Oddities

Traveling around the country, as we just did, I noticed a few oddities. Let's start with the human kind. Footwear. I couldn't help noticing that people wear inappropriate footwear all the time. While climbing in and out of the Grand Canyon I saw flip flops galore. Who in their right mind wears flip flops to climb the Grand Canyon? I saw one little girl in strappy sandals with her foot wrapped loosely in gauze. So obviously she already had one foot injury, I guess she was angling for another. I can't blame her for the poor shoe choice, she was probably only seven or eight years old. Did her parents just happen upon the Grand Canyon by accident and only then realize she didn't have appropriate shoes? I may be a bit biased, I am a big fan of the sneaker. I wear sneakers whenever I know there is going to be a lot of walking involved. You won't find me in flip flops at an amusement park. I'll be wearing my New Balance, fully enclosed, sneaker. I don't want to have my toes stepped on, I don't want somebody stepping on the heal of my flip flop and tripping me. I don't want to lose a shoe on a ride, or a canyon, for that matter. Nothing disgusts me more than the thought of walking around in public areas barefoot. I don't need some weird foot fungus, thank you very much.

Signs also gave me a chuckle while traveling. I don't know why the US doesn't have standardized signage on our highways, but we don't. Some states post ice warnings in a very concise manner, i.e. Watch for Ice on Bridge. That's simple enough. I think we all know what that means, don't we? In Arkansas the signs go on and on, as if we aren't smart enough to figure it out on our own. I don't remember the exact wording, but the signs read something like this. "Warning, Bridge May Become Icy in Cold Weather". Really, just cold weather? We don't have to worry about it in the middle of summer when the temps are in the upper 90's? Another sign that made me laugh was in New Mexico. It reads "Dust Storms May Exist". Is this some sort of existential mumbo jumbo? I'm pretty sure they do exist. I lived in Oklahoma long enough to see one or two. I think science will back me up on this one. Be bold New Mexico, walk out on the proverbial limb, say it loud and proud "DUST STORMS DO EXIST". Of course no discussion on wacky signs would be complete without my all time favorite. We didn't see this one on our travels since we didn't go through Oklahoma, but I used to see it all the time when I worked in Oklahoma City. Are you ready? "Hitchhikers May Be Escaping Inmates". I feel sorry for the hitchhikers, if the inmates are after them, shouldn't we help them? Oh, you mean the hitchhiker are the inmates. Oh, okay. Well then shouldn't the sign read "Hitchhikers May Be Escaped Inmates"? If they have left the walls of the prison I would say they are no longer escaping, but have in fact, escaped. True?

Some signs are just cute. I have attached a picture of my favorite from our travels. It was at one of the viewing areas in Bryce Canyon. Just goes to show our National Park Service has a good sense of humor. I would love to hear some of your stories. Comment below if you have seen an absurd sign or odd human behavior that you would like to discuss.