January 16, 2008
Photo of the Day: January 16, 2008
We have another entry today in our occasional "WTF" series in Photo of the Day. Billadler took this photo of a "No Loitering" sign on a bench in Friendship Heights and asks the obvious question -- What the heck are benches for, then?? Okay, so the sign is probably targeting the homeless, but since "No Homeless" probably wasn't PC enough, it ends up a little overly broad, doesn't it? Is there some timer out of frame that goes from 0 to Loitering in five minutes? How many bites into your sandwich do you have to get before it's considered unwelcome sitting? Is there a big problem in Friendship Heights with all the shoppers mulling about outside and depriving Neiman Marcus of that crucial sale?
Break out the calendars, it's time for another photographers' meet-up. We invite all our DCist contributors to join us for beers and geeky conversation with the Washington DC/Metro Area Flickr group at Rocket Bar in Gallery Place on Sunday, January 27 at 2 p.m. At 4 p.m. some of the group will break off and start a photo walk through town, so feel free to come to either portion or both.
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loi·ter Pronunciation[loi-ter]
–verb (used without object) 1. to linger aimlessly or as if aimless in or about a place: to loiter around the bus terminal.
If you're just sitting on the bench, you're eventually going to leave. A loiterer won't, because he/she has no reason to. They've got no where else to go.
I'd post a pic of the entrance to MLK Library, but I'm too busy loitering inside the Greyhound Bus Station. Man, I really miss that Hardees that used to be here. I could go for a Monster Thickburger right about now. Spare change? Help a monkey get some lunch?
That sign could just as well describe the attitude of the Tenleytown-Friendship Heights NIMBYs.
We don't loiter in Friendship Heights. We are too important to have time to loiter. Benches are merely devices to set shopping bags on while pulling out one's buzzing blackberry to check one's email. No loitering involved.
mmmmmmm.....did someone say "Thickburger?"
http://img.slate.com/media/15/Fist_girl_110k.asf
Thank you for not trying to fit the misused expression "begs the question" in this post.