# "ON" parking. That means YOU! **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [August 1, 2007, 3:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/on-parking-that-means-you/413920 "2007-08-01T03:43:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![vivalostwages](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/d07c76/32.png) [@vivalostwages](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vivalostwages)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2007, 3:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/on-parking-that-means-you/413920/1 "2007-08-01T03:43:43Z")
This was just recently painted–twice-- on the parking lot at a local elementary school: [![](https://s149.photobucket.com/albums/s74/VIVALOSTWAGES/?action=view¤t=parktwo.jpg) ](https://s149.photobucket.com/albums/s74/VIVALOSTWAGES/?action=view¤t=parktwo.jpg) [![](https://s149.photobucket.com/albums/s74/VIVALOSTWAGES/?action=view¤t=onpark.jpg) ](https://s149.photobucket.com/albums/s74/VIVALOSTWAGES/?action=view¤t=onpark.jpg) So…technically, if I park in the ON parking space, couldn’t I defend myself by saying that the word NO was upside down and I didn’t understand it. I mean, sure, if you look at it from other side, it says NO, but then the word PARKING is upside down. Funny thing is, they managed to get it right in other places on the lot, and they didn’t screw it up in the disabled spaces at all. Nor did they spell “unloading” incorrectly. I think somebody needs to go back to loohcs. ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2007, 4:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/on-parking-that-means-you/413920/2 "2007-08-01T04:20:02Z")
Actually, it’s perfectly clear. You can only park there if you’re driving an On. ---
**Author:** ![bbs2k](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e495f1/32.png) [@bbs2k](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bbs2k)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2007, 4:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/on-parking-that-means-you/413920/3 "2007-08-01T04:22:39Z")
Wrong, it’s the spot reserved for overnight parking. ---
**Author:** ![corkboard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e9bcb4/32.png) [@corkboard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/corkboard)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2007, 12:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/on-parking-that-means-you/413920/4 "2007-08-01T12:38:00Z")
That’s the sort of thing that just makes me shake my head in pity at the poor schmucks who painted it. Unbelievable. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2007, 1:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/on-parking-that-means-you/413920/5 "2007-08-01T13:03:01Z")
Before anyone rushes in and shouts 'obvious photoshop!", can I just point out that the rectangular artefacts around the word ‘ON’ are caused by overspray of paint off the edge of the stencil, not cut-and-paste colour mismatches. They’re also visible around the outline of the P in Parking. ---
**Author:** ![Beware\_of\_Doug](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/278dde/32.png) [@Beware\_of\_Doug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beware_of_Doug)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2007, 1:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/on-parking-that-means-you/413920/6 "2007-08-01T13:47:36Z")
There must be something about sign making/painting as a job that causes people to zone out and begin seeing the greeeat big letters they’re putting down as just bricks in a wall, instead of units of meaning that must be in a set order. I just passed a storefront in NYC yesterday with a fairly huge sign reading: PAOLA POGGI underneath which was a glass door with big stick-on letters reading: POALA POGGI ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2007, 2:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/on-parking-that-means-you/413920/7 "2007-08-01T14:16:47Z")
[QUOTE=Beware of Doug] I just passed a storefront in NYC yesterday with a fairly huge sign reading: PAOLA POGGI underneath which was a glass door with big stick-on letters reading: POALA POGGI [/QUOTE] And the kicker is, both of those are wrong. The actual name of the store is “PAOL **O** POGGI”! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Scarlett67](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scarlett67/32/7387_2.png) [@Scarlett67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scarlett67)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2007, 2:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/on-parking-that-means-you/413920/8 "2007-08-01T14:23:32Z")
This reminds me of a picture of a similar pavement-painting job that I saw online somewhere (maybe someone else has the time to go looking for it; I don’t): SOTP ---
**Author:** ![fishbicycle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/aeb1de/32.png) [@fishbicycle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fishbicycle)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2007, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/on-parking-that-means-you/413920/9 "2007-08-01T14:26:41Z")
[QUOTE=Scarlett67] SOTP [/QUOTE] I saved that photo. What’s really funny about it is that the paint crew guys are pictured standing around scratching their heads. ---
**Author:** ![Duke\_of\_Rat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ad7895/32.png) [@Duke\_of\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duke_of_Rat)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2007, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/on-parking-that-means-you/413920/10 "2007-08-01T15:01:40Z")
On Parking! On Donner! On Blitzen! ---
**Author:** ![St\_Ides](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ccd318/32.png) [@St\_Ides](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/St_Ides)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2007, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/on-parking-that-means-you/413920/11 "2007-08-01T15:04:07Z")
We have a “STOP AHAED” around here. I haven’t stoppped to get a picture of it yet. ---
**Author:** ![Borborygmi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/borborygmi/32/217_2.png) [@Borborygmi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Borborygmi)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2007, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/on-parking-that-means-you/413920/12 "2007-08-01T15:06:21Z")
[QUOTE=Duke of Rat] On Parking! On Donner! On Blitzen! [/QUOTE] Now tow-away, tow-away, tow-away all! ---
**Author:** ![Enginerd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/bcef8e/32.png) [@Enginerd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enginerd)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2007, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/on-parking-that-means-you/413920/13 "2007-08-01T15:10:40Z")
[Great googly moogly!](http://youtube.com/watch?v=hSAXLayoMKI) ---
**Author:** ![GrizzRich](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/7ba0ec/32.png) [@GrizzRich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GrizzRich)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2007, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/on-parking-that-means-you/413920/14 "2007-08-01T15:22:00Z")
In the lot of our local post office, there was painted in the pavement, right in front of the mailbox… **YEILD** The error was fixed within a few days. ---
**Author:** ![Rick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9f8e36/32.png) [@Rick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2007, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/on-parking-that-means-you/413920/15 "2007-08-01T16:39:06Z")
[QUOTE=Beware of Doug] There must be something about sign making/painting as a job that causes people to zone out and begin seeing the greeeat big letters they’re putting down as just bricks in a wall, instead of units of meaning that must be in a set order. I just passed a storefront in NYC yesterday with a fairly huge sign reading: PAOLA POGGI underneath which was a glass door with big stick-on letters reading: POALA POGGI [/QUOTE] Two words Paint Fumes ---
**Author:** ![gotpasswords](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c57346/32.png) [@gotpasswords](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gotpasswords)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2007, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/on-parking-that-means-you/413920/16 "2007-08-01T16:51:47Z")
[This](http://www.notisnet.org/links/bmup9.jpg) was done on a street in Richmond, CA, not far from here. Beware things that go BMUP in the night! More info and a mention of a [BINE LANE](http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_km4465/is_200702/ai_n18679229) in Livermore. ---
**Author:** ![vivalostwages](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/d07c76/32.png) [@vivalostwages](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vivalostwages)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2007, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/on-parking-that-means-you/413920/17 "2007-08-01T17:21:11Z")
I have not yet contacted the school district in question. Maybe I should just let it go so everyone can have a bit of fun when school starts up again in a few weeks. ---
**Author:** ![Count\_Blucher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Count\_Blucher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Count_Blucher)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2007, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/on-parking-that-means-you/413920/18 "2007-08-01T17:27:20Z")
[QUOTE=vivalostwages] I have not yet contacted the school district in question. Maybe I should just let it go so everyone can have a bit of fun when school starts up again in a few weeks. [/QUOTE] That would be more productive than telling them to ‘Park Off’… 😃 ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2007, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/on-parking-that-means-you/413920/19 "2007-08-01T18:54:49Z")
I thought maybe it had to do with Head-in Parking Only (Head) On Parking (Head) On Parking apply directly to the front-end ---
**Author:** ![Anastasaeon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/73ab20/32.png) [@Anastasaeon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anastasaeon)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2007, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/on-parking-that-means-you/413920/20 "2007-08-01T19:28:44Z")
[QUOTE=Rick] Two words Paint Fumes [/QUOTE] Spot on. Er… did I mean No Stop? Anyway, working with painters every day - while not all of them are this way, a very large percentage of them are very… er… how shall I put this? Sniffed more than their fair share of fumes in their lifetime\*. Most contractors, when calling in an order, will instruct us to write on the buckets “p-1”, “p-2”, or even “Wall 1” and “Wall 2”, etc. When I asked what that was all about, one of the contractors told me, “Well, dear, the painters aren’t very bright. We have to go into each project and write on the walls: Wall 1, Wall 2, etc on each wall. If we don’t put which wall is to be painted on each can, they will just slap it on anywhere.” So what this comes down to is that it’s basically colour-by-number on a large scale. If the instructions didn’t include “Put the “N” first and the “O” second”, chances are about 50/50 you’re going to get “ON PARKING”. - - Please do note I am not, and never will say, ALL painters are like that. Its not true, and naturally, I know some very lovely painters who’ve been in it for a long, long time, and they’re very bright and wonderful people. For the record, though, most of them, from dimmest to brightest, are friendly as all hell. Good folks, painters are. Maybe they can’t all spell properly, but what the hell, my math blows. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/on-parking-that-means-you/413920.md?page=2)