There’s something delightfully redundant about a big, bold sign that reads “Oceanside” with an arrow pointing directly at the ocean—an ocean that’s already very much in view just a couple hundred yards away. It’s as if someone decided that the vast expanse of shimmering blue water, crashing waves, and the faint scent of salt in the air weren’t quite enough of a clue. Nope, they thought, better put up a sign in case someone mistakes it for a giant puddle. Because, you know, without that helpful arrow, who knows where people might end up? Wandering inland, looking for beachfront property in the middle of a cornfield?
The irony gets even funnier when you imagine tourists standing next to the sign, taking pictures as if the ocean itself is secondary to the brilliance of the arrow. “Oh, honey, we’d be lost without this sign! Look at it pointing to exactly what we can already see!” What’s next? A sign at the Grand Canyon that says, “Big Hole This Way,” or a marker at Mount Everest that reads, “Tall Thing Ahead”? Whoever installed the “Oceanside” sign clearly has a sense of humor—or a quota to meet for unnecessary road signs. Either way, it’s reassuring to know that even the obvious sometimes needs official confirmation.
