# Creative Vandalism **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [March 27, 2022, 4:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/creative-vandalism/961774 "2022-03-27T04:21:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![snowthx](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowthx/32/10660_2.png) [@snowthx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snowthx)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2022, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/creative-vandalism/961774/21 "2022-03-28T18:05:25Z")
Years ago someone unplugged a couple of letters from the In-n-out Burger sign at one of their restaurants - I am sure it was not accidental - when the sign illuminated, the “B” and the “r” did not light up. Heh-heh. ---
**Author:** ![Folacin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/folacin/32/3195_2.png) [@Folacin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Folacin)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2022, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/creative-vandalism/961774/22 "2022-03-28T18:55:32Z")
I was playing with “in-n-out uger” until I figured out you meant the last “r”. ---
**Author:** ![carnut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnut/32/3531_2.png) [@carnut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnut)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2022, 10:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/creative-vandalism/961774/23 "2022-03-28T22:57:14Z")
@racer72 I’ve seen one that had written instructions: 1. Push Button 2. Rub hands gently under warm air stream 3. Wipe hands on pants ---
**Author:** ![carnut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnut/32/3531_2.png) [@carnut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnut)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2022, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/creative-vandalism/961774/24 "2022-03-28T22:59:33Z")
> [@snowthx](#): > > I am sure it was not accidental - when the sign illuminated, the “B” and the “r” did not light up. Heh-heh. We had a race team offer a contingency sponsorship that if you would run (race with) an In and Out Burger bumper sticker in this configuration you could get a coupon for a free burger (which was at Burger King, as the places where this group raced had no In and Out nearby. ---
**Author:** ![pirviii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pirviii/32/3233_2.png) [@pirviii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pirviii)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2022, 4:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/creative-vandalism/961774/25 "2022-03-29T04:38:38Z")
Growing up, kids would cut up their bumper stickers like that for their skateboards. We also had a radio station, KOME that they would modify too. ---
**Author:** ![Projammer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/projammer/32/559_2.png) [@Projammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Projammer)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2022, 5:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/creative-vandalism/961774/26 "2022-03-29T05:10:13Z")
Ran across this one last year. [Turn left … for love: Clet Abraham’s hacked street signs – in pictures](https://www.theguardian.com/cities/gallery/2015/may/21/clet-abraham-hacked-street-signs-in-pictures) > Armed with a pack of removable vinyl stickers, the French painter and sculptor prowls city streets at night looking for road signs to modify. Some local governments love him and collaborated with him for International Women’s Day signs. [![](https://i.guim.co.uk/img/static/sys-images/Guardian/Pix/pictures/2015/5/20/1432127430007/8fb595d7-b30a-4692-82e9-c8b710aff414-2060x1545.jpeg?width=1010&quality=85&auto=format&fit=max&s=48aa2775da37dfcb323ff33d100de2ee) ](https://i.guim.co.uk/img/static/sys-images/Guardian/Pix/pictures/2015/5/20/1432127430007/8fb595d7-b30a-4692-82e9-c8b710aff414-2060x1545.jpeg?width=1010&quality=85&auto=format&fit=max&s=48aa2775da37dfcb323ff33d100de2ee) ETA: [Youtube videos with more examples.](https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Clet+Abraham) ---
**Author:** ![Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eyebrows_0f_doom/32/3119_2.png) [@Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eyebrows_0f_Doom)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2022, 5:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/creative-vandalism/961774/27 "2022-03-29T05:15:07Z")
> [@CalMeacham](#): > > My favorite one – which I hope was for real originally, and not a joke – wasan addition to what used to be ubiquitous ads in NYC subway cars beck around 1970 > > > [@](#): > > > > f u cn rd ths u cn bcm a scy n gt a gd jb > > underneath which someone had written > > > [@](#): > > > > fk nxn I get all this except “scy.” I can’t figure out what that one is. The only word I can think of is “saucy” which doesn’t fit. ---
**Author:** ![Thing.Fish](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thing.fish/32/9168_2.png) [@Thing.Fish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thing.Fish)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2022, 5:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/creative-vandalism/961774/28 "2022-03-29T05:38:49Z")
secretary ---
**Author:** ![Bullitt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bullitt/32/5725_2.png) [@Bullitt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bullitt)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2022, 5:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/creative-vandalism/961774/29 "2022-03-29T05:58:32Z")
> [@pirviii](#): > > Growing up, kids would cut up their bumper stickers like that for their skateboards. We also had a radio station, KOME that they would modify too. Ahh the good ol’ days of KOME 98.5 rock radio. High school kids used to get the KOME stickers and add “You’ve got” before it, and “on your dial” after it. It seems like just yesterday, but KOME shut down over 20 years ago here in the San Francisco area. ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2022, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/creative-vandalism/961774/30 "2022-03-29T15:23:28Z")
Secretary? ---
**Author:** ![mbh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a6a055/32.png) [@mbh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mbh)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2022, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/creative-vandalism/961774/31 "2022-05-19T17:09:33Z")
[https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/hey-water-tower-painting-johnny-211500957.html](https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/hey-water-tower-painting-johnny-211500957.html) ---
**Author:** ![Dr\_Paprika](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr_paprika/32/3042_2.png) [@Dr\_Paprika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr_Paprika)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2022, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/creative-vandalism/961774/32 "2022-05-19T18:10:32Z")
“If you’ve ever had to climb a water tower to defend your sister’s honour… (you might be a redneck)… “ ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2022, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/creative-vandalism/961774/33 "2022-05-19T19:17:08Z")
> [@beowulff](#): > > Secretary? It makes no sense! All the other words have just their vowels rmvd. Secretary would be scrtry. ---
**Author:** ![E-DUB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/e-dub/32/403_2.png) [@E-DUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-DUB)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2022, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/creative-vandalism/961774/34 "2022-05-19T19:37:54Z")
The signs outside of fast food joints, with the rearrangable letters, have gotten some attention. The “Now Hiring Closers” had the “C” stolen. And I don’t want to tell you what they did with “Angus Beef”. ---
**Author:** ![Karen\_Lingel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/karen_lingel/32/18649_2.png) [@Karen\_Lingel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Karen_Lingel)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2022, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/creative-vandalism/961774/35 "2022-05-19T22:50:18Z")
Back in the olden days, “secretary” was often abbreviated “sec’y”. Anyone working in an office in those days would have known that. ---
**Author:** ![Dr\_Paprika](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr_paprika/32/3042_2.png) [@Dr\_Paprika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr_Paprika)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2022, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/creative-vandalism/961774/36 "2022-05-19T23:25:42Z")
Supposedly there is a church in England with a weird message written on the ceiling, in the shape of a circle, which remained mysterious for centuries. It sounds like a tall tale, probably is, but here it is anyway: PRSVRYP RFCTMNV RKPTHSP RCPTSTN ---
**Author:** ![Zyada](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zyada/32/3028_2.png) [@Zyada](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zyada)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2022, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/creative-vandalism/961774/37 "2022-05-19T23:36:38Z")
It appears to be a puzzle: Text A PUZZLING INSCRIPTION The following interesting inscription is said to be found in the chancel of a small church in Wales, just over the Ten Commandments. The addition of a single letter, repeated at various intervals, renders it not only intelligible, but appropriate to the situation: PRSVRYP RFC TMN VRKP THSPRCPTS TN What is the missing letter? > **[Merlin's Puzzle Pastimes](https://books.google.com/books/about/Merlin_s_Puzzle_Pastimes.html?id=XbnJBijfvZUC#v=onepage&q=PRSVRYP&f=false)** > > A collection of puzzles, riddles, and problems selected by the author from his earlier volumes. ---
**Author:** ![Zyada](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zyada/32/3028_2.png) [@Zyada](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zyada)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2022, 11:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/creative-vandalism/961774/38 "2022-05-19T23:47:44Z")
It’s on page 15 ---
**Author:** ![Dr\_Paprika](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr_paprika/32/3042_2.png) [@Dr\_Paprika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr_Paprika)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2022, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/creative-vandalism/961774/39 "2022-05-20T00:02:05Z")
Perhaps, but I read it actually was written above a altar “confusing the churchgoers”. The book had a picture of it. But yes, it is a puzzlement. ---
**Author:** ![Ulf\_the\_Unwashed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Ulf\_the\_Unwashed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ulf_the_Unwashed)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2022, 12:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/creative-vandalism/961774/40 "2022-05-20T00:31:25Z")
Oh, that’s very cool! Thanks for sharing. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/creative-vandalism/961774.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/creative-vandalism/961774.md?page=3)