# Bumper stickers/logos/decorations in your area folks "from away" may not understand **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 19, 2008, 3:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bumper-stickers-logos-decorations-in-your-area-folks-from-away-may-not-understand/468613 "2008-10-19T03:55:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![jormundgondir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/dfb087/32.png) [@jormundgondir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jormundgondir)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2008, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bumper-stickers-logos-decorations-in-your-area-folks-from-away-may-not-understand/468613/21 "2008-10-19T23:46:10Z")
I imagine these are much more “mainstream” by now, but when my husband first moved to San Francisco from Los Angeles, he called me mentioning how there must be some kind of festival or something coming up, because so many of the bars and restaurants had these rainbow flags up… I told him it was a gay thing, and it took another several months before he finally believed me. The similar black-and-blue flag is probably still a bit more underground, and the bumper sticker with the yellow equal sign on a purple background as well. ---
**Author:** ![jackdavinci](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackdavinci/32/3259_2.png) [@jackdavinci](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jackdavinci)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2008, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bumper-stickers-logos-decorations-in-your-area-folks-from-away-may-not-understand/468613/22 "2008-10-20T00:20:23Z")
Here on Long Island we have “The End” stickers which refer to Montauk, the last town on the east end of the island (south fork). I suspect it’s nationally syndicated but we have a radio show out here that gives people “W.O.W.” stickers for their cars which gives other driver cart blanche to show them boobies on Wednesdays. (Whip it Out Wednesdays). ---
**Author:** ![Fetchund](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b2d939/32.png) [@Fetchund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fetchund)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2008, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bumper-stickers-logos-decorations-in-your-area-folks-from-away-may-not-understand/468613/23 "2008-10-20T00:48:14Z")
People around here keep putting up **Wellstone!** bumper stickers, even though he’s been dead for quite a bit, now. It is a political commentary, along with **WWWD**? ---
**Author:** ![Koxinga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/4af34b/32.png) [@Koxinga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Koxinga)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2008, 1:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bumper-stickers-logos-decorations-in-your-area-folks-from-away-may-not-understand/468613/24 "2008-10-20T01:53:00Z")
A few years ago some quasi-municipal organization in Austin thought it would be “hip” and “with it” to adopt the slogan, “Keep Austin Weird”, to be affixed to bumper stickers all across town. Not so strange in itself, but surrounding communities have responded with their own bumper stickers such as “Keep Georgetown Normal” and “Keep Round Rock Mildly Unusual”. ---
**Author:** ![Eonwe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eonwe/32/240_2.png) [@Eonwe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eonwe)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2008, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bumper-stickers-logos-decorations-in-your-area-folks-from-away-may-not-understand/468613/25 "2008-10-20T02:40:29Z")
> [@BrotherCadfael](#): > > I think that was more like “take Vermont back from the libruls”, y’know. > > Of course, maybe they’re one and the same? Good point, though the specific issue that that slogan arose from was the civil union debate. ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2008, 3:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bumper-stickers-logos-decorations-in-your-area-folks-from-away-may-not-understand/468613/26 "2008-10-20T03:37:10Z")
I think the funniest incident of something like this was confusion over something that wasn’t quite a decoration - a Frost Heaves sign. The curious person from far away knew that Robert Frost was from the area, and asked “I know that as local poets go Robert Frost is a big deal around here, but what does that sign mean? It can’t mean they commemorated somewhere where he threw up!”😃 We then explained that it has nothing to do with Robert Frost, but [frost](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frost_heaving). We thought it was neat he was from a place where they don’t occur. ---
**Author:** ![movingfinger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ab992/32.png) [@movingfinger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/movingfinger)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2008, 4:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bumper-stickers-logos-decorations-in-your-area-folks-from-away-may-not-understand/468613/27 "2008-10-20T04:48:40Z")
Back in the late sixties it was common to see bumper stickers in the South Bay area of Los Angeles County saying, “There is no life east of Sepulveda”. Sepulveda Boulevard is the big north-south avenue separating the “beach” section of Manhattan Beach from the terribly unhip inland areas. Later these were amended to read, “There is no life east of Sepulveda…but there is parking.” ---
**Author:** ![Cyberhwk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7993a0/32.png) [@Cyberhwk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cyberhwk)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2008, 7:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bumper-stickers-logos-decorations-in-your-area-folks-from-away-may-not-understand/468613/28 "2008-10-20T07:21:59Z")
“Get your dam hands off our snake, ya breach.” Some (not from the area unsurprisingly) wanted to breach some local dams as an attempt to help salmon numbers a couple of years ago. ---
**Author:** ![even\_sven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dfb087/32.png) [@even\_sven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/even_sven)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2008, 7:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bumper-stickers-logos-decorations-in-your-area-folks-from-away-may-not-understand/468613/29 "2008-10-20T07:49:08Z")
Any visitor to Delhi will notice that nearly every car in the area has a cheesy yellow sticker on the back windshield declaring “It’s Food’n’Fun Village.” Food’n’Fun Village is a pretty low rent Indian amusement park. This sticker is everywhere. It is instantly recognizable. My beloved uncle took a sticker back to America with him and stuck it on his car. There is no doubt that he’s puzzled and confused no end of Indian drivers. ---
**Author:** ![TheLoadedDog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/35a633/32.png) [@TheLoadedDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheLoadedDog)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2008, 9:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bumper-stickers-logos-decorations-in-your-area-folks-from-away-may-not-understand/468613/30 "2008-10-20T09:10:30Z")
About fifteen or so years ago, the government here instituted a “Gold Card” accreditation scheme for tradesmen. There were stickers they had on their work vehicles that said “MY GOLD CARD IS YOUR GUARANTEE”. The more beat up the vehicle was, the more likely some letters had been scratched out to make it say “MY OLD CAR IS YOUR GUARANTEE”. ---
**Author:** ![katie1341](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/91b2a8/32.png) [@katie1341](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/katie1341)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2008, 10:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bumper-stickers-logos-decorations-in-your-area-folks-from-away-may-not-understand/468613/31 "2008-10-20T10:27:09Z")
There’s a record store (do they still call them that?) in Louisville KY called “ear Xtacy”. They sell t-shirts and bumper stickers with “ear Xtacy” on them. Several years ago, it was sort of a fad to buy a bumper sticker, cut it up, and mix the letters up. Not that anyone knows what “ear Xtacy” means anyway unless they’re from Louisville. ---
**Author:** ![Spoons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spoons/32/3141_2.png) [@Spoons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoons)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2008, 1:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bumper-stickers-logos-decorations-in-your-area-folks-from-away-may-not-understand/468613/32 "2008-10-20T13:14:27Z")
A number of people in southern Alberta sport (pun intended :D) Calgary Stampeders logo stickers on their cars and trucks. The Stampeders’ logo looks like a galloping horse–in fact, very much like the horse used as the Ford Mustang. See an example of the Stampeders’ logo [here](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calgary_Stampeders). This has led various visitors to wonder why Chryslers, Chevys, Toyotas, and so on all have the Ford Mustang logo stuck on them. ---
**Author:** ![Politzania](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3ab097/32.png) [@Politzania](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Politzania)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2008, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bumper-stickers-logos-decorations-in-your-area-folks-from-away-may-not-understand/468613/33 "2008-10-20T19:00:50Z")
In the Hoosier state - “Not My Man” bumper stickers are a reaction to governor Mitch Daniel’s campaign slogan “My Man Mitch”. ---
**Author:** ![gotpasswords](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c57346/32.png) [@gotpasswords](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gotpasswords)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2008, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bumper-stickers-logos-decorations-in-your-area-folks-from-away-may-not-understand/468613/34 "2008-10-20T19:32:56Z")
A radio station in the area calls itself **Wild 94.9**. (Not WILD, though - I think their actual callsign is KWLD) A little scissoring later, and people proudly proclaimed **Wild 4 69**. Similarly, **In-N-Out Burger** stickers would be edited into **In-N-Out urge** ---
**Author:** ![ShibbOleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/848f3c/32.png) [@ShibbOleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShibbOleth)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2008, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bumper-stickers-logos-decorations-in-your-area-folks-from-away-may-not-understand/468613/35 "2008-10-20T20:00:54Z")
> [@Sampiro](#): > > Actually I answered them, because it occurred, “I guess it’s not common knowledge after all”. Auburn University has two mascots, most famously “War Eagle” (resident of the world’s largest birdcage for non-sports fans who like trivia) but also the tigers. The tiger is actually used more as the “visible” mascot than the eagle, though the cheer of course is “Warrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr Eagle!” (and so’s the fight song), and those tiger tails that you hang from the back of your trunk become ubiquitous the closer you get to Auburn (this was about 12 miles away). The mascot used to be the Plainsmen. Not sure if this has totally gone away or is just not as exciting as a tiger and an eagle. Either way, Alabama seems to be the home of multiple mascot confusion (see University of Alabama: Crimson Tide and Elephants). ---
**Author:** ![mobo85](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b19c9b/32.png) [@mobo85](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mobo85)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2008, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bumper-stickers-logos-decorations-in-your-area-folks-from-away-may-not-understand/468613/36 "2008-10-20T20:04:33Z")
> [@gotpasswords](#): > > Similarly, **In-N-Out Burger** stickers would be edited into **In-N-Out urge** A rather ironic change if you know that the owners of In-N-Out are deeply religious and actually print Bible verses on the chain’s cups and boxes. ---
**Author:** ![RogueRacer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/7ab992/32.png) [@RogueRacer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RogueRacer)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2008, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bumper-stickers-logos-decorations-in-your-area-folks-from-away-may-not-understand/468613/37 "2008-10-20T20:40:35Z")
Once in a while I’ll see a bumper sticker around here with a caption of, “My Mom Is Cooler Than Yours - French Island”. Also on the sticker is a freezer with an arm sticking out. The story behind it is a guy living on French Island (basically LaCrosse, WI) stuffed his mother in a freezer after she died of natural causes. He said he did this because he was afraid he would be blamed for her death and to continue to collect her social security checks. He got away with it for four and a half years. [Here’s a link to the story.](http://www.lacrossetribune.com/articles/2005/07/31/news/00lead.txt) ---
**Author:** ![rivulus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/839c29/32.png) [@rivulus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rivulus)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2008, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bumper-stickers-logos-decorations-in-your-area-folks-from-away-may-not-understand/468613/38 "2008-10-20T20:56:12Z")
“Native” bumper sticker in Colorado. This is slightly off topic, but I remember being very confused about a big sign in New Hampshire that said “Say no to wild and scenic rivers.” I mean, who wouldn’t want wild and scenic rivers? Later I learned that it had something to do with property rights vs. conservation or some such dispute. ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2008, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bumper-stickers-logos-decorations-in-your-area-folks-from-away-may-not-understand/468613/39 "2008-10-20T21:02:02Z")
I guess this counts as a decoration… I moved to Minnesota from California about fifteen years ago. Not a big sports fan. One day on my way to work (this was in December, and it was below freezing outside), there was a traffic jam. News reports said that it was caused by a man on an overpass, naked except for a green stocking cap. My co-workers: “Must’ve been a Packers fan.” Me: 😕 ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2008, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bumper-stickers-logos-decorations-in-your-area-folks-from-away-may-not-understand/468613/40 "2008-10-20T21:10:31Z")
> [@rivulus](#): > > This is slightly off topic, but I remember being very confused about a big sign in New Hampshire that said “Say no to wild and scenic rivers.” I mean, who wouldn’t want wild and scenic rivers? Later I learned that it had something to do with property rights vs. conservation or some such dispute. Wild and Scenic is a federal designation on a river that prohibits certain types of development. It’s similar to the strong local objection to turning the WMNF into a National Park; more government controls by people “from away” aren’t looked upon kindly. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bumper-stickers-logos-decorations-in-your-area-folks-from-away-may-not-understand/468613.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bumper-stickers-logos-decorations-in-your-area-folks-from-away-may-not-understand/468613.md?page=3)