Denver City Hall forces visitors to walk a very fine line: Kenny Be's Sign Language

The placement of the two 'Sidewalk Closed Ahead' signs pictured above give pedestrians a scant three inches in which to make their crossover, presumably between the inwardly pointing directional arrows. This form-fitting placement is not due to Coloradans' ranking as the least obese in the nation. In a state famous...

By Kenny Be

October 25, 2010

[
        {
          "name": "Air - MediumRectangle - Inline Content - Mobile Display Size",
          "component": "12017618",
          "insertPoint": "2",
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "2"
        },{
          "name": "Editor Picks",
          "component": "17242653",
          "insertPoint": "4",
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "1"
        },{
          "name": "Inline Links",
          "component": "18838239",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 8,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "7",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        },{
          "name": "Air - MediumRectangle - Combo - Inline Content",
          "component": "17261320",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 8,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "7",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        },{
          "name": "Inline Links",
          "component": "18838239",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 12,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "11",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        },{
          "name": "Air - Leaderboard Tower - Combo - Inline Content",
          "component": "17261321",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 12,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "11",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        }
      ]

The placement of the two 'Sidewalk Closed Ahead' signs pictured above give pedestrians a scant three inches in which to make their crossover, presumably between the inwardly pointing directional arrows. This form-fitting placement is not due to Coloradans' ranking as the least obese in the nation. In a state famous for personal liberties and wide-open spaces, there is only one place that would require pedestrians to walk such a fine line... Denver City Hall juggles three months of holiday finery at the end of every October. The barricade and pedestrian warning signs pictured above direct visitors to walk a fine line around the Christmas creche, through the United States Constitution and up the City Hall steps.

Of the two wooden structures placed on the steps, one will feature Santa's workshop and the other will contain the genuflecting genus of Jesus. They will be surrounded by a cast of cartoon knock-off jingle bears, Green Hanukkah energy-conservation cats and Kwanzaa Kujichagulia self-determination dogs.

The pink ribbons strapped to the base of the portico columns are leftovers of the October Breast Awareness Month campaign, but they would not look out of place in the upcoming decorative mishmash that stays on display from the beginning of the Parade of Lights through the end of the Stock Show. Historically, Denverites have been able to strike a constitutional balance by watching where they step through these sacred and secular symbols.

KEEP WESTWORD FREE... Since we started Westword, it has been defined as the free, independent voice of Denver, and we'd like to keep it that way. Your membership allows us to continue offering readers access to our incisive coverage of local news, food, and culture with no paywalls. You can support us by joining as a member for as little as $1.