That goes back to 2018, when local residents at Alamo Square in San Francisco created & posted the sign (see article below) to warn tourists visiting the “Painted Ladies” Victorian homes. Thieves like to target tourists who tend to carry valuable items in their own or rental vehicles.

https://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/local/prevent-car-break-ins-san-francisco-sign-angry-poisonous-bees/196293/

 

Edited January 1, 20242 yr by Mike A
Added picture

7 hours ago, Mike A said:

residents at Alamo Square in San Francisco

 

Off topic, but hopefully I can get it in before Charles notices... looking at the image you posted above, wooden hoses can be very attractive. As a Brit I'm used to two skins of solid brick, or brick and block, not bits of wood. But they look very pretty indeed. 

1 hour ago, martin-w said:

 

Off topic, but hopefully I can get it in before Charles notices... looking at the image you posted above, wooden hoses can be very attractive. As a Brit I'm used to two skins of solid brick, or brick and block, not bits of wood. But they look very pretty indeed. 

Too late!   

@Mike A  None of these signs out in your neck of the woods?  We got 'em!

 

1 hour ago, martin-w said:

wooden hoses can be very attractive

But high maintenance, like the painted ladies.

Sorry, I just googled "painted ladies" and found it wasn't the same thing as "ladies of the evening".

Was that a Freudian Slip? I have to read things more carefully.

Edited January 1, 20242 yr by dmwalker

It's called "Progress".

Dave

1 hour ago, dmwalker said:

But high maintenance, like the painted ladies.

Sorry, I just googled "painted ladies" and found it wasn't the same thing as "ladies of the evening".

Was that a Freudian Slip? I have to read things more carefully.

 

I typed hoses instead of houses. Definitely a Freudian slip. 

2 hours ago, charliearon said:

None of these signs out in your neck of the woods?  We got 'em!

We have neighborhood watch signs. I just commented on the origin of the unique signs in the OP, how residents felt sorry for the victimized tourists and took matters into their own hands by creating their own sign using humor to point out the inconvenience & anger experienced when your vehicle has been broken into, the message being an ounce of prevention = a pound of cure. 

Edited January 1, 20242 yr by Mike A

29 minutes ago, martin-w said:

2 hours ago, dmwalker said:

But high maintenance, like the painted ladies.

Sorry, I just googled "painted ladies" and found it wasn't the same thing as "ladies of the evening".

Was that a Freudian Slip? I have to read things more carefully.

 

I typed hoses instead of houses. Definitely a Freudian slip. 

As a native San Franciscan, I can opine that Painted Ladies is not a Freudian slip. You have to consider our history, starting with the 49ers Gold Rush, being at the “end of the world” on the western edge of the continent, there’s a certain rogue spirit and sense of humor.

1 hour ago, Mike A said:

You have to consider our history, starting with the 49ers Gold Rush, being at the “end of the world” on the western edge of the continent, there’s a certain rogue spirit and sense of humor.

"The Barbary Coast".

11 minutes ago, dmwalker said:

The Barbary Coast

Exactly!

 

There was that time when almost the entire adult male population of San Francisco suddenly left within 2 weeks.

1848 and the city only had about 800 residents and 300 adult males. Gold had been discovered at Sutters Mill in January and one day in May one newspaper printed the proof that it was the truth and not an exaggeration. By June 1st there was only about a dozen males left. The rest were rushing for gold. They arrived long before '49ers got there and gold was easy to accumulate.

On Dec. 5, 1848 President Polk addressed congress and confirmed the truth of the discovery of gold. When Spring came the wagons flooded west in 1849. By 1850 San Francisco alone had 25,000 residents and California was large enough to become a State that same year.

On 1/1/2024 at 9:40 AM, Mike A said:

49ers Gold Rush

Now yer talkin'!  My favorite football cheer-leading squad!

7 hours ago, charliearon said:

Now yer talkin'!  My favorite football cheer-leading squad!

And the 49ers’ awesome defensive line in the mid 1970s was known as the Gold Rush, NFL-high of 61 sacks in 1976 🏈

Da Bears.