came to a fork in the road, and took the one less traveled. Then I came to a spoon in the…

July 12, 2018
Streets

“It bothers me when I see tax money wasted on signs telling deer where to cross the road”

"Deer crossing" signs are to inform drivers about deer, not to inform deer where to cross the road. "And it (government -- ed.) has gone a step further and informed the deer where to…

February 18, 2016
Streets

“Jones” (a craving) and Great Jones Alley/Street

Entry in progress -- B.P. Wikipedia: Great Jones StreetGreat Jones Street is a street in New York City's NoHo district in Manhattan, essentially another name for 3rd Street between Broadway…

April 15, 2021
Streets

“Judge, 60% of my parking tickets are bogus” (joke)

A traffic court joke was posted on Twitter by Terry F on May 3, 2016: [traffic court]Your honor, I'm here to dispute 4 of my 5 ticketsJUDGE: Repeat infractions?Ok, I'm here to dispute…

April 15, 2021
Streets

“Judge, I want to contest 50% of my parking tickets” (joke)

A traffic court joke was posted on Twitter by Terry F on May 3, 2016: [traffic court]Your honor, I'm here to dispute 4 of my 5 ticketsJUDGE: Repeat infractions?Ok, I'm here to dispute…

April 15, 2021
Streets

“Judge, I want to contest 80% of my parking tickets” (joke)

A traffic court joke was posted on Twitter by Terry F on May 3, 2016: [traffic court]Your honor, I'm here to dispute 4 of my 5 ticketsJUDGE: Repeat infractions?Ok, I'm here to dispute…

March 31, 2023
Streets

“Memorizing pothole locations is a survival skill in New York”

"Memorizing pothole locations is a survival skill where I live" -- "where I live" is often replaced with the location -- is a saying that has been printed on many images.…

March 30, 2023
Streets

“Memorizing pothole locations is a survival skill where I am from”

"Memorizing pothole locations is a survival skill where I live" -- "where I live" is often replaced with the location -- is a saying that has been printed on many images.…

March 30, 2023
Streets

“Memorizing pothole locations is a survival skill where I live”

"Memorizing pothole locations is a survival skill where I live" -- "where I live" is often replaced with the location -- is a saying that has been printed on many images.…

March 30, 2023
Streets

“Memorizing pothole locations is a survival skill where I’m from”

"Memorizing pothole locations is a survival skill where I live" -- "where I live" is often replaced with the location -- is a saying that has been printed on many images.…

March 6, 2018
Streets

“More time is spent checking a speedometer in a school zone than actually watching schoolchildren”

A driver passing through a school zone spends the most time looking...at the speedometer? "I was paying so much attention to my speedometer in a school zone that I ran over a kid. Sorry…

March 10, 2021
Streets

“My career as a street fighter didn’t last very long. I broke my hand punching a curb”

Street Fighter is one of the highest-grossing video game franchises of all time. The title refers to fighting in the street -- not fighting against the street. "My career as a street fighter…

August 22, 2021
Streets

“My city’s potholes will change your radio station and unlock your doors”

Many places have car-changing potholes. "Chattanooga potholes will change your radio station , lock your doors , end the transmission and pop holes in 3/4 tires" was posted on Twitter by…

February 24, 2018
Streets

“Never ask a starfish for directions”

"Never ask a starfish for directions" is a one-line saying that has been printed on many images. The five-pointed starfish can take one in five different directions. "When your…

July 8, 2016
Streets

“New York is the only city where you can get deliberately run down on the sidewalk by a pedestrian”

Russell Baker, an "Observer" columnist for the New York (NY) Times, wrote on June 25, 1977: "New York is the only city in the world where you can get deliberately run down on the…

May 27, 2023
Streets

“New York is the only town where the shortest distance between two points is under construction”

"How come the shortest distance between two points is always under construction?" is a jocular line about driving that was published in Changing Times -- The Kiplinger Magazine in…

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BARRY POPIK is a contributor to the Oxford English Dictionary, Dictionary of American Regional English, Historical Dictionary of American Slang, Yale Book of Quotations and Dictionary of Modern Proverbs. Since 1990 he has also been a regular contributor to Gerald Cohen's Comments on Etymology.

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