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Monday, April 16, 2012

Monday Musings.

With all the driving I do with my daily commute, I use a variety of methods to get the time to pass quickly.  Or, at least, interestingly.  Recently, I've been thinking about street signs - their names and how they got them.  I must pass two Sunset Streets - there's a Victor, a Bonnie, a Stuart, a Stewart, etc. 

There's a Bonacre.  Which, I assume, was at one time a "bon" acre.  Now it is a small, crowded plot filled with double-wides.  No longer "bon".  And how about Clearview Road?  Maybe once, but now there's no view.  And Westfall Road.  It is neither west nor is there a body of water nearby - let alone 'falls'.  Some take on an air of grandeur:  Wuthering Heights Blvd.  Oh, really?

I grew upon on Southwood Drive.  It was a perpendicular spoke off Irving Park Blvd.  Irving Park Blvd. was not grand.  There was no park.  It was pretentious.  At least Southwood was 'south' and there was a 'wood' at the end of the street.

How about some honesty in street names?  How about "Stinky Street" - that road that runs near the big dairy operation?  Or "Bottom Out Road"?  Or "Noview Avenue"?  Or Rottenview?  Or Smogline Lane?  I would love to come across a Lois Lane....

When I was a toddler (many moons ago), we lived in a rough-hewed little development in the South.  There were long, dirt roads with deep ditches on either side.  I, apparently, had the 'itch' to know what was on the other side of those ditches and caused my mother no end of anxiety.  One crisp, winter's day, I decided to toddle off, pick up a pal on the next street and head West.  I believe there was some idea that there was a store that had candy in that direction.  My mother had no idea what happened to me, and spent a frantic half-hour searching the neighborhood before she called my father in a panic.  Luckily for me and us, the store owner (I had actually made it there with little whatshizname) did not give me candy and sent me packing home.  A neighbor recognized my red snowsuit and plucked me off the rim of the ditch and brought me home.  I was never allowed out of my mother's sight after that - and she actually leashed me on occasion.

I believe this started me on a) my lifelong nomadic life and b) my affinity towards dogs.

So, is there a street, avenue, road, lane, or boulevard near you that should be more aptly named?

11 comments:

Sue said...

All our roads have BORING names now--all numbers--45 road, etc. I hate it. But when I lived in the Upper Peninsula, there was a road called Pretty Valley---and yup, it was aptly named.

Amy Dingmann said...

"I believe this started me on a) my lifelong nomadic life and b) my affinity towards dogs."

Your musings make me chuckle.

I think our road could be called "Doesn'tExistToSnowplows Lane" but I don't think that would all fit on one sign. :)

Erin said...

Love the Monday Musings LOL! I can't think of any street names off the top of my head but there is an awful, AWFUL trailer park down the road a few miles and it's name is actually perfect: "Trailer City" the sign says off the main road LOL

Jane @ Hard Work Homestead said...

The one that burns me up is that they buy out farm land, strip every tree, build shacks they sell for big bucks, then name the plan 'shady oak farms' or 'sunset farms'. Makes me crazy.

But the coolest street name we have in my area is Cemetery Lane. And I am not making this up, but they built a nursing home on Cemetery lane and had a big uproar from residents and a drop in occupancy that they did not want their address to be -123 Cemetery Lane! Well the property bordered another street on maybe a few feet of the property, but they were able to change the mailing and legal address to the other street. Everyone was happy. I still laugh every time I drive by.

Mama Pea said...

Maybe it's just too early for my brain to come up with anything clever to contribute. The only thing that keeps coming to mind is Jane's above comment. Hey, they could have changed Cemetery Lane to Dead End Road. (Hee-hee.)

Susan said...

Sue - I want to live on a road call Pretty Valley. I would always be happy, I bet.

MamaTea - LOL! If it did, I bet the local snowplow would plow it under. Should be interesting this winter, no?

Erin - Now THAT is what I mean. It is what it is!

Jane - Why do they do that? Uproot every tree within a half-mile, then plant grass and shrubs and call it Shady Whatever? It's outrageous! Another obvious street name!

Mama Pea - I LOVE it! To obvious??

Carolyn said...

There's a trailer park up the road and if I ruled the world, the streets would be named, "Pick up your Frekking Trash Road", "Neuter your Pets You Jerk Blvd." and last, but not least, "The Culvert is not your Personal Trash Can Lane"!

But then, if I ruled the world......

Susan said...

CR - What an interesting world it would be, if you were ruler of all. We've got one of those here - I would call it "Cue the Banjos Road" (as in Deliverance).

melanie said...

Funny, I didn't realize Carolyn Renee was a neighbor of ours! She is, or she's reading my mind....

Leigh said...

I find street names exceptionally fascinating. I love maps too. And town names are always curious too!

Candy C. said...

Our little road is named Burro Lane and you would think it had something to do with donkeys, right? Nope, one of the first residents had an old roping horse named Burro! LOL!!