The “BOMP” Saga Is Complete (for now)

Here’s a full recap of this odd tale, including a final update.

(Photo by E)

Friends, it is my sad obligation to report that the “BOMP” saga appears to have run its course. Since this story has unfolded in fits and starts, here’s a recap of the full narrative, culminating in one final update.

Tuesday, July 16

I publish a deep-dive examination on speed bumps, humps, and lumps.

Tuesday, July 23

While driving through Brooklyn, my girlfriend, E, takes a wrong turn and ends up on a block whose “BUMP” warning sign on the pavement has been changed to “BOMP” after the original lettering was partially obscured by an asphalt patch. Ordinarily, she might not have noticed, but my recent article has sensitized her to this topic, so she stops and takes the photo shown above, which I then write about. Everyone in the entire world agrees that the “BOMP” is approximately the greatest thing ever.

One small problem: The accompanying yellow sign still says, “BUMP.” E and I decide that it will need to be revised to match the roadway, a project we plan to undertake ourselves.

Saturday, July 27

Following a brief out-of-town getaway, E brings me to the “Bomp” site so I can see it in person for the first time. When we arrive, we’re alarmed to find a work crew applying a black cover-up patch to the “O,” effectively creating a lowercase “u” — “BuMP”:

One of the workers tells me that another work crew will come on Monday to restore the full capital “U.” I nod quietly and manage to avoid telling him that he’s just snuffed out the last wisp of hope that I had for humanity. E and I go home to lick our psychic wounds.

Tuesday, July 30

I revisit the site and am pleasantly surprised to find that the “u” has not yet been capitalized. Even better, the cover-up patch is already washing away, allowing the “O” to re-emerge. “BOMP” lives again!

Thursday, Aug. 1 (today)

I return to the site and am dismayed to find that the capital “U” has finally been applied to the roadway:

A small bit of the “O” is still visible under the fading cover-up patch — a vestigial reminder of those halcyon days of “BOMP”:

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That brings us up to date and brings the “BOMP” saga to its apparent conclusion — at least for now. But as several readers have said to me, “BOMP” is too good, too much fun, to be restricted to a single block. I’d never encourage anyone to engage in petty vandalism, of course, but if a spontaneous guerrilla art movement just happened to unfold around me, I’d have little choice but to report on it. Just sayin’.

Meanwhile, we still don’t know who put the “BOMP” in the “BUMP” to begin with. Was it a playful street saboteur? A spelling-challenged city worker? Barry Mann? The ghost of Greg Shaw? Whoever this hero was, they deserve our thanks.

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An Important Note

This post marks the end of Inconspicuous Consumption’s “free trial” period. Going forward, IC posts will be paywalled after the first couple of paragraphs. If you like what you’ve seen here over the past several weeks, I hope you’ll consider supporting my work with a paid subscription.

If you don’t like what you’ve seen here, or if you just don’t have the resources, of course I understand — no pressure. Thanks for reading.

Paul Lukas has been obsessing over the inconspicuous for most of his life, and has been writing about those obsessions for more than 30 years. You can contact him here.