Los Angeles has officially entered peak clown world territory: the city just removed a handful of decades-old "No U-Turn" signs from Silver Lake because—wait for it—they were apparently deeply offensive. These innocent traffic regulators, slapped up in 1997 to stop late-night joyrides (or, more accurately, to curb gay men cruising for hookups), somehow survived until 2024 as walking hate crimes etched in metal. Councilmembers Nithya Raman and Hugo Soto-Martínez showed up like heroes in a bad satire, flanked by drag queens and pastries, to ceremonially yank them down and pat themselves on the back for dismantling "homophobia inscribed in physical spaces."
Imagine the horror: a sign telling drivers not to whip a 180 at 3 a.m. was secretly code for bigotry! Never mind that "No U-Turn" signs exist in every city on Earth without triggering therapy sessions. In LA logic, a traffic rule from the '90s is a relic of oppression so traumatic it demands immediate bureaucratic fanfare, complete with speeches about joy and love. Meanwhile, actual problems—like potholes that could swallow a Prius or homelessness camps blocking sidewalks—get the usual shrug.
Congratulations, City of Angels: you've turned a mundane street sign into a civil rights victory lap while the rest of us wonder if next they'll ban red lights for being too aggressive. Welcome to the circus—tickets are free, sanity not included.
Discuss...