COLUMBIA, SC (WIS) -
It's amazing how little we pay attention to road signs in Columbia. How else could a typo go almost completely unnoticed near Beltline Boulevard for almost 6 years?
That state Department of Transportation sign points you toward Beltline and the state Fairgroungs. Yes, the Fairgroungs. With a G.
The sign went up in 2006 and since no fairgroungs have been built in the past 5 years, I'm going to go out on a limb and say it was a mistake.
Road sign mistakes aren't uncommon it seems. Google it, and you'll find lots of folks have made the same mistake.
I mean, G is dangerously close to D on the ol' keyboard, and after all, everybody makes mistakes every now and then. But in the case of street signs that stay up for as long as 15 years, you'd hope for a little double-checking.
"You just assume it's gonna be right," said Joe Grugan, who has lived next to the sign since it went up. "I'm surprised Sumter isn't spelled with a P."
Grugan never noticed the error either.
"It would be nice to have it correct," Grugan said. "It seems silly to have it misspelled."
"It bothers me now. I'm bothered."
After WIS brought the error to the attention of the South Carolina Department of Transportation, officials there decided to replace the sign. They say the misspelling will be fixed soon.
Our thanks to a WIS viewer who took the time to submit a photo of the "Fairgroungs" sign. If you see a misspelled or otherwise interesting sign somewhere in the Midlands, please snap a photo and send it to us @ sendit@wistv.com or click here.
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