San Franciscan nights and Philadelphian grammar
(Photos by your humble blog keeper.)Here's a picture I took on Russian Hill in San Francisco after Bouchercon 2010.
And here's one I took this week in Philadelphia. The sign sits right outside the headquarters of the Philadelphia School District.===
P.S. A day after I posted the photo at left, the grammar-mangling sign disappeared. So think of this photograph as a piece of vanished history — and evidence that someone at SEPTA reads this blog.© Peter Rozovsky 2010
Labels: images, Philadelphia, Philadelphia views
posted by Peter Rozovsky at 4:11 AM
18 Comments:
At first I thought that SanFran picture was a painting. Beautiful shot.
Peter
Yes lovely image.
Much obliged, gents. That shot makes me think I should start reading Gothic horror.
Oh, yes. Lovely!
About the sign, maybe it's just e, but aside from the "temporary," isn't saying something has been "temporarily discontinued" a little like saying it's been "permanently interrupted?" Maybe it's just my Western Pennsylvania grammar, but those two words don't seem to go together.
Thanks, I.J. Any resemblance to Hiroshige is completely coincidental, of course.
Dana, "temporarily discontinued" (or, in SEPTA-speak, "temporary discontinued") doesn't bother me much. I'm not sure how strongly discontinued connotes permanence. An alternative exists that would make the meaning clear -- "Stop suspended" -- except that many people don't understand what suspended means. Hence the redundant temporarily suspended.
How about "Stop Not in Use" or
"Stop Closed"?
Less is more.
Anyway, I'd say more photography is in your future; beautiful image.
Or the more optimistic "Please cross street to board subway."
Thanks for the compliment. I've been carrying my camera more since San Francisco. I didn't get much during this week's snowstorm, though.
Or "Stop Closed; Use subway across street" 6 words, sufficient.
Oh, but the "please" adds an element of courtliness sadly missing in the rush of life in a modern American city.
Yes, but who says "please"? On a sign no less? It's a good idea.
OK, we'll make the sign Philadelphia-style:
"Yo! Cross duh street!"
That's New York City-style, too.
Would they say "Yo!" in New York?
Yes, "Yo!" Absolutely.
I heard "Yo!" long before I ever set foot in Philadelphia, but since Rocky, people have somehow come to associate the word with the city. I have fallen into that trap, too.
"Yo" is a universal term, especially used by youth in big cities all over the U.S.
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