City Desk

Pedestrian Safety Ads Vs. Wish Fulfillment

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There’s nothing funny about traffic fatalities. I’d just like to get that out there at the start. Still, looking at the bus and bus-stop ads for the Metropolitan Washington Council of Government’s Governments’ “StreetSmart” program, I can’t help but notice what sort of person they’ve chosen to illustrate the hazards of crossing streets.

Look at this man being hit by a car. His stripy sweater, artfully distressed jeans, overdesigned shoes, and flying cup of Starbucks—they all scream “oblivious, over-consuming hipster.” I guess the question here, then, is: How effective are ads that portray the horrors of a scenario that I suspect many people secretly fantasize about?

10 Responses to “Pedestrian Safety Ads Vs. Wish Fulfillment”

  1. Matthew Borlik Says:

    Damn it. This was to be a topic discussed in a future edition Spitting on the Cars of Dipshit Drivers.

  2. sock puppet Says:

    I didn’t think Borlick went to Starbucks.

  3. Matthew Borlik Says:

    Andrew, you used the “H” word. Tsk tsk.

    I don’t want to be hip in a world where drinking Starbucks coffee and wearing an ass-ugly green sweater is considered “hip.”

  4. KCinDC Says:

    Is there any possible depiction of the pedestrian that wouldn’t have resulted in a blog post about it?

  5. Mark Athitakis Says:

    Stop baiting bloggers with your shelter-ad signage, Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments!

  6. Amanda Hess Says:

    Nice use of LOLcat font

  7. Creative Breadloaf Says:

    ohnoes! my latte iz speeled!

  8. Nikolas Schiller Says:

    DCist posted this graphic last month and I gave it a nice touchup with “friends don’t let friends drink starbucks

  9. sara.h Says:

    i don’t think he’s dressed like a hipster. he looks like he got dressed at the Gap.

  10. IMGoph Says:

    he’s no hipster. the jeans aren’t tight enough, there are no bangs covering his eyes, and he doesn’t have a permanent frown on his face (i think).

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