Friday, November 20, 2009

Elmhurst Hospital sign has hidden meaning

From the NY Times:

It shined briefly as a strange beacon of commiseration: the hospital sign that declared in large neon lights something that looks a lot like, “I’m hurt.”

Now the Elmhurst Hospital Center in Queens, where the sign marks the entrance to the emergency room, has decided to cut power to the sign until it is repaired, probably next week, a hospital spokesman said.

“It’s too much attention that wasn’t intended and is not needed,” said Dario Centorcelli, the spokesman. “It will be fixed.’

The strange message was the result of the neon bulbs in two letters in the hospital name burning out — the “E” and “S” — prompting passers-by to find hidden meaning in the surviving text “lmhur t.”

7 comments:

I. Believe said...

God does have a sense of humor!

georgetheatheist said...

The guys at the Tribune just called me and said they were hoping that the E-L-M-T would conk out:

hurs

Lino said...

As a kid I remember seeing the "E" in the Essex House neon (on Central Park south) go out regularly.

hurs??? WTF??? said...

George, what does the Harvard Undergraduate Research Symposium have to do with anything?

Funeral Parlor Guy said...

I don't know what you're talking about either George. And I resent you making fun of my best customer.

Erik Baard said...

It took months for the NYT to catch on, despite my having emailed them a photo. Oy.

Anonymous said...

No lights is the latest New York Fashion. I was visiting the UFT at 52 Broadway a few days ago and every other light in the ceiling was out.

Now I know we're in a recession.