Postscript

These Southern road signs sent in by our readers may not be red and octagonal, but they sure do cause folks to stop.

Editor's PS.

The photographs on this page are true testaments that the sign of our region bear messages that could only have been crafted by Southerners.

Maybe it's our Southern sense of humor-we not only talk funny, but also write funny. The more likely explanation is that we're all just a little touched in the head, a condition that leads to much roadside amusement for travelers.

My favorite sign in the South is at an old Birmingham meat-- and-three restaurant called Niki's West. (No, there isn't a Niki's East.) Patrons to the joint are greeted by a sign that reads "No tank tops. No bare feet. No rollers on head.' See a sign like that, and you just know the food will be outstanding.

All of the pictures featured on this page are snapshots sent in by readers. They are unedited and sometimes lacking in, well, prettiness. Yet each photo provides a small glimpse into the real South that could only be captured by really experienced travelers like you. -MORGAN MURPHY

Officially Confused

A governmental attempt at clarity can lead to hilarity. At the very top of this page, we have one such example (submitted by Susan Spears), which sits on County 75 in Tennessee. Or, if you're looking for McCubbins Cemetery Lane, you'll find it in Knoxville. The sign pictured at left was spotted by Bowden Atkins.

Limited Customer Service

Dayton Shelley of Green Sea, South Carolina, got tired of seeing young people come into his country store "with their pants around their knees." After he posted his sign (pictured above, left), his store became a local curiosity. No longer do people just drop by to purchase a 75-cent hot dog or play a game of pool, but readers such as Vivian Splawn pull up just to take a picture. He debated about describing underwear as "shorts" for fear that those wearing the Bermuda variety (which Mr. Shelley allows) might be warned off. He finally settled on "drawers."

Beauty and a Critter

Southern beauty has adapted to various fads through the years, but the hair dryer and color in a bottle remain constants. As proven by the sign shown at left, discovered by Patti Ryan and her nephew Kevin, night crawlers may also come with your curls.

Have a Postscript idea?

We'd like to see your signs and other assorted Southern curiosities. Send them to Travel Editor, Southern Living, P.O. Box 523, Birmingham, AL 35201. Be sure to include your name, address, telephone number, and e-mail address. For each submission published you will receive $25.

Copyright Southern Progress Corporation Jul 2002
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