Wed 20 Feb 2008
Don’t bow down to the flower nazis.
Posted by Chris Griswold under Uncategorized
[23] Comments
Chihuly Exhibit, Phipp’s Conservatory. Friday Night.
There are signs directing people through the exhibit:
Frustrated Woman: They always keep demanding that you stay to the RIGHT! [Stomps off to the left]

Ah, Americans. So quick to cast off the yoke of simple instructions enacted for a beneficial reason, in this case so people don’t ricochet off of one another in the Phipps’ winding paths. Yet so quick to accept war, corruption, and chaos as unavoidable and irreparable (usually because you cause it). Who cares as long as there are HDTV and football. No wonder everyone hates you people.
stars and gripes–i’m an american and totally agree with you.
Yeah, but have you ever watched a football game on HD? It’s AMAZING!
screw football, HD is for Lord of the Rings. and Star Trek.
Stars and gripes, everyone hates Americans until they need us and our money. Who do they come running to with their hands out then? If America is such a bad place, why are people jumping fences and swimming rivers to get into it? If “everyone” hates us so much, they are welcome to return to whence they came or look elsewhere for a handout when trouble comes.
Screw football??! Blasphemy! You must not be a native Pittsburgher, Shoppy. ;)
Mouth: (In a deeper voice, while pouring) Eh, Mikey…got to go to the bathroom?
Chunk: Killer dead things…big…mean…
Mikey: Lady, please!
Mama F: (Impatient, so she gives in) Downstairs, first door on the right.
Mikey: Thank you. (Gets up and heads for the stairs)
Chunk: Mikey, come on…
Mama F: Stay to the right!
Mikey: Yes Ma’am.
Chunk: (Pleading) Please Mikey, dead things!
Mama F: (Shouts as Mikey reaches the stairs) Stay to the right!
Mikey: I know, “Stay to the right.” Thank you.
What i think Zelda is trying to say is that Phipps has to be hiding Sloth in the basement, otherwise there would be no such need for such strict walking rules.
Maybe this person is such a liberal that she hates everything that has to do with the right.
What a stupid entry to choose for some sort of anti-American diatribe. I mean, is this really the venue for someone to get into some sort of debate on the subject? Does this person go into the Improv and berate people for their support of OPEC by driving to the Waterfront?
I mean, can’t a funny incident just be a funny incident and not some sort of sociopolitical rant launching point?
Nice, Ryan. That’s just like a stupid American to walk in here and disrupt an exchange in the comments section of a blog.
LOL @ HD Fan.
I do think the rant was a bit much, but it’s a blog–do we not celebrate that very quality of cyberspace (albeit when the ranter shares our view)?
I just wanted to point out to Proud American that international aid in fact comes largely from the European Union. Sadly, American aid is often far less than needed and often comes with a catch, usually political. I regret that this is the case, as you most likely do, but it’s politics, man.
As for your reference to Mexican illegals, that a person would flee desperately poor and corrupt Mexico to come here is hardly a ringing endorsement. I point out that Guatemalans often steal into Mexico for work and what is a comparative upgrade in living standards. Does this mean Mexico is a well-off wonderland and we’ve all been misled? Afraid not. To reference Europe again, many of the immigrants from either side of the ponds (Asia/Africa) emigrate to the more economically healthy EU (or Australia to a lesser extent). Not bashing the old US of A here, that’s the way it is. You can fix it, and it’s not by pretending its not true.
As far as this website is concerned, I’m way more interested in hearing what drunk college students say out loud in public than debating living standards across the West.
Just sayin’.
People need direction….we drive on the right, and tend to walk through corridors on the right. Otherwise, you get the whole foods dilemma….http://www.overheardinpittsburgh.com/2007/10/15/its-hard-to-work-the-pedals-when-youre-wearing-crocs/
The only reason that Phipps is set up for people to stay to the right is because of the large amounts of crowds that go to see the exhibit lit up at night. During the day, there really is no reason for there to be such stringent rules, but let’s be honest: it’s easier to keep the fences up than to take them down and put them up daily.
This has nothing to do with politics.
You’re missing the point, “Really, Now.” I don’t think anybody here is saying that it’s the Phipps’ signs are a political message. The politics issue got involved because of someone saying, basically, rude Americans don’t follow the rules.
From there, the politics took off as we debated the importance of High Definition versus World Diplomacy.
Good call, Ryan
HD Fan, I’m not dense. I understand the signs at Phipps aren’t political. What I DO find dense is that you are carrying on a politcal debate on Overheard in Pittsburgh. Find a new forum, dumbass.
One time, when I was at Phipps, I smelled cigarette smoke. It was in the serpentine room in Spring, when they have it filled with hyacinths and tulips, super pretty and awesome with the stink of flowers. So, I looked down the row (to the right, of course :)), and this elderly woman was standing there, hanging onto a tank of oxygen with one hand, leaning over the flowers, blowing smoke into them before smelling them. I sh!t you not.
When the attendant came by to ask her to put out her cigarette, she got pissed. I almost peed myself laughing.
(She was probably French, all self-indulgent and pissy and smokey joey. You know how they are.)
I believe we are arguing semantics now, “Really Now.”
I am not calling you dense, I’m was simply clarifying that the “political” conversation was about people not following the signs, not from the actual signs’ exsistence.
And to clarify further, I, also, am here for ridiculous and funny “overheards” and the like. If you carefully examine my comments, you will not see anything contributing towards “carrying on a political debate,” but instead, mocking those who were.
Who’s the dense dumbass now? Boo-yah!!
This is most likely a late addition, but I went to the Phipps yesterday and the attendant explained–without prompting–”We ask you to stay to the right to make sure you see all the rooms.”
Hmmmm. Come to think of it, the Phipps is rather labyrinthine and those signs come in handy.
The signs come in handy until you’re left in the oriental corner with no arrows pointing to the next attraction. I was left alone and scared, forced to observe a pagoda-turned-fountain for hours on end. DOWN WITH PHIPPS SIGNAGE!!!