# "Cup" Messages on Overpasses???



## thetrailboss (Jun 13, 2005)

I was driving home last night from Worcester on Route 2 when we came upon another message on a highway overpass spelled out with cups on the chainlink fence.  You know, the ones that say, "I love you Jim," or something like that?   :roll:   I've only seen this phenomenon on I-93, Route 3, and Route 2 in Eastern MA and it seems to end around Manchester or so.  

OK, I could not find a picture of this 'artwork,' but here is an article from the Eagle Tribune newspaper in Salem, MA



> Overpass art is nothing to worry about
> There is growing concern that a new form of self-expression is dangerous and needs to be controlled. We're talking about messages on highway overpasses spelled out in plastic cups or written on bedsheets stuck to chain-link fencing.
> Messages are appearing everywhere -- birthday greetings, professions of love, support for our troops. And, as we do with most enthusiasm, people may be going a little overboard.
> The concern expressed by state police and highway officials is that drivers on the highways below may be distracted by the messages and cause accidents. We don't know of a single accident that can be attributed unquestionably to a highway sign. And if we want laws limiting everything that could conceivably, somehow cause injury to someone somewhere, well, we're going to have a lot more laws on the books.
> ...



So does some have an explanation of why this fade is so big in Eastern MA?  Is there something I'm missing?  AWF?  riverc0il?  Do you Merrimack Valley natives have any explanations?


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## ctenidae (Jun 13, 2005)

It's a redneck thing. Yes, there are rednecks in the north.

Still, can't touch the "Chicken Farmer- I Still Love You!" on the rock near Sunapee.


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## flyingfree (Jun 13, 2005)

I see them all the time on I95..NH, MA, Everette Turnpike, NH and on down to NJ.

I think they are interesting.    

As far as distracting people, well I don't see how these signs can be any worse than the following activities I've witnessed in cars:

The people who are on their cell phones, weaving in and out of traffic because they are LATE (probably due to a Duncun Donuts line) while shaving/putting on makeup and eating said donut, carefully balancing the liabellous cup of boiling, hot coffee on the dashboard as they watch the 115th replay of Little Mermaid on the "on board" TV, while supervising a fight between two kids who are also tired of the 115 replay of Little Mermaid...ooppps brake lights ahead, 4 lanes to 1 due to bridge painting or road paving..... 

Hey.....What did that sign with all the cups say?????


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## MichaelJ (Jun 13, 2005)

Can't be any worse than the official info message boards flashing out not anything important, just repeating to "buckle up"...


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## flyingfree (Jun 13, 2005)

Or "give them a brake"


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## thetrailboss (Jun 13, 2005)

ctenidae said:
			
		

> It's a redneck thing. Yes, there are rednecks in the north.
> 
> Still, can't touch the "Chicken Farmer- I Still Love You!" on the rock near Sunapee.



I don't see these signs north of Manchester though...wondering why it is only in SNH or in Mass?   :blink:


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## ctenidae (Jun 13, 2005)

"wondering why it is only in SNH or in Mass?"

That's easy- once you get past 89, they're not rednecks anymore- they're hillbillies.


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## thetrailboss (Jun 13, 2005)

ctenidae said:
			
		

> "wondering why it is only in SNH or in Mass?"
> 
> That's easy- once you get past 89, they're not rednecks anymore- they're hillbillies.



 :lol: 

Well, apparently they have better things to do than hang around overpasses.


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## nancie2k (Jun 13, 2005)

i have never seen any from nj to vt!


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## awf170 (Jun 13, 2005)

the best thing is people who weave in and out of traffic and dont get anywhere... i also love when people who gas it then slam the brakes in bumper to bumper traffic(i love that scene in Office Space

Anyway about the cups i have no idea, i have seen them a lot though...
I bet BJ's and costco like this large demand for hundreds of cups though


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## ctenidae (Jun 13, 2005)

I like playing with those guys, too, *awf*. The best thing is, if you maintain your lane and make strategic moves rather than tactical, you eventually leave the lane-shifter-break-jammers well behind. I love seeing them get boxed in between two Hyundais and an oil-burning Yugo, though.

As a disclaimer on the Redneck/Hillbillies comment- I grew up in central Arkansas, basically on the redneck-hillbillie frontier. When the hillbillies saw the creek next to their still rise, they took it as a sign to hassle the 'Necks. When the 'Neck's saw the water in the irrigation ditch rise, they knew it was time to go hassle the 'Billies. In the middle there, we knew when we could go north for moonshine, and south for other recreational pharmaceuticals.

 :beer:


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## riverc0il (Jun 13, 2005)

> So does some have an explanation of why this fade is so big in Eastern MA? Is there something I'm missing? AWF? riverc0il? Do you Merrimack Valley natives have any explanations?


i wish i knew.  i maybe native to the merrimack valley but only in the sense of having been born there.  i always felt outta place which is why i moved 

seriously though, this low class crap started around 9/11 when people were flying flags from bridges, writing messages on sheets, hanging ribbons, etc. etc. etc.  cups were used to either spell out crap or for the country's colors or what not.  what eventually happened was people who put them up left the crap there to rot, and rot it did.  what originally was an eye sore just got rag tag and ugly.  now it's getting out of control.  i wondered how long it would take until citizens took back their bridges from vandals.  it is essentially easily removable grafitti to me and should be illegal if it is not, no difference at all from my point of view.


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## awf170 (Jun 13, 2005)

riverc0il said:
			
		

> > So does some have an explanation of why this fade is so big in Eastern MA? Is there something I'm missing? AWF? riverc0il? Do you Merrimack Valley natives have any explanations?
> 
> 
> i wish i knew.  i maybe native to the merrimack valley but only in the sense of having been born there.  i always felt outta place which is why i moved



ya i truly hate this area, it disgusted me, i still dont think the bridge thing is as bad as people who through trash out the window, everyday in front of my house is a new bag from wendys or mc donalds,  what is so hard about finding a trash can, the thing that i really appreciate is when people put there trash in a little need pile or bag then leave it in a parking lot, arent they so thoughtful :roll:


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## smitty77 (Jun 14, 2005)

awf170 said:
			
		

> the best thing is people who weave in and out of traffic and dont get anywhere... i also love when people who gas it then slam the brakes in bumper to bumper traffic(i love that scene in Office Space


[Begin thread hijack]
I had some chucklehead speed by me on Belmont hill (rt.9) in Worcester just as the two lanes had oficially merged into one.  He probably would have been fine, except he got greedy and kept going, passing the guy in front of me *after* the merge was complete.  Turns out the guy in front of me was an undercover cop and the whole car lit up like a strobe-filled christmas tree.  They both pulled over and the officer angrily got out of the car, slamming his door as I drove past them both.  He did not look happy.

Once in a great while the a**holes get caught.  
[End thread hijack]

I'm with RivercOil - the grafiti on our bridges should be illegal.  I was okay with the sheets with messages like "Welcome home Pfc Jimmy" and such, until the sheets remained there for almost a year.  It's nice to support our local troops and give them a little something to see on the way home, but take it down after an appropriate period.  Heck, with the current state of our military, poor "Pfc Jimmy" has probably been redeployed already. :-? 

As for the argument that the messages are distracting... Please.  They're easier to read than those stupid message boards.  One that comes to mind was placed on the shoulder of I-395 SB in Webster, MA.  It was aimed too far toawrds the road, so you had to really try to focus on it as you passed it to see that they would be "blasting from 9am to 3pm M-F".  Talk about a distraction.  :roll:


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## thetrailboss (Jun 14, 2005)

smitty77 said:
			
		

> awf170 said:
> 
> 
> 
> ...



I'm really demented.  I love to see the Mass State Police pull over folks who are driving solo in the carpool lane.  It's almost always the mommy driving the huge SUV, or the big business exec in his beamer or another expensive car...both thinking they can break the rules whenever they want. :evil: 

Go get 'em boys!!!   :beer:


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## JimG. (Jun 14, 2005)

nancie2k said:
			
		

> i have never seen any from nj to vt!



I've never seen any of this stuff in NY either.


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## dmc (Jun 14, 2005)

No we just have old tattered American flags on bridges in NY...


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## JimG. (Jun 14, 2005)

dmc said:
			
		

> No we just have old tattered American flags on bridges in NY...



Most of those are gone in my area...just another case of folks trying to be patriotic and winding up being disrespectful instead. I was taught that you take the flag down and bring it inside during rainstorms and other bad weather.


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## thetrailboss (Jun 14, 2005)

JimG. said:
			
		

> Most of those are gone in my area...just another case of folks trying to be patriotic and winding up being disrespectful instead. I was taught that you take the flag down and bring it inside during rainstorms and other bad weather.



Yes, a lot of my boy scouts  :roll:  at the flag discussion we had recently.  I was taught the same...the only exception would be if one had an all-weather nylon flag...but otherwise, cotton "old glories" have to come down in bad weather...


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## riverc0il (Jun 14, 2005)

JimG. said:
			
		

> dmc said:
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> 
> 
> ...


reminds me of days after 9/11 when everyone was flying an american flag from their car.  i predicted what would happen sadly...  a few weeks after the flags were flung from car antenna everywhere, they fell into tattered disrepair and looked aweful.  completely disrespectful to the flag, imo.  much more thoughtful is the purposeful and meaningful hanging and bringing the flag down on a daily basis.  to add insult to injury, soon everyone forgot about being patriotic and forgot about hanging flags from their cars after time passed.  that i predicted as well, but humans are predictable.  either do it up right and proper, or let it be to those with the care and respect to do it right.

don't forget trailboss to add to your boys scout troup that the flag should only be flown at night when it has a light shown on it and it should never touch the ground.  i blew a nutty one time i saw someone walking around with a flag unfolded and dragging across the pavement.


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## thetrailboss (Jun 15, 2005)

riverc0il said:
			
		

> don't forget trailboss to add to your boys scout troup that the flag should only be flown at night when it has a light shown on it and it should never touch the ground.  i blew a nutty one time i saw someone walking around with a flag unfolded and dragging across the pavement.



Yes sir, you're right!   :wink:


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## Charlie Schuessler (Jun 15, 2005)

ctenidae said:
			
		

> ...once you get past 89, they're not rednecks anymore- they're hillbillies...


I've worked with Hillbillies and they reside in Kentucky & West Virginia... :wink:


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