“I saw a sign: ‘Rest Area 25 Miles.’ That’s pretty big. Some people must be really tired”

“I saw a sign: ‘Rest Area 25 Miles.’ That’s pretty big. Some people must be really tired” is a joke about driving down a highway. The rest area is coming up in 25 miles; it isn’t 25 miles long.
   
American stand-up comedian Steven Wright has used the joke in his act since at least February 10, 1990, when it was printed in the Muncie (IN) Star.
 
   
Wikipedia: Steven Wright
Steven Alexander Wright (born December 6, 1955) is an American stand-up comedian, actor, writer, and film producer. He is known for his distinctly lethargic voice and slow, deadpan delivery of ironic, philosophical and sometimes nonsensical jokes, paraprosdokians, non sequiturs, anti-humor, and one-liners with contrived situations.
   
Newspapers.com
10 February 1990, Muncie (IN) Star, “Absolutely Wright: Deadpan Comic Makes Some Noise With Emens Crowd” by Rodney Richey, pg. B-6. col. 2:
“I saw a sign on the highways that said, ‘Rest Area: 25 Miles.’ I though, ‘Wow, that’s pretty big.’”
 
Google Groups: alt.tasteless.jokes
jokes (Steven Write)
ChricChris
3/31/96
(...)
I was traveling along a long road and I noticed a sign that read ” Next Rest Area 25 Miles”, I thought “Wow, that’s pretty big”, “People must really get tired around here.”
   
Twitter
gardenorganic
@gardenorganic
I saw a sign"rest area 25 miles”.. That’s pretty big. Some people must be really tired… lol
12:49 AM · Feb 16, 2009·Twitter Web Client
   
Twitter
comedybot
@comedybot
I saw a sign: “Rest Area 25 Miles”. That’s pretty big. Some people must be really tired. -Steven Wright
5:23 PM · May 7, 2009·Twitter Web Client
 
Twitter
Brice Kluth
@kluthbrice
Love this: “I saw a sign: Rest Area 25 Miles. That’s pretty big. Some people must be really tired.” (Steven Wright)
12:30 AM · Aug 20, 2019·Mobile Web (M2)
 
Reddit—Dadjokes
Posted by u/shdchko October 27, 2019
I saw a sign that said “Rest area 25 miles”...
I thought,wow, that’s pretty big