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TAG-O-RAMA 2018

The Tag-O-Rama game started in September 2010, and periodically needs a new thread, due to message board issues. This is thread 7, but with thread 6 we decided to switch to a yearly naming convention consistent with other long-lasting threads. Here are threads one, two, three, four, five and 2017 (aka six). The rules are easy (although wordy, it is not hard to play) #1 – Find the tag and get a picture of your bike in the same location (as best as possible). The first person to post a found tag gets to place the next tag. If you get a tag, but somebody else posts their picture first, you lose – you’ve been Bruced. #2 – Take the tag to a new location, shoot a photo with your bike in the picture, and post it here. Keep the tag within Pittsburgh city limits and the surrounding neighborhoods. Give a few hints (or a short poem if you’re so inclined) so the next person can figure out where the tag is located. Try to place the tags in interesting locations, somewhere historic, etc. Remember, the point of the game is not to make the clues difficult to figure out. It is about riding, not Googling. #2a – After you pick up a Tag, a new tag must be placed within 36 hours. If the new tag is not set within the time limit, the first Bruced posted gets the tag. If no Bruce was claimed, tag will revert to the previous tag, and somebody else will get their chance. If you won’t have the time to drop off a new tag, don’t pick it up to begin with. #2b – This rule is intended to keep the game moving. If the overdue tag is posted before somebody grabs the reverted tag, then the new tag will stand. However, giving the overdue tag-holder a load of crap is highly encouraged. #3 – Tag must be findable – don’t make your tag so obscure that no one will find it. Make sure to let folks know what riding conditions are involved to get to your tag. #4 – File photos are NOT permitted. You may not use a photo taken before the current tag was set to prove you found that tag, nor use a photo taken before you photographed the current tag to set a new tag. #5 – All images of tags that are posted, whether picking up or setting a new tag, MUST include the bike you rode to the tag. If your bike isn’t in the posted image, you don’t have a tag. #6 – The bicycle in the picture must get to the tag location under the player’s own pedal-power. #7 – No whining. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . UPLOADING IMAGES How to Post Photos In case you’re looking for the photo upload button that was once on this site, sorry it has disappeared. (edit for 2017: although you can find the “add media” button, it doesn’t seem to work correctly vis-a-vis uploading pictures to the message board.) We hope it comes back, but for now, you have to use the instructions in the link above. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Some helpful links for the convenience of new players: 1. View the Tag Map to see all the tags. 2. The Tag-O-Rama spreadsheet, showing who got which tag . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . For those of us who want to know more about the record keeping functions of Tag-o-Rama … To add a marker to the Google Tag Map, sign in to Google, go to the map, and click the Edit link on the left. Then click the marker icon in the upper middle. Then click where the marker should go. See one of the previous threads for examples of game play.
steven
2018-01-01 20:42:44
I'll repeat @TeamDecaf's post from yesterday: Well, we didn’t go far to set this new tag. Set with @paulheckbert new hint: ketchup
paulheckbert
2018-01-02 20:14:11
Probably several of us know where this is. But at least for me the day was busy, in that post-holiday sort of way.
ahlir
2018-01-02 21:23:36
John Heinz Family Center, Wyandotte at Forbes, Hill District. loc: 40.438441, -79.977513
ahlir
2018-01-03 12:32:37
A secret garden for when your thoughts have gone astray Around that bend you've come this far but not to stay
ahlir
2018-01-03 15:45:35
Is there an uncropped version that was supposed to be posted of the photo?   There is no bike in it when I view it on the website and when I click on it I can't pull up a bigger version. Sometimes the website accidentally crops them in a strange fashion
edronline
2018-01-03 17:22:14
Sorry about that. I guess I was too focused on composition & stuff... The (right) tip of my handlebar. And, detail from a reject: In Chrome, I right-click on the pic and do "Show image in new tab"; it will give me a full-resolution image. In this case I posted at a higher resolution that normal, on the off chance people want to study detail for clues. Or maybe you know this place already, in which case nevermind...
ahlir
2018-01-03 18:09:17
That's good. I thought that the bike was in there but the message board cropped the pic strangely, as it does sometimes. Turns out all was well.
edronline
2018-01-03 22:16:30
“Balloons over Pittsburgh” mural at Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic (WPIC) outdoor patio, photographed from 40.444105, -79.959837 on University Drive A. Mural painted by Deac Mong, http://www.deacmong.com/murals.html Next time, Paul, keep gloves on while shooting photos when it's this cold!
paulheckbert
2018-01-04 21:44:57
new tag. hint: it was too cold to travel far.
paulheckbert
2018-01-04 21:51:07
Pgh Athletic Assoc, 5th at Bigelow.
ahlir
2018-01-05 11:49:44
The old oak tree our shade shall be, And there you shall sing gay songs to me ; Each sparkling glass that we fill to-night, Reflecting a smile, shall beam more bright; And we'll drink to those that we fain would see Under the shade of the old oak tree.
It took a while to find a decent poem on this theme. Not because there weren't any (there's many more than you'd imagine) but because they were all so uniformly bad. "Not everyone is a poet, yet does not know it." Anyway, there is a tree off to the right. By the bark it looks like it might be an oak, but maybe not. And of course there is no shade. But this is the clue that I made for you.
ahlir
2018-01-06 10:42:44
What is the maximum distance allowed from the box? Would locations on Library Rd. between. Saw Mill Run Blvd. and Castle Shannon Blvd. be within reason? What is the maximum distance by road otherwise?
zzwergel
2018-01-06 16:24:05
A little beyond the box is tolerated. A lot is not. I set one in West View one time and got snarled at for it. You would have caught a lot more grief for your Perrysville convenience store mural tag if I didn't live only a mile and a half away and had to bike right past the place that same night. Get creative. Find a tag just barely within the box. But maybe do that in summer. We've had tags sit for a week or two in the winter because it's just so difficult to go exploring when it's cold or nasty.
stuinmccandless
2018-01-06 22:01:12
I would like to start a new find the tag kind of thing. What should I do to organize it on this forum?
zzwergel
2018-01-07 18:37:23
We did have an active second tag game a while back, called "Wheelset of Fortune". The way it worked, there were two active tags. You had maybe a week to find anything that fit (it wasn't an exact spot, more typically a category). If you found one tag, you got one entry into the drawing for the next round. If you found both tags, you got two entries. At the end of the week, all the valid entries went into a drawing for the next two tags, assigned to different people. They chose a thing (no initial tag photo necessary), set the end date, and the game continued. From August 2014.
stuinmccandless
2018-01-07 21:29:13
I would like to start a new find the tag kind of thing. What should I do to organize it on this forum?
At one point, @Steven initiated an alternate game: A 'leader' posted a pic, then others posted their takes on the same subject. The leader then picked one post as their favorite; its originator became leader and got to initiate the next round. It worked for a while but eventually faded out. I participated for a few rounds, but then I'm a sucker for snapping pics whilst riding about... [please correct my recollection] On reflection what makes T-o-R work is a clearly defined criterion for winning a round: you're the first one to snag and post the tag. Everyone can agree that it's an objective criterion. That whole "brucing" thing reinforces the rule. In contrast the @Steven version introduced a subjective element. Whether good or bad, it didn't really catch on. I conjecture it's because it didn't have an objective definition of 'winning' (and consequent reward). People want that. So: You're welcome to come up with a new game. But you have to design it in such a way that people will want to participate, and you need to figure out the right incentives. People do not do stuff that does not provide them value, on some level.
ahlir
2018-01-07 21:30:55
Oh cool. Stu and I have different accounts... I always love how memory works (i.e. not how we think).
ahlir
2018-01-07 22:17:05
That being said , this current tag should be an easy pickup for someone.  If you get it, @z, you can set the next tag. It is probably a 3-4 mile ride from Aspinwall.
edronline
2018-01-08 07:49:02
So, it's about that time for a hint... But I get that people might not be all that up for riding off to get wet and cold just to pick up some random tag. Well, ok, there's a few of us who might be. Judging from @edr's comment, it seems like this tag is not all that obscure. But let me know if y'all want a hint. (Trigger Warning: May provoke poetry.)
ahlir
2018-01-08 14:36:09
@edronline, From the poem, I am assuming it is somewhere in either North Oakland or western Shadyside. I can tell it is a church, so I will look in that area tomorrow since the weather is supposed to be nicer.
zzwergel
2018-01-08 16:04:03
I actually found it. I just have to go there with my bike and get a photograph. After I get the photograph, I will have to find a nearby hotspot to upload the photo.
zzwergel
2018-01-09 09:41:59
Sacred Heart Church. Walnut St. and Shady Ave. Shadyside
zzwergel
2018-01-09 11:58:46
Yay zz
jonawebb
2018-01-09 12:44:09
As someone who curses the photo upload process here I find that you can say "I found it.  Here is a link to my Twitter pic of it which doesn't end up nicely placed in the feed, I'll fix it when I get home" then that's good enough for most people not to Bruce you.
edronline
2018-01-09 13:08:51
@edronline, LOL!   New Tag:
zzwergel
2018-01-09 15:42:48
Lookin' good. But you could have a clue to go along with the pic...
ahlir
2018-01-09 18:18:41
Clue 1 The Linden Hall Tea Shop is across the road.
zzwergel
2018-01-09 19:23:59
I got bored, so I calculated the geographic center of the 1,350 past Tag-o-Rama tag locations. Then I calculated the distance of every tag from that geographic center. Then I calculated the standard deviation of those distances. Then I plotted the geographic center on Google Maps, with circles at 1 and 2 standard deviations out. In a normally-distributed population, 95 percent of points would fall within that outer circle. Then I called out the person guilty for placing the tag that's farthest away from the geographic center. Then I came here and posted about it. Here's a link to it.
ornoth
2018-01-09 20:10:37
@zz, I think that's a bike upgrade.  Nice. @ornoth - awesome diagram.
edronline
2018-01-09 20:13:56
@edronline, I had the same bike since October of 2015. What do you mean by an "upgrade"? @ornoth, Does the diagram include those outside the box?
zzwergel
2018-01-09 20:34:56
(EDIT: Nevermind, looks fine after a refresh)    
rustyred
2018-01-10 09:22:51
@Paul, Congratulations! You got it.
zzwergel
2018-01-10 17:38:49
@ZZ: It'd be pretty worthless if it didn't. Whatever Steven's Sheets doc had, I used.
ornoth
2018-01-10 20:10:45
note, but not a tag: Near Athens Painting, you can take care of all your Bigfoot statuary needs. https://flic.kr/p/2218sZF
paulheckbert
2018-01-10 20:28:50
@Paul, Was that an allowable "distance" from the "Box"?
zzwergel
2018-01-10 21:00:42
.
jonawebb
2018-01-10 21:28:40
To explain: at the time, there was a note on the map that said, "tags outside the box are allowed." That was changed after my tag. I was thoroughly chastised for the tag at the time and for some time after. I offered to retag if no one picked it up. But someone did. And now that tag is part of Tag-o-Rama history.
jonawebb
2018-01-10 21:39:29
Zz, you can be near the box but too far outside the box and it takes longer to pick it up and the game moves slower. So far your two tags have been outside the box.  Why don't you concentrate on the next few being in the box?
edronline
2018-01-10 21:50:08
Wasn't my Aspinwall tag at 321 Blink inside the box?
zzwergel
2018-01-10 21:58:40
We've had some really difficult to find tags that were quite within the box. Clues help, but I find it more fun to have a vague clue than a difficult to find tag. For me, it's the most fun when the thing itself is clearly identifiable as a thing, clearly interesting as a thing unto itself, but hard to figure out from background context. Not being able to find it on StreetView is a plus, but it has to be a publicly accessible spot. Some of my favorite tags over the years: * the fountain in the courtyard at the County Courthouse * the first one I ever picked up, a big anchor I couldn't possibly pick up http://localhost/message-board/topic/pittsburgh-tag-o-rama/page/9/#post-187592 * the little people in the Allies parking garage http://localhost/message-board/topic/pittsburgh-tag-o-rama/page/19/#post-188008 * The 10-foot-high "@" sign, one of my earliest tag sets http://localhost/message-board/topic/pittsburgh-tag-o-rama/page/24/#post-188184 Also, I will say it was fun re-reading the first 25 pages of posts on the first thread. Even with half the photo links broken, it was fun seeing what we all shared with one another. It also makes me wistful for when we had 40 or more active participants in the game.
stuinmccandless
2018-01-12 22:38:57
Got It. Frank and Shirley's Restaurant. 2209 Saw Mill Run Blvd
zzwergel
2018-01-14 15:13:08
What was the DWB clue?
edronline
2018-01-14 15:25:15
I think that's where the police killed Jonny Gammage.
jonawebb
2018-01-14 15:36:54
Also, the original Eat n Park was located at 2209 Saw Mill Run Blvd. New Tag: Does anyone need a hint?
zzwergel
2018-01-14 16:01:05
You got it. Some history: "At 1:47 a.m. [October 12, 1995], Jonny Gammage was asphyxiated to death by five white police officers in the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania suburb of Brentwood. Within seven minutes in police custody Gammage died. Brutally assaulted, Gammage died of suffocation when the police stood and kneeled on his neck, shoulders, and waist as he lay handcuffed and shackled, face down on the pavement. His crime--being a young Black man in a late model sportscar and putting on his brakes "in a suspicious manner" as police followed him through the suburban roads of Brentwood and Overbrook. Gammage was unarmed, and even the D.A.'s office found no reason why Gammage was stopped by the police that night." http://revcom.us/a/firstvol/886/jongam.htm The criminal cases against the five policemen that took part in the killing of Gammage resulted in an acquittal and two mistrials. The police received no criminal punishment. The civil case resulted in a settlement where the Gammage family received $1.5 million. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Death_of_Jonny_Gammage
paulheckbert
2018-01-14 17:54:48
@Paul, That was tragic. Racism at it's worst. Did you know that 2209 Saw Mill Run Blvd. was Eat N Park's first location? Here's a link. http://www.brooklineconnection.com/history/Facts/EatNPark.html I believe that side of Saw Mill Run Blvd. is actually Carrick, not Overbrook as the article states.
zzwergel
2018-01-14 18:15:15
Those are not cats.
paulheckbert
2018-01-15 12:22:34
Does anyone need a hint?
zzwergel
2018-01-15 12:53:29
Describe something maybe a few doors away (pizza shop, library, statue), or a rhyme based on the street name. Something that won't give it away too easily. There isn't much context in the photo. Like for your Perry Hwy mural last summer, you might have mentioned there was a funeral home across the street. On a good day, I will write a poem or quote some song lyrics that provide some context.
stuinmccandless
2018-01-15 18:17:49
This tag is not visible from StreetView and is 1/2 mile from Cattivo.
zzwergel
2018-01-15 19:18:30
Squirrel Convergence mural by Mary Tremonte, 3816 Butler St, Lawrenceville, in a narrow space next to Iron City Bikes. https://flic.kr/p/23ycqtX
paulheckbert
2018-01-17 12:02:51
new tag, involves 30-300 ft of bike walking, depending on whether you’re comfortable biking on a snowy trail https://flic.kr/p/JBpT3t
paulheckbert
2018-01-17 12:47:25
@Paul, That's it!
zzwergel
2018-01-17 14:36:08
hint: big cats overhead
paulheckbert
2018-01-19 09:16:28
hint: the cats are bronze
paulheckbert
2018-01-22 01:26:00
Hint: it's tough to get to.
jonawebb
2018-01-22 12:53:02
This one was a toughie. It's in Schenley Park on the trail next to Anderson Playground, in the archway next to the trail (a steep scramble). Lat/Lon 40.436222, -79.947212  
jonawebb
2018-01-25 18:57:36
The "big cats" clue would have been more helpful if it was not in the plural. "One big empty cat" would have been closer still, i.e. Panther Hollow Road. There are lots of pairs of lions in the area, and quite a few are near bridges. Where are these bronze cats? I'm drawing a blank.
stuinmccandless
2018-01-25 20:42:36
Pic link is broken.   Also this website has been super slow today . Like that for anyone else?
edronline
2018-01-25 20:44:33
There are bronze panthers at the ends of the Panther Hollow bridge. I knew where it was pretty much after the second clue. But it was hard to get to. Definitely not bikeable.
jonawebb
2018-01-25 22:19:45
It wasn't easy, but it was bikable when I went there: 14F, ground frozen, 3 inches of powder on a short stretch of trail. We're intrepid Pittsburgh tag-o-ram-ers, so we push through it, right?
paulheckbert
2018-01-26 00:04:37
Get out of your gone and come instead to this spot Walk around it and take a pause for some thought https://flic.kr/p/JToL2R
jonawebb
2018-01-27 11:16:56
Location: 40.414233, -79.898345 Homestead Labyrinth, right by the pomphouse...
ornoth
2018-01-27 12:07:43
Wow, fast!
jonawebb
2018-01-27 13:43:32
Incoming tagdrop, sir! I get knocked down, but I get up again No you never gonna keep me down...
ornoth
2018-01-28 11:04:14
I'm not at liberty to provide another clue... ;^P
ornoth
2018-01-30 11:21:19
Okay, okay, I'll make it a little easier. I'm surprised this one hasn't been used before; it's been around since 2008 and is not far from a well-used bike lane. This Westmoreland PA county native made a fortune in Pittsburgh's railroads, before notably writing,  "I am Denver City."
ornoth
2018-01-30 11:43:54
What, have you all fallen off your bikes and can't get back up? Makes me feel bad for Kyle Holbrook...
ornoth
2018-02-01 12:05:18
Homewood "Healing Wall" Location: 40.454875, -79.897228 Nearest intersection: N Homewood Ave & Formosa Way Wherein we learn whether Ornoth will venture out on an icy 11° morning with frozen shifters and rotting 23mm tires just to fetch a tag...
ornoth
2018-02-02 11:25:49
Re the "speedy" comments on my last two pickups... Heheh heheh... This time of year, if a tag's within a couple miles of home, I feel compelled to jump on it quickly, since there are fewer "accessible" tags in the winter because I'm not gonna ride out to Ambridge in this weather, or even up Mt. Washington, since I'm still worn out after Doze Dirty Dozen. Gottu admit, tho, I need to research some more future tag drop locations; my list is starting to look kinda meager.
ornoth
2018-02-02 13:01:03
This tag, it has a newishness: Tomorrow is Saint Valentine’s day, All in the morning betime, And I a maid at your window, To be your Valentine.
ornoth
2018-02-03 13:27:39
Grab a German beer and cheer Still winter but spring is near
jonawebb
2018-02-08 09:30:36
Next Tag -  Happy Valentines Day It's the thought and effort that counts. https://imgur.com/636P5Hl
fultonco
2018-02-10 13:28:48
Not sure why the photo wouldn't show in the previous post.  Happy Valentines Day.
fultonco
2018-02-10 18:32:21
I could use a hint.
paulheckbert
2018-02-12 01:43:55
I was planning on saving you the trouble, but there's an enormous pile of nope outside...
ornoth
2018-02-12 07:56:55
Location: 40.456752, -79.906539 Nearest intersection: Hamilton Ave & la Schall St Looks like that pile of nope is gone... Hamilton by the Wheel Mill.
ornoth
2018-02-12 14:54:22
You really don't need a clue for this one, do you?
ornoth
2018-02-12 16:00:04
I only worked in the building next door for 15+ years...
edronline
2018-02-12 16:26:07
No, you don't need a clue. It's about ~10m from a tag I dropped a few ago. But it does face in the opposite direction... Too bad I have a bum foot just now, but I expect @ph will shortly be on the case.
ahlir
2018-02-12 17:50:07
Clue: It don't count until you ride there and post a photo!
ornoth
2018-02-14 20:38:45
There's nothing in the rules that says a tag can't be claimed by the person who placed it. Just sayin'...
ornoth
2018-02-16 19:49:13
From page 1:
Find the tag and get a picture of your bike in the same location (as best as possible). The first person to post a found tag gets to place the next tag.
If @ornoths's assertion were correct then "The first person" would have been "The person"; "first" implies an ordering. If you think about it, the dropper is technically the 0th person in the picker-upper queue. Otherwise "first" is redundant. So, close, but no cigar.
ahlir
2018-02-16 22:28:29
I agree with @Ornoth on this one. It's a loophole in the rules.
paulheckbert
2018-02-17 00:09:48
Anyway, people will get your tag. Just keep posting clues, making it more and more clear, until someone does. No need for self-pickup. There are other loopholes. Two or more players can conspire, one setting a tag that there other picks up. Again, not clearly against the rules, but clearly against the spirit of the game. Do let's not do that, either.
jonawebb
2018-02-17 07:58:54
There is randomness involved here too with people's schedules. Sometimes we have more free time, sometimes not. All these mass shootings reminds me of the time I was trapped in the building next door to where this photo was taken. The bike component of this is after we were let out by the swat team I picked up my bike from the shop in sq hill.
edronline
2018-02-17 08:31:53
Okay, clues were requested, so let's see what I can do for ya. I guess my sense of what's easy & difficult is still inaccurate; bear in mind that I'm a recent transplant. And @ed's point is well taken; I forget that, as an unemployed bum, I have more time to devote to figuring out and chasing down tags than most folks.
  • That tall building in the background? That's called the Cathedral of Learning. It's in the middle of Oakland, and is associated with the University of Pittsburgh. It's something of a local landmark.
  • Because parking is so difficult, most people don't take their car into Oakland. Faculty dread the university drive.
  • It might not be clear enuf to see in the photo, but the tag is somewhat uphill from the Cathedral. Not many places are uphill from there!
  • In fact, it's on such an uphill slope that the photo was taken from a hairpin/switchback. Be careful riding if there's snow on the ground.
  • The funny building in the foreground? That may or may not be Pitt's controversial Long Range Defense Complex. Its angled face was actually designed to mimic the slope of the hillside.
Go get 'em!
ornoth
2018-02-17 10:30:06
loc: 40.444201, -79.959972
ahlir
2018-02-17 11:51:02
Tag ↗       Clue ↘
ahlir
2018-02-17 14:47:37
Is it time for a hint? The clue is the clue because the painting was apropos of the destination. But Sankt Peterburg also has the similarly apropos, though boring, Varshavsky Voksal: Hey, just reading the news and making clues topical...
ahlir
2018-02-19 19:47:50
[click disc to hear the tune]
ahlir
2018-02-21 19:24:40
Ok, the weather sucks. But are the clues enough to give you ideas about the location? You're allowed to google.
ahlir
2018-02-23 23:48:11
Each clue (almost) gets you to a word relevant to the location, which is at a corner. The first clue (properly google'd) gives you one of the streets. The second clue (properly dereferenced) should point you to the neighborhood. The third clue, alas on reflection is a bit misleading (it was meant to give you the cross-street). But only half of it is actually relevant; maybe it was a misconceived obfuscation. Here's the Strava heatmap at the location, showing the tag to be on a well-traveled bike route.
ahlir
2018-02-25 21:05:12
ARGH!!!! I went and checked that exact road today, but I checked the wrong half! No one told me it was one of Pittsburgh's maddening discontiguous streets! ARGH!!!!
ornoth
2018-02-25 21:36:00
Okay, that's better... Location: 40.459105, -79.961114 Nearest intersection: Melwood Ave & Finland St
ornoth
2018-02-26 12:12:52
Beautiful weather, so I'll keep this moving... If you land here, I'm gonna charge you twenty five bucks. If I had all four, I'd make you pay $200.
ornoth
2018-02-26 13:42:28
Railroad at 26th, in the Strip. The big 3 is at a new development "3 Landings". Of course they have bike racks.
ahlir
2018-02-26 17:39:13
A tag: This clue   → ←   has 3 elements relevant to the tag.
ahlir
2018-02-26 18:17:09
Wouldn't have gotten this in a million years if it weren't for the dome. Location: 40.460691, -79.968267 Nearest intersection: Spring Way & 33rd St
ornoth
2018-02-27 11:33:58
Good job. There's two domes visible from that spot, but I had figured that would be too much of a giveaway... Does anyone know where these lions came from?
ahlir
2018-02-27 12:12:59
A tag a day keeps liposuction away... LOOK DOWN DOWN LOOK!!! Perhaps the only place where you can look down from (near) the top of one Dirty Dozen hill and see the next.
ornoth
2018-02-27 12:51:28
At the end of Downlook St in Stanton Hts loc: 40.484600, -79.941258
ahlir
2018-02-28 11:48:30
Downlook is one block away from this famous incident: "On April 4, 2009, a shootout occurred at 1016 Fairfield Street in the Stanton Heights neighborhood of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States, stemming from a mother and her 22-year-old son's argument over a dog urinating in the house." Three policemen were killed. "According to police and witnesses, he held police at bay for four hours as the fallen officers were left bleeding nearby, their colleagues unable to reach them. More than 600 rounds were fired by the SWAT teams and Poplawski." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2009_shooting_of_Pittsburgh_police_officers
paulheckbert
2018-02-28 14:04:13
I always had trouble with that neighborhood with its twisty little streets, all the same. And I invariably get lost (like I did today). A few blocks away is Officer Eric Kelly Memorial Field, named for one of the victims.
ahlir
2018-02-28 18:00:01
does the person need to be in it?
edronline
2018-02-28 21:01:26
Person is optional. Go for it.
ahlir
2018-03-01 10:43:19
I got two stone-faced people in my photo. Mercy Hospital, Mercy Dr. Click for uncropped. https://flic.kr/p/24LbWQG
paulheckbert
2018-03-02 15:55:30
hint: within 7 blocks of the previous tag
paulheckbert
2018-03-03 10:50:49
Tustin at Seneca, Uptown loc: 40.436714, -79.976161 The Little Library
ahlir
2018-03-05 11:52:21
Cars, buses, trains. And this.
ahlir
2018-03-06 12:06:39
The cars typically sit around for the day. The buses might stop and wait for a while but they always move on. Trains just chug on by without stopping.
ahlir
2018-03-08 16:10:45
South of North... with no Grommit in sight.
ahlir
2018-03-10 11:59:55
Dang. Was just there yesterday. I loved those movies! When they went to the moon. Hilarious!
edronline
2018-03-10 14:22:10
It is "inconceivable" that no one picked up this tag yet.
edronline
2018-03-11 11:24:30
And such a nice day for a ride it was today... Since you know where it is, maybe just pick it up. I won't hint anymore.
ahlir
2018-03-11 19:10:49
Ran 10+ miles training for the half. Next time on a bike is Wednesday if weather is ok. Hopefully someone will pick it up before me.
edronline
2018-03-11 21:58:04
Location: 40.445341, -79.886514 Nearest intersection: Wallace Ave & Clair Way Wilkinsburg Flyboy mural
ornoth
2018-03-12 12:47:45
Here's an easy pickup: You've ridden past this a hundred times, if not a thousand. It's kinda pretty, but no one wants to live in the building facing this view.
ornoth
2018-03-12 14:27:55
Hebru Brantley is a pretty cool artist. Fly Boy is a recurring theme in his work. For some reason this piece reminds me of Astro Boy. But Fly Boy seems less burdened: he just wants to be free and fly...
ahlir
2018-03-12 20:23:55
loc: 40.434216, -79.994121 On the EFT, across from the county lock-up.
ahlir
2018-03-13 12:53:06
Some musical-ish clues, just because: UHpHl2gEYyM P_wT-NbS98M I want to say that it's close to the previous one, as the goose flies. But I would counsel keeping your distance.
ahlir
2018-03-13 18:01:26
There's a least one word in each of the song title lines that contributes to the clue set. And here's one more, that's sort of relevant (well, phonetically) but I'm not sure that it adds much, unless you already know the location: fvPpAPIIZyo DISCLAIMER: The vids selected do not correspond all that well to my own musical tastes. They just happen to feature words relevant to this tag.
ahlir
2018-03-15 17:13:01
Apologies. That last link didn't appear to come out right once it had been wrung through the exacting criteria of the bikepgh.org message (massage?) board filters. It should have been: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kAGkuPaatdc Just cut and paste that url into your search engine. The original was a link to the "official" vid for the tune. The one above is actually better. Anyway it's the title line that matters. I hate crap message board software...
ahlir
2018-03-15 20:55:35
It's at the north-east corner of this intersection, in a reasonably well-traveled neighborhood. If you go up a block and turn you might find yourself at a music venue... Please let me know if you need more clues. Apologies for the opacity so far.
ahlir
2018-03-17 21:10:04
One more tune with a relevant title: jXZcJojTucg You should now have the names of 4 streets surrounding the tag (plus something like the name of the business next door).
ahlir
2018-03-20 08:19:14
it took me this last clue to get the right neighborhood, and I was going to go out tomorrow during the day, but, alas, it looks like it is winter again.
edronline
2018-03-20 14:14:18
@edr seems to know where to find the tag [meaning that it's findable], but he hasn't picked it up. I'm happy to keep cluing, just ask. Roads are eminently passable.
ahlir
2018-03-24 15:36:19
i'm going away tomorrow and will be back after passover, so im not going to pick it up anytime soon. too bad i'm not heading South but rather to the east Side of cleveland for most of it. on a related note i could have snagged it this morning but dumbass me left my gloves in my garage and my hands almost froze off.
edronline
2018-03-24 16:55:31
Well, that's Karma for you...
ahlir
2018-03-24 17:59:47
Wahl’s Auto Repair, Sarah St near S 18th St, close to Carey and Larkins Ways. (sleuthing help from The Iguana) https://flic.kr/p/24nXR4b
paulheckbert
2018-03-24 19:26:55
The (new) Stairs of Joncaire.
ahlir
2018-03-25 13:25:28
But the stairs aren't in your picture.
paulheckbert
2018-03-25 13:55:40
I'm, uh, standing on the stairs, on the first landing. Which from the looks of it is the one you were next to when you snapped your pic (cf. the upper right corner). It didn't seem right to scamper up the straw bedding protecting the soil. But hey, at least my bike in in the frame. As an aside: That runnel on the far side seems a bit narrow... and there isn't one on the near side. Does that mean no railing on the runnel side? I noticed shafts sunk on the near side but come to think of it, not sure there were any on the far side.
ahlir
2018-03-25 15:35:33
But anyway, let's move along: We are at Home, instead of in our other home. In more ways than one.
ahlir
2018-03-25 16:20:15
I saw those stairs the other day and thought about taking my bike up them but 1) they were blocked off and 2) no rail. Afraid I'd fall off.
edronline
2018-03-25 20:34:19
The weather's not all that bad; I commuted the last two days... Anyway, this is a seasonal tag. In the summer that space is completely overgrown and you can't see the murals (at least judging from Streetview). The one on the left is pretty wide and stretches all the way to an adjacent alley. You'd get a full view coming from that direction. The one on the right is pretty big as well. Those murals appeared after the last time that the Google-mobile ventured along that street. Darn. Feel free to ask for hints, if you need any.
ahlir
2018-03-27 20:48:07
Mural is at Kelly St & Nadir Way. I see Malcolm X, Muhammad Ali, Trayvon Martin, who else? https://flic.kr/p/24e9At2
paulheckbert
2018-03-28 16:45:16
hint?
edronline
2018-03-28 20:42:57
House O' Fricks, at Penn and Homewood. I tried to get in closer, but the guard chased me off ("no bikes!").
ahlir
2018-03-29 10:47:29
Their current exhibit of Degas and other French painters is well worth the admission price.
edronline
2018-03-29 11:18:35
I looked to see if there was a no-bikes sign, and saw none.
paulheckbert
2018-03-29 14:50:34
Some of you will know exactly where this is. You might even be a client. The rest of you would need to show some enterprise to get there.
ahlir
2018-03-30 15:19:40
We've been busy with Easter and Pesach, but things are starting to wind down. There's still time for a ride! And the weather today truly is beautiful. Let me know if hints are desired. Otherwise I might wander off on some tangent and start talking about, I dunno, abattoirs. Or maybe beer?
ahlir
2018-04-01 16:25:41
Probation & Parole Board! Location: 40.459797, -79.914287 Nearest intersection: Enterprise St & Sackett St
ornoth
2018-04-02 13:27:30
Hints, yes. The difficulty I have is distinguishing between hints, chaff, and filler, among the 80 or so words you've given us so far.
paulheckbert
2018-04-02 13:46:54
No chaff or filler here! Howd ur friend chews his haus?
ornoth
2018-04-02 14:08:31
Well, perhaps. But there's still plenty of content. And you need some other words in there so that you get sentences.
need to show some enterprise [street name] to get there
wander off on some tangent [name of alley next to building] and start talking about, I dunno, abattoirs [used to be slaughterhouse district]. Or maybe beer [East End Brewery a couple of blocks away]
ahlir
2018-04-02 16:13:22
Residence on Marlborough in Squirrel Hill.
ahlir
2018-04-02 19:16:22
[I'm leaving the details more or less vague, since it's a private house that doesn't particularly stand out. Pinning the tag marker maybe mid-way on the block would be good enough for tag-o-rama purposes. But whatever.]
ahlir
2018-04-02 20:40:29
I'm missing something... What was the significance of the tag if it's a private house and you can't give the location? (Ie what makes this house tag o Rama worthy?) Edit: I googled it. Figured it out. Chew=Danny chew But sorta a weird tag to pick. Maybe the game should stay away from private homes unless there is some cultural value? 1) creepy factor. Id feel weird of I saw someone get off their bike in front of my random house, snap a pic, and leave 2) tag is super obscure and you'd only get it if you had visited the person before. Makes the game less desirable to play for most people.
edronline
2018-04-02 20:56:52
I considered the privacy angle myself before placing the tag. I figured it wouldn't be an issue, since that person already publishes their exact street address on their personal website's "contact me" page. Which, if I was a stalker, would be the first place I'd look. With that info so readily available already, and willingly provided by the person in question, I don't think anyone's going to care if it's buried five pages deep within a photo-game discussion inside a little-used subsection of a bike advocacy group's website, or hidden amongst thousands of pinned locations on a map that happens to be linked somewhere in that discussion. At the same time, none of us have named names or pointed fingers, so AFAIC all's well regardless.  
ornoth
2018-04-02 21:03:50
I'm sure you could figure out, say, pedutos home address, too, or someone similar, and then point to the page where you found it on the internet. Or people may run home businesses and have their home address on their website. But I think tag o Rama should stay away from private homes unless, say, it has a unique feature that is there to draw attention. (Ie that the owners put out so people can look at). In that case the owners have waived an expectation of privacy. Like say that weird sculpture on shady with the guy between two pieces of concrete. Or the guy on Biddle with the art on his lawn.
edronline
2018-04-02 21:07:41
Or that moldering lighthouse on Linden... Houses that make themselves distinctive probably do it to be noticed. I would tend to stretch the point and assume that they actually welcome some attention. Otherwise why do they do it? Danny's house doesn't feature any obvious attractions on its lawn or building; not even bikes on the porch (that I've noticed). I would infer that he didn't particularly want to draw attention to his house. I would want to respect that. But there's levels: people with Little Libraries are probably trying to make a statement, if only directed to their neighbors. It's a public display and, I believe, acceptable for appropriation by a specialist group such as T-O-R taggers. But, ultimately, it's one of those Judge Parker things. You decide what it means to you and you act accordingly. Unless it's really out of line, other might just go along with it. The Shady sculpture is in front of an apartment building. I understand that it was put up as an homage to the owner's father; it's public. The Biddle house is across from Biddle's Retreat (go have a coffee!); I don't know if they're materially connected but the cafe patrons are probably an audience (as well as the neighborhood).
ahlir
2018-04-02 22:02:42
Thank you for sharing your opinions, gentlemen. In the interest of keeping things clean here, if there is more that needs to be said on the matter, previous precedent suggests directing followups to the corresponding whine thread. Ahl, it's your serve.
ornoth
2018-04-02 22:11:32
I'll pass on the whinging. My main concern is poor timing: tomorrow's forecast is rain. When picking up a tag is like the dog catching the car...
ahlir
2018-04-02 22:22:14
Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed taggings.
Not all that far from the previous location.
ahlir
2018-04-03 12:33:35
The early bird gets P.O.ed at three Squirrel Hill post office. Perfect cos I needed to mail my partners tax returns! Location: 40.436877, -79.923039 Nearest intersection: Murray Ave & Darlington Rd
ornoth
2018-04-04 07:46:54
Well gawwWWww-leeee!
ornoth
2018-04-04 09:39:26
The nearer your destination ,the more you're slip sliding away... Walnut Towers parking lot sliding down onto Forward . Location: 40.426638, -79.910784 Nearest intersection: Beaumont Ln & Forward Ave
ornoth
2018-04-05 08:06:58
Here we go, yo! To save your soul, you'll need a revered goaltender.
ornoth
2018-04-05 09:17:43
I checked back to the beginning of the year -- around 90% of the tags were picked up and set by the same 3 people, with only maybe 2-3 other people picking up and setting the 10% of other tags during this time. Is the game still "good" as is, or is there modifications to be made? Just a question -- I don't play anymore. I have work, family, a bum foot, etc. I do like seeing the pictures, as it gives me incentive to visit cool places outside of my circle of close in Fox Chapel area and the east end. So I don't have skin in the game (this isn't a "whine" post), but I think it is a good thing to discuss. And if you want to ignore this, ignore. :)
edronline
2018-04-05 14:21:02
I’d say the game would definitely benefit from having more players. I recommend somewhat easier tags. Probably the change that would help the game the most would be for bikepgh to fix the web site to have fast page loads, as it used to, and to get image uploads working again.
paulheckbert
2018-04-05 15:42:32
I would like to think there's a lot of self-selection happening. I may be wrong, but my feeling is that people have been dropping tags in/near Squirrel Hill all winter, which makes it easy for the subset of us who live or work here to jump on them quickly. I think my last four pickups were all less than 3 miles from home. I've been trying to place my tags further afield, in hopes that someone from another neighborhood will pick them up and move the game there for a few rounds, but it hasn't panned out that way. I'm hoping things get better if warm weather ever comes, when more fair-weather riders are interested in participating and people place their tags out over a much larger area. Are there people reading this thread who are discouraged about playing? Would you be willing to tell us what keeps you from participating?
ornoth
2018-04-05 16:08:50
new tag hint: also near Kelly
paulheckbert
2018-04-05 17:09:41
My guess is that the ability to post pictures directly on bikepgh.org was turned off intentionally to save money. Hosting ever more pics in perpertuity means paying for ever increasing web hosting space. That's probably a cost that bikepgh can't swing. Ditto with faster servers on the hosting side. It is often quite expensive to get decent speed (or non throttled, probably) servers. My website is fine to run slowly. I have an average of 0 visitors at a time and it is mainly text and a contact form. Maybe this level of hosting speed doesn't work as well for bike PGH visitors and some get discouraged and don't use the message board. Or maybe it doesn't make a difference. Plus the decision to offload pictures compounds the speed issue as everybtime a picture intensive page loads bikepgh.org needs to ping a crap ton of other websites (unless it has a decent cache?). Maybe bikepgh can make the # of entries per page fewer? Less pics to load per page? Though more annoying to click through when following a long thread. One other question- how many people follow this thread regularly. It may only be, say, 6 people. And several of us (Stu, myself) aren't in positions to pick up tags so we just look at the pretty pictures. So maybe the 4-5 who have set and picked up tags are the only people left playing...
edronline
2018-04-05 21:36:28
The number of images on this site isn't large enough for the cost to matter much. Figure one new image a day at 500 KB, and each year you need another 200 MB or so. The web hosting provider I use offers 100 GB storage for $8/month, so they'd need a more expensive plan in 500 years or so due to storing more images. Other hosts are probably in the same ballpark. A faster server could help some, but a quick check in Chrome suggests it's not the time to load the page contents, it's a combination of scripting and rendering that takes most of the time. In other words, most of the delay is due to your web browser being told to do a lot of work. How long it takes the web server to send those orders isn't as important as the complexity of the orders it's sending. Plus the decision to offload pictures compounds the speed issue as everybtime a picture intensive page loads bikepgh.org needs to ping a crap ton of other websites It doesn't work that way. Your browser, not the bikepgh server, is what has to contact all those other websites to retrieve those images. The bikepgh server merely provides the URL of each external image. Using external images might speed things up (since bikepgh's ability to send data isn't so much of a bottleneck) or it might slow things down (since your browser has to do the extra work of setting up connections with a bunch of other sites, instead of just asking bikepgh to send each image in turn over a single connection or two). But again, that's just transmission time, which appears to be a small part of the delay. Whether images are local to bikepgh or not probably wouldn't much affect the site's apparent speed. If the delay is indeed mostly due to scripting and rendering, that suggests one web browser might be significantly faster for this site than another, and it might appear to load much faster on a faster computer or phone than a slower one. FWIW, displaying the list of MB topics takes 2-3 seconds in Chrome on this PC (2 for first element on the page, 3 when it's all there), and 3-6 seconds on Firefox for Mobile on an older tablet. This site used to feature message board posts right on the home page. Now the whole message board is hidden in the More menu; on small screens you have to scroll way down the menu to even find it. So I'm guessing some of the decline in players is because new cyclists and new Bike Pgh members are much less likely to notice the message board in the first place.
steven
2018-04-06 05:11:24
Thanks for correcting my naivety with web hosting. I did rule the web in 1992. Things have changed a lot since then. :)
edronline
2018-04-06 06:18:31
Here is my .02 I watch this thread on a daily basis, but live on north side and have limited time to grab tags.(silly family, job, and overall lack of motivation to go really out of my way for a tag) So anything east of Uptown or over Mt. Washington I will look for, but rarely consider going after the tag. I have no problem with the website speed or uploading via secondary site.  I just hope I don't get bruced between taking shot and posting shot
jstalnaker2112
2018-04-06 07:42:12
Take it to the whining thread?
paulheckbert
2018-04-07 12:40:54
hint: within two blocks of Kelly
paulheckbert
2018-04-07 16:07:41
So many Kellys around... @paulh, might you bestow upon us an additional hint? It's been more than 2 days.
ahlir
2018-04-11 21:42:39
Sculpture park at Landmarks Preservation Resource Center Location: 40.439672, -79.884437 Nearest intersection: Wagner Way & Tennis Way
ornoth
2018-04-12 14:59:43
I’ve had equipment issues all winter, and the job encourages working from home, so I haven’t traveled by bike all that much. I see lots of things I’d like to tag, but finding time to chase after one has been difficult. I’m still here, though.  
stuinmccandless
2018-04-13 07:44:40
Sadly, due to multiple fails, this isn't the tag I got out at 6am to place. But I rolled some new roads, and found this not far off the beaten path.
ornoth
2018-04-13 08:07:54
loc: 40.427584, -79.946402 St.John Chrysostom Byzantine Catholic Church, in Four Mile Run.
ahlir
2018-04-13 13:54:48
ornoth
2018-04-13 14:26:06
That church seemed unusual, given what I imagined I knew about Eastern European religions. So I looked it up. The religion has only been around since 1905, when Catholicism became legal in Russia.
ahlir
2018-04-13 21:12:40
So anyway, I reviewed the last page of discussion on tagging and the current small cohort of active players. If you review the old tags, you find that most were easy, in the sense that the locations were mostly well-known and for the most part habitual city cyclists could easily figure it out. Eventually most of the obvious stuff had been tagged and people started to look further afield. Tags evolved along several dimensions, including distance from the city, access difficulty (e.g. up a steep climb), close cropping, as well as general obscurity. Some taggers developed habits (e.g access difficulty). And there's the willingness to get out there even in the rain or the snow. It tends to narrow the field. So, other that staying out of the East End and avoiding climbs over Mt. Washington, can prospective players make any suggestions to make things more open? I'm willing to listen. But bear in mind that the regulars have evolved into a pretty competitive bunch. So if you know where something is just go get it. One piece of advice: the current actives all live in the east... and we know our 'hood (but feel free to taunt us with something).  
ahlir
2018-04-13 22:10:53
Well, maybe if you're a Frequent Tagger and a tag seems really easy, give it a day or two to see if it draws a less-experienced tagger into the game?
jonawebb
2018-04-13 23:29:07
We could try, but it relies on an assurance of cooperation. I would go along. tl;dr ToR is maybe similar to an iterated multi-person prisoner's dilemma (IMPD). For n >2 players cooperation doesn't happen (in contrast to n =2). I believe we have n >2 active players. On the other hand the value of a particular outcome is hard to figure out, it's likely a player-specific weighted sum of objective and subjective factors (no idea what those might actually look like). Anyway I don't really know what I'm talking about. Does anyone reading this have enough background to comment? Looking for a research topic? :-)
ahlir
2018-04-14 14:53:34
If the expectations are ambiguous, cooperation won't happen and issues arise. What might be an example of clear expectations? The person placing a tag declares "for the next 72 hours, this tag is only valid for players with fewer than 20 total claims; after 72 hours, it's fair game for anyone". Not saying that's how it should be; it's just an example of how ambiguity could be removed. Although... Not hearing a chorus of jaded players, we might be well served just getting the word out to more people about the game. Judging from this afternoon, there's no shortage of cyclists out and about, but we need to do more than wait quietly for them to find us.
ornoth
2018-04-14 16:40:15
I think people generally respect it when somebody suggests letting a new Tagger pick up a tag. It happens now and then. I'm just mentioning it as something people may want to take into consideration before heading out.
jonawebb
2018-04-14 17:43:57
It's hard for novices to pick up the current tag when there is none :-)
paulheckbert
2018-04-14 18:33:16
I suggest that those still actively monitoring this thread cross-post new tags on their social media presences, with a link to the current thread. Even if you aren’t aht & abaht on the bike.
stuinmccandless
2018-04-14 19:08:34
They don't want you to sit at the tables, so they take them down.
ahlir
2018-04-15 11:01:52
  I'm still here, just haven't been near tags before they are caught. This one was easy though: Market Square.
dberlin
2018-04-17 09:28:05
New tag: This will be an easier pickup in a few years, hopefully.
dberlin
2018-04-17 09:36:33
[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="3264"] end of the north shore trail![/caption]
neiltron
2018-04-18 16:41:08
Wow I bungled that one.  Let's see if I do this one right.  Mouseover text should be a hint.
neiltron
2018-04-18 18:52:35
Can't see mouse over text on mobile.
edronline
2018-04-18 20:36:55
ok, here's the hint: To get downtown, you are itchin' but first you must ride past the kitchen
neiltron
2018-04-19 09:00:11
. never mind
jonawebb
2018-04-19 10:00:31
all of your picture links are broken. I'm on my windows 10 computer using chrome.
edronline
2018-04-19 11:38:02
Use this (hopefully working): Tag
ornoth
2018-04-19 11:43:55
Ornoth, is broken too.
edronline
2018-04-19 12:17:43
amazingly that white caddy is parked in the exact same spot on google streetview.
edronline
2018-04-19 15:21:15
Oh crap, sorry.  They were working when I first posted them but now I (sometimes?) see broken links.  Not sure what is up with that.  Can I not edit posts after a certain amount of time?
neiltron
2018-04-19 18:55:26
Oh darn. I had decided to stand down... But at least let me share the clue I would have used: "From garden to kitchen".
ahlir
2018-04-19 18:56:01
@neiltron - You have an hour to correct posts. As to the photo, I’m trying to do a triangulation on the tall masts in the distance, and figure out what road that is in the middle distance. Maybe Rt 65?
stuinmccandless
2018-04-19 20:03:26
@paulheckbert - is this in or out of the box?
edronline
2018-04-21 16:23:43
Definitely inside the box.
ornoth
2018-04-21 18:29:17
Omg Paul, just give us a regular normal clue.
jonawebb
2018-04-21 21:23:31
But no one asked Paul what time of day it was to calibrate shadows...
edronline
2018-04-21 23:37:41
I think Stu already gave you one.
paulheckbert
2018-04-22 00:26:23
End of Terminal Way. 40.431315, -79.996168
jstalnaker2112
2018-04-23 12:48:52
@jstalnaker, yup
jonawebb
2018-04-23 16:59:35
NEW TAG!   Juju uses this for work  
jstalnaker2112
2018-04-23 17:22:28
Do we need an extra hint or are the regulars holding off for a few days?
jstalnaker2112
2018-04-27 11:58:01
east end of Gold 1 parking garage, near Reedsdale St and Heinz Field https://flic.kr/p/25v9Sq7
paulheckbert
2018-04-27 13:41:01
This is surely not in the box! ...but in the triangle....
yalecohen
2018-04-27 23:10:03
Just a second, I need to post This tag, of the place I love the most.
jonawebb
2018-05-01 09:43:04
'merica, baby
teamdecafweekend
2018-05-03 08:56:33
A soft, gentle breeze greeted us as we arrived.
teamdecafweekend
2018-05-04 13:57:52
hint: this area flooded in 1936
paulheckbert
2018-05-07 09:11:13
hint: Santa might like this place
paulheckbert
2018-05-08 16:51:53
I might get to this place this weekend. Right now, it's at the bottom of my list.
jonawebb
2018-05-08 16:55:21
St. Nicholas Orthodox, McKees Rocks Bottom Location: 40.474047, -80.058559 Nearest intersection: Munson Ave & Clay Way
ornoth
2018-05-09 11:05:46
Pull! If they ever put a bullet thru your brain... I'll complain.
ornoth
2018-05-09 15:18:37
Back when Judy sang thug life lyrics
edronline
2018-05-09 15:25:00
Nearby avenue hint: received 30 electoral votes for the vice presidency
paulheckbert
2018-05-12 11:54:50
Tbh I would pick this up but I feel like I shouldn't because it was tagged before and I either got it that time or spent a long time trying to figure it out.
jonawebb
2018-05-13 19:36:35
You're right, it was tagged before. Sorry about the duplication. I usually check, to avoid that.
paulheckbert
2018-05-14 01:06:51
oh, this tag is pretty easily google-able to find the location, especially with the 30 electoral votes avenue clue. you can even see a tiny bit of said giraffe on google street view. Now if only I didn't have to work all week.. so someone else do a cursory google search and ride out and pick up the tag so we can see more pretty pictures.
edronline
2018-05-14 11:51:46
hint: aerial view shows that the giraffe people have a nice green basketball half-court. https://flic.kr/p/K6eCzm
paulheckbert
2018-05-16 15:02:10
My guess is that people know where it is (I found it in 2 min with a Google search followed by Google Street view to confirm) but jobs and bad storms are keeping people from venturing out to get it. At least the rain will stop Monday.
edronline
2018-05-16 19:14:47
Thanks to SoulSista for the tag idea
teamdecafweekend
2018-05-18 10:18:09
I happened to be in the area... 125 Washington St near Pennwood, Edgewood https://flic.kr/p/25UN4HB
paulheckbert
2018-05-18 11:18:54
Somebody swiped his Easter basket since last evening, hmmm.
teamdecafweekend
2018-05-18 11:53:38
Gah, the first tag in weeks I know immediately where is, but scheduling is going to make it darn near impossible to get to. I really want to get back into this game.
stuinmccandless
2018-05-19 19:13:04
hint: this is a bridge, over a large river
paulheckbert
2018-05-22 12:20:56
Not much traffic here anymore, but one not very far away with a similar name gets quite a bit of traffic.
stuinmccandless
2018-05-22 14:23:33
Hot metal bridge at Carrie Furnace. loc: 40.407794, -79.886533
ahlir
2018-05-28 08:29:21
whew!
paulheckbert
2018-05-28 08:35:58
The bridge, about 7 years ago, from the footbridge (that's since been demolished) Back then the area was not overgrown and you could see the bridge from the trail. No more. And a few years ago they put up a fence with scary No Trespassing signs. But there's a hole in the fence, and the sign was elsewhere, not visible through the vegetation. On the whole I'm not that keen on tags that make you trespass or otherwise do something potentially dangerous. But this one's been languishing for a while. A downriver view (today).
ahlir
2018-05-28 08:51:50
It's a wall and a parking lot. You've likely rode past it at some point. I thought I would somehow work that Pink Floyd tune into the clue, but I've done that earlier. I did search for tunes featuring a "wall', with no success. I found an opera based on the Pink Floyd album, but apparently it's not that good. Maybe I should have tried a Game of Thrones reference...
ahlir
2018-05-30 10:19:26
I rode past this thing earlier today. It's hard to miss. Anyway, on a notionally related topic, here's what cycling in the Apennines looks like. Climbing, mostly. I wish I could be there this summer. But I won't be. But there's this corner in Pittsburgh that's quite apropos. And the tag is there.
ahlir
2018-06-02 22:45:48
Sigh. Don't I wish it was like that! I'm just back after a week in Tuscany, and it was 50s and rainy the entire time. Only managed three rides totaling 50 miles, all rain-soaked. I was glad to get back to Pittsburgh, where it's sunny and warm at least some of the time. I know, Rule #7.
ornoth
2018-06-03 06:05:19
ahlir
2018-06-05 08:34:49
Phil's premium Pittsburgh parking on Penn Location: 40.443594, -79.998384 Nearest intersection: 9th St & Penn Ave
ornoth
2018-06-05 11:08:00
Nouveau Taggage It's literally the first thing you see.
ornoth
2018-06-05 13:30:42
I actually may be able to pick this up tomorrow for my first tag pickup in maybe over a year.. unless someone gets it first.
edronline
2018-06-05 18:50:36
Thank you for picking that up! After a while I start getting all nervous about setting some tag that's too obscure. But this one is just off of the most traveled bike lane in town... Is that wall awesome, or what? I'd like to know the story of how those bands ended up all different. BTW, the restaurant 'Nine on Nine' is across the street (ie, a three-way on 'Apennines'). @edr: you go!
ahlir
2018-06-05 21:27:53
Yeah, not happening today. Or this week. Or this month since I'll be out of town. Someone else get it.
edronline
2018-06-06 07:16:27
Don't really want to over-hint, but I also didn't want someone to claim the tag before I got to post this.
ornoth
2018-06-06 09:19:11
loc: 40.437360, -79.991055 Next to the Gumberg Library, Duquesne University. Wait... you mean that I didn't have to climb all the way up there? Darn.
ahlir
2018-06-07 11:08:11
So this another one of those I keep thinking everyone will know. But who knows? When you get there, look around; you might see something (very) vaguely related to (one of) the themes of this video:
ahlir
2018-06-08 18:11:08
Was just there around 5:45 pm. On foot. Was hoppin'. Coming back from a big festival, walking through another, more colorful, one which was about to start. Though by 6:11 pm I was at Salem's with my wife eating falafel.
edronline
2018-06-08 19:37:49
I got a tag. Aye-aye eyeball park aka Agnes katz plaza. As I'm here with 6 of my closest homeless friends (who are soliciting me for money) I'm posting the Twitter link now and when I get home after my ride I'll upload it to my website so I can post it in line along with my tag. https://mobile.twitter.com/uncoolPGHdad/status/1005409711947165696/photo/1
edronline
2018-06-09 07:24:06
Old tag inline version: New Tag! This tag is far less than 2 .79 miles north of the Eyeball Park. Matter of fact, if you started downtown and headed home to, say, Wexford in your car, you'd completely miss it. Us cyclists get to see pretty things sometimes that car people miss. Side note -- this mural was completed yesterday! Yes, the spray paint is still fresh. Raymer is a beast. Side side note -- you can always use the Google and find a bunch of news stories giving the location. :)
edronline
2018-06-09 09:06:36
True to form for the cash strapped trib, whoever created the hyperlink for the Clemente story can't spell "exterior." By the way, your picture>>>my picture.
edronline
2018-06-09 18:53:10
loc: 40°26'14.5"N 79°59'27.8"W Pitt, Petersen "Event" Center. Sorry, my hangups are small.
ahlir
2018-06-10 13:16:57
Is that a hint of a shadow of a bicycle behind the base?
paulheckbert
2018-06-10 13:26:59
You have good eyes! That indeed is my bike peeking out. Timidly to be sure. But is not a U-lock, in the jaws of the panther, a standard part of a bike? It certainly should be, as BikePgh keeps reminding us. Luckily I was using a prototype version of Google's WapAwound camera (the one that automatically takes 360° pictures). As you can see, they haven't quite got the color uniformity thing right yet. But I'm told they'll have that fixed by the time the product comes out.
ahlir
2018-06-10 16:15:20
I thought hard about it, but in the end decided I could not be party to the tagging, to extinction, of the Pittsburgh Panther [sculptures]. Mute witnesses to our daily struggles, and occasional triumphs. So instead here's a plant [sculpture]: This tag does not require any climbing (well, maybe ~2°, for a block or two; it's Pittsburgh after all). You do end up crossing a river if you came from the previous tag (like I did). But I promise you, this should be a flat run. A modest bit of web search might even yield the location. Or maybe you know it already: it's right there in your neighborhood. Grab it before dinner. [technical information: my bike is the one at the right.]
ahlir
2018-06-10 17:26:19
I love passing these... So pretty. Especially during a dreary winter day.
edronline
2018-06-10 21:25:47
Dandelions at the Brew House, S. 21st and Mary.
mrdestructicity
2018-06-11 12:50:13
NEW TAG Once you've tried it I think you'll find it suits you like a Camel cigarette. This is near the top of a pretty tall hill.
mrdestructicity
2018-06-12 08:01:57
hint: that's a freeway, on the left
paulheckbert
2018-06-15 00:47:02
hint: I've never biked over that high bridge
paulheckbert
2018-06-17 11:46:08
That seems wise. Google Earth shows a 4 engine train, heading SW...
ahlir
2018-06-17 16:03:44
You've never biked, high, over that bridge?
edronline
2018-06-17 17:09:28
Like most, I want to live. Maybe a bit longer that I should reasonably expect to. But still. Anyway, that bridge doesn't have those little step-aside thingies that RR bridges mostly seem to have that allow humans to avoid being smushed. Or maybe the GE resolution is not so good. You tell us.
ahlir
2018-06-17 21:28:06
In that photo, the bicycle is closer to the deck of the railroad bridge than the base of the pier. I don't consider that a valid tag pickup.
paulheckbert
2018-06-18 22:35:22
It's hot as balls out there.
jonawebb
2018-06-19 08:22:32
The location of my pickup was 40°24'43.7"N 80°04'27.8"W, in sight of the tag, and in fact as close as I could get from that approach. I wasn't going to scramble down the hill after biking an hour in the heat. And I seriously doubt anybody else is going to attempt another pickup. If no one else says they're going to pick up this tag, I'll be placing a new one later today.
jonawebb
2018-06-19 09:25:10
Whenever I mentioned that basically only 4 people have been picking up the vast majority of the tags this year, I was told "no whining." So I think the same goes for @paulheckbert's suggestion that this isn't a valid tag.
edronline
2018-06-19 20:35:07
+1 Eric and kudos to anyone able to figure out that *OBSCURE* tag and haul out to 40°24’43.7?N 80°04’27.8?W in this heat.  
rustyred
2018-06-19 21:04:35
In that case, let's take a break With an easy tag, and a slice of cheesecake https://flic.kr/p/25BU5HY
jonawebb
2018-06-19 21:30:30
Fish mosaic by Stevo, in the pedestrian tunnel at 2730 Sidney St. Some of the other parts of the mosaic:
mrdestructicity
2018-06-20 08:04:19
++!
jonawebb
2018-06-20 08:06:41
Just to keep the game rolling, here's the NEW TAG: As featured on a show hosted by a fellow with a certain Fieri disposition.
mrdestructicity
2018-06-20 08:07:04
GAH! BRUCED!
rustyred
2018-06-20 08:48:19
loc: 40.426425, -79.967363 Nadine's, on 27th South Side.
ahlir
2018-06-20 11:52:02
It's a dark and stormy night... The one thing I can be sure of is that my tomatoes will be happier tomorrow. Anyway, here's a tag. You could go out and get it tonight; I'd wait until tomorrow. I somehow feel that I don't need to clue this one (examine the pic). Though I normally feel obliged to make a point of doing so (with reasonable allowance).
ahlir
2018-06-20 21:22:31
ooooh, oooh. I'm a big fan of the quick and dirty pickup. I pass by this every morning. I fully encourage a Bruce-ing though.  
rustyred
2018-06-20 21:52:17
[it's after dinner and I'm lounging in front of the screen; here's some filozofizing.] The @ph/@jaw tag-fuffle a couple of episodes ago was a bit difficult to resolve in my mind. @jaw knew the spot (the hard part); to me that counts towards a legit pickup. But @ph had a reasonable objection: viewers needed to work a bit to note the correspondence. [My excuse: It was a bad air day so I passed. And not to make a big point of it, coming out Noblestown would have got you there easier.] In the past, I've picked up what I think were a couple of @ph tags that I felt were shot, deliberately, from an awkward viewpoint. I posted alternate pickup views; people didn't object. The point is to know where the tag is located. (Then there was that tag by Yael-of-many-aliases that posed an actually interesting challenge in image-ground ambiguity; but that's in a different story.) To repeat: Ultimately the game is about positively identifying the location tagged. The rest is "artistic" license. And as Heraclitus observed, “No man ever steps in the same river twice, for it's not the same river and he's not the same man.” I would say that including the original vantage point in the pickup, from whichever perspective, best validates a pickup. That's what I try to do. But life is inherently complicated... tl;dr And since I (might) have, uh, the floor: I've taken to heart the idea of making the game more open to more potential players. I want to think that it's sort of working: My recent tags have been within ~1 mi of the Point and have avoided climbs. Maybe it worked: People who hadn't been picking up lately have (re)appeared and picked up tags. Awesome. My only quibble is that those folks seem to feel compelled to then set difficult tags (needing climbs, heading out to the outskirts, etc.) Hey, you're just imitating the regulars: feh. Those of us in the "top" four (>100) have no problem identifying your tags locations. But so what? We're been at this a long time. Your audience should really be regular cyclists who'd like to check the game out. The ones who actually look around when they bike and note all these cool things around them. Literally on every block of the city. It's so cool: I love riding around this town. And this tagger thing is not some closed fraternity: Anyone can do a pickup. And then get to post their own unique Pittsburgh thingie: It's your chance to let everyone else know what you think is cool. And how cool is that? On several occasions I've had to quit the game for some extended period. Coming back was anxiety-provoking ("OMG this is so obvious! Can I possibly get this before anyone else?!? Argh.") But it passed, and I got back into it. My only advice would be: If you know it, get it. Right away. If you don't know it, don't sweat it; wait for the next one. And you don't have to get all obsessive about it. Do it for the fun, and the opportunity to show us what you find interesting.
ahlir
2018-06-20 23:20:19
As someone who hadn't picked up tags for several years the things keeping me from participating were largely:
  1. Not knowing where the tag was.
  2. Not being able to figure out where the tag was due to missing or unhelpful clues.
  3. Not being able to get to where the tag is because strangely enough I have to be at work 9-5.
  4. Not being able to get to the tag ahead of anyone else because I live to the south. Which is all "difficult climbs" and "heading to the outskirts" to most of you but "every morning" to me, while getting to Squirrel Hill is just the opposite.
mrdestructicity
2018-06-21 07:59:46
Liberty, between Commonwealth  and Stanwix... across from the Wyndham. Purdy flars too.
rustyred
2018-06-21 09:09:22
NEW TAG!!     Gloomy morning, I didn't encounter many sun RAYs when placing this tag. A fair number of MERchants along here.
rustyred
2018-06-21 09:17:56
Raymer popping up all over the tag o rama
edronline
2018-06-21 15:31:39
Not being able to get to the tag ahead of anyone else because I live to the south. Which is all “difficult climbs” and “heading to the outskirts” to most of you but “every morning” to me, while getting to Squirrel Hill is just the opposite.
Well, ok. Would you agree that places along the rivers (minus any climbs) are a reasonable compromise that we can live with? I mean there will always be exceptions, but it's not like those areas lack interesting tag opportunities. This is not a forever thing, just for a while. With maybe the occasional tricky tag, just because. How hard can this be? [addendum: lowest point in Pittsburgh (Strip): 737ft highest point (Carrick): 1204ft Squirrel Hill: 1073ft Without getting into stuff like grades, I would say that climbing to SqHill (after a day of work) is maybe not that much worse than for most other neighborhoods. My Strava-certified(!) climb home today, just from Oakland, was 476ft. Yes, all rides have their ups and downs. But most of us just deal. ]
ahlir
2018-06-21 22:55:11
OMG I so want to pick up this tag tomorrow morning for breakfast. But somebody may beat me to it... and I'm still following the "be nice to the newbies, give easy tags a day or two" idea.
jonawebb
2018-06-22 09:38:34
I so wanted to go there to try out their food. Then I read the crusts are made with lard. Which is a no go with me on 2 accounts.
edronline
2018-06-22 13:15:45
new tag. Extra credit if you explain what made this guy special. https://flic.kr/p/28t8NrT
paulheckbert
2018-06-23 14:04:08
Dang, I've way behind the curve on this one... Having gone by that pie place (former home of my dentist) a couple of times since the posting. I guess I should have stopped to get a a snap. And not waited another day or so... Such is the life of the lonely tagger. (No not a whine; merely a vaguely philosophical refection on the tagging life.)
ahlir
2018-06-23 20:48:04
Following PH's theme
teamdecafweekend
2018-06-24 17:23:41
Nice bilateral symmetry. Wes Anderson would approve. (see "Fantastic Mr. Fox").
paulheckbert
2018-06-24 18:56:39
On a hill, near Jerusalem.
teamdecafweekend
2018-06-26 19:50:11
I asked my wife if she knew where this was and she looked at me confused because it is where she works.  Might try and make a ride up Saturday depending on how long the kid wants to sit in the bike seat.
jstalnaker2112
2018-06-29 12:12:00
Trying to keep it moving for the weekend. This is up a "big" hill and definately no "low" spots here is a link to one of the greatest songs for a additional hint.
jstalnaker2112
2018-06-30 15:40:50
hint: could it be the skeleton of a mill building?
paulheckbert
2018-07-02 08:24:54
Gladstone st 40.415911, -79.942507
jstalnaker2112
2018-07-03 20:30:58
New Tag! I do believe that is a church on the hill.
jstalnaker2112
2018-07-04 08:58:24
Third Ave parking lot, overlooking 579 & BotA GPS: forthcoming
ornoth
2018-07-05 11:06:17
GPS coords for the previous tag were: 40.436867, -79.996309 And now, this: Ol' Longshanks would tell you not to give yourself another nervous breakdown while finding this tag.
ornoth
2018-07-05 12:57:15
Green Canoe Building, 168 S. 19th Street.
mrdestructicity
2018-07-05 13:41:43
NEW TAG All Things Considered this should be an easy pick-up. (And not too far from the previous tag either.)
mrdestructicity
2018-07-05 21:59:12
Is this in a "historic" neighborhood?
edronline
2018-07-06 06:10:11
WYEP / WESA Community Broadcast Center, S. 12th St and Bedford Sq, with The Iguana https://flic.kr/p/267STMs
paulheckbert
2018-07-06 11:18:41
Whenever I see that sign I start getting super hungry.
edronline
2018-07-08 07:32:07
This was a clue in a previous tag, though was itself not the tag. I gotta go check this out. It got kinda wet there one day last week.
stuinmccandless
2018-07-08 16:52:15
NEW TAG! You may need to be a Veteran of the oldest course in Pittsburgh  
jstalnaker2112
2018-07-12 07:39:00
I got dis... Schenley Park disc golf @ Vietnam Vets pavilion Location: 40.433330, -79.943998  
ornoth
2018-07-12 08:16:38
Dang this town's got murals! Mid-July? It's blackberry season!
ornoth
2018-07-12 09:43:46
Always appreciate tags along my commute: Blackberry Way and 48th in Lawrenceville
dberlin
2018-07-13 10:24:30
New Tag: Hint: The apartments here seem nice enough, but I bet the smell like Ketchup.  
dberlin
2018-07-14 10:22:58
Just rode past that yesterday. And,bonus, much less traffic than normal for at least 6 more weeks.
edronline
2018-07-14 12:13:44
BTW, @dberlin , is that a hitch mount for one of those third wheel kid things on your seatpost?
edronline
2018-07-14 15:36:20
Yeah, it's for a tagalong for my kids. It's great... my 7 year old can do 25 or 30 miles as long as we take enough breaks, and it's way easier than toting a trailer.
dberlin
2018-07-15 22:30:11
As for the tag, this is neither the Field, nor the Lofts, but if you keep going up the river from those 2 landmarks you'll find this one.
dberlin
2018-07-15 22:32:16
It's ole Fred Heinz house, Sharpsburg Location: 40.494502, -79.924337 Nearest intersection: Main St & 16th St
ornoth
2018-07-16 10:47:47
Here's one just off the beaten path. Is this that 412 Flock I keep hearing about? Sorry... This requires a bit of a climb at the end. But what neighborhood is itin? As always, click for teh bigness.
ornoth
2018-07-16 12:41:11
everything you need is in the picture
paulheckbert
2018-07-19 09:23:47
Oh, if I wasn’t sidelined with a medical issue right now, I’d be down there in an hour. I even picked out my next tag. I really still am in this game but have had precious few chances to chase after them.
stuinmccandless
2018-07-21 17:55:59
Darn it. Got the tag pic up facing the wrong direction this morning. Will try again tomorrow. Hope it's still valid without pickles.
dberlin
2018-07-24 09:47:33
As far as I can tell, the Ralph Kiner tag set by @paulheckbert hasn't been picked up - I don't see an image with a bike. Or am I missing something?  
teamdecafweekend
2018-07-24 10:21:05
If you click on the date in jonawebb's pickup post, you get a picture.
paulheckbert
2018-07-24 10:43:02
Sorry no pickle.6th st bridge several days after picklesburgh.
edronline
2018-07-24 11:15:52
New tag The real meaning of #MAGA Hint: If you go to the 311 thread on this message board you'll see that I've complained about bollards down on this trail at least 30 times in the past year. those bollards Still get be so BotheRed!!!
edronline
2018-07-24 12:24:04
ooof.  Sorry for the close up of butt sweat on the seat in the pic above. Even I don't want to see that.
edronline
2018-07-24 12:29:48
This spot is also known as Mount Yinzmore. Look for the two rope swings.
stuinmccandless
2018-07-24 18:04:07
Rope swing to the left of the pillar in the foreground. I've never seen anyone use it and I've passed by there 1000s of times. It does look fun, being a back channel of said river.
edronline
2018-07-24 18:24:07
Posso levá-la amanha?
ornoth
2018-07-26 10:02:14
Sorry, Stu... Can't see your bike in the photo of the young Latino woman. Maybe it's obscured by the palm fronds?
rustyred
2018-07-26 10:05:38
To be fair, I think he intended to post the most recent photo in his Twitter feed. If you go there, you might be able to claim his tag before he posts it, creating an existential time loop crisis. Between this and Jon's claim-without-a-photo, things are getting kinda sloppy in here.
ornoth
2018-07-26 10:17:54
This all made me laugh. Off topic but remember Open streets this Saturday!
edronline
2018-07-26 12:47:04
Twelve and a half hours later, I finally get around to this. Serves me right for not checking my work in a hurry. I got to my staff meeting exactly nine minutes late, and it took just about nine minutes to make those two posts. No idea how I grabbed the wrong tweet. Here’s the sequence: I had to first take the picture, then tweet the picture, then open the tweet, open a sub-menu, then choose Copy Link To Tweet. Then hop over to Safari and paste the link in the thread. At that point, if it said something other than twitter.com/bus15237, I thought I would have noticed. Thank you, Colleen, for figuring out and fixing my error.
stuinmccandless
2018-07-26 22:15:10
Is the 9th street metal plates part of the pre-construction for when they close down the bridge? I heard they were doing the 9th street bridge next, and I thought that bids were going out this summer for work to begin in the fall (and, thus, close the bridge for a year), but I haven't seen anything in the news about it anytime recently.
edronline
2018-07-27 20:27:12
I don't know the construction plan, but the downstream sidewalk of the 9th St Bridge is closed currently. They seem to have a lot of pipes or cables on the sidewalk. Perhaps those pipes and cables will be hung on the underside of the bridge?
paulheckbert
2018-07-27 20:45:37
Paul -- I think you're 100% right. I just googled it and only references to the 9th street bridge being next are from 2016 right before they closed the Warhol bridge. But I'm 100% sure 9th street bridge will be closed very soon.  I guess it isn't "big news" anymore given we spent over a year with one of the bridges closed and the world didn't end.  :) Ok, back to tag o rama
edronline
2018-07-28 06:47:15
I wasn't gonna jump on this one, but after Performance Bike cancelled their group ride without telling anyone, I figured I might as well get a ride in... P.s. Note the keg... Location: 40.468672, -79.938970 Nearest intersection: Gretna Way & N Pacific Ave, Garfield
ornoth
2018-07-28 09:11:07
Port Authority has some info about the 9th Street Bridge closures:
 City of Pittsburgh and Allegheny County, in advance of an eventual August 19, 2018 full closure of the Ninth Street Bridge between Downtown and the North Side of Pittsburgh, have provided permits to Duquesne Light Company to perform similar evening and overnight closures of the Ninth Street Bridge for cross-bridge underground electrical cable installations on both ends of the bridge effective Monday night, July 23, 2018. Work will continue each weeknight, weather permitting, for approximately three (3) weeks, or finishing Saturday morning, August 18, 2018. On non-event nights, evening work and the bridge closure will be effective at approximately 7:00 PM, continuing until around 5:00 AM each following morning. On sports event nights at PNC Park or Heinz Field, the bridge closure and work will occur roughly one (1) hour after each game break. Weekend work is not planned.
 
steven
2018-07-28 10:14:51
More Taco-Drama! A stream keeps this Ravine clean So it's not one of the thirteen I might be a freak But I think this Creek is unique
ornoth
2018-07-28 11:35:11
What's significant about the Creek address? Ie am I missing something? Or is it just that in the fox chapel are where I live there are many examples of creeks and bridges for driveways, especially on Saxonburg and guys run so it doesn't seem unique to me?
edronline
2018-07-30 21:35:30
There's nothing especially significant about the Creek Street tag. It's just a footbridge over a dry creek bed on a dead end street that no one has ever visited. "Unique" was only used to complete the "creek" rhyme. The rules suggest using "interesting" locations, but that definition gets watered down somewhat after 1,427 tag placements which cannot be recycled. And I only moved here recently, so my knowledge of local historical landmarks is very limited.
ornoth
2018-07-31 08:06:12
Got it. Just wanted to make sure I wasn't missing anything.
edronline
2018-07-31 11:19:28
Is a hint needed? I expected this one to be easy.
paulheckbert
2018-08-01 13:18:43
I was going to do the brute force method and google map streetview all the bridges I can think of in the box that cross the rivers and match the railings with the one in the picture and then bike to it, but I'm not able to get on the bike for a bit due to life so I didn't want to do the legwork involved.
edronline
2018-08-01 13:48:56
Easy to locate, and easy to get to... But you prolly shouldn't be encouraging me to Hoover up more tags. I'm trying to exhibit some self-restraint!
ornoth
2018-08-01 13:53:08
@ornoth, you might as well get it. it has been 3+ days since the tag went up. Keep the game moving.
edronline
2018-08-02 16:06:07
Okay... Vincent Lapko, Homestead Grays Bridge Location: 40.411902, -79.920242 Nearest intersection: Homestead Brg & Browns Hill Rd
ornoth
2018-08-02 16:53:56
Tag Nouveau Does this fence make my bus look big? And would you please explain about the fifty ways?
ornoth
2018-08-02 18:39:29
Get it today or @dberlin will pick it up on the way to work!
ornoth
2018-08-05 08:34:20
Damnit. Definitely would have snagged this one... asleep at the handlebars I guess.
dberlin
2018-08-06 15:50:54
Mary wearing beads Might satisfy your needs Look to twenty-eight It will be worth the wait
jonawebb
2018-08-06 21:55:38
Aww pooey, I was just heading out... At least I wasn't en route.
ornoth
2018-08-10 12:14:12
Okay, I'll get this one ,since I have a couple tags I'd like to drop in this part of town... New Guild Studio, Braddock Location: 40.402313, -79.867417 Nearest intersection: Woodlawn Ave & Braddock Ave
ornoth
2018-08-13 10:33:44
Yes. Actually, 7th St & Braddock Ave
paulheckbert
2018-08-13 11:32:26
Truth! In the interest of making tag pickups easy, I programmatically generate the whole image-and-link, GPS coordinates, and nearest intersection from the image file, which saves a ton of time and cell phone typing. But the nearest intersection is only as good as my reverse geocode provider's data (geonames.org), and sometimes it's just wrong. This one's especially good, since Woodlawn & Braddock are parallel streets that never intersect! Now about this new tag... I took the liberty of straying just a wee bit outside the box. But I think it's worth it, because this could be the holy grail of car garages!
ornoth
2018-08-13 12:19:56
You're white so you're safe.
edronline
2018-08-13 18:37:27
Google the inside pics of that place. Super cool.
edronline
2018-08-13 18:37:48
I can't tell what I'm looking at or what's in the background.
stuinmccandless
2018-08-14 18:48:11
Carrie Furnace, 40.411, -79.883 TBH got it from the first image, but I'm allergic to rain... Now let's see what else is down here...
ornoth
2018-08-15 10:46:14
Still got a couple tags I could set down thisaway, unless people want something more central. Here's my nomination for the shortest street in Pittsburgh. Mmmm... Good thing I've got some leftover rogan josh in the fridge! I know what I'm having for supper!
ornoth
2018-08-15 12:22:42
Nice pickup picture! Looks like Snoopy technology.
paulheckbert
2018-08-15 17:22:19
Dunno about Snoopy...? But def reminiscent of the good old days printing 8-foot square posters from EBCDIC "images" on mainframe chain printers using the back-sides of greenbar. My pic was "rasterized" by the Android app AsciiCam. It's okay, but I wish it used more than just 6 ASCII characters [.:oO8@]. But that's all I had on my fone without downloading more apps, and it was close enuf. I did my best to replicate the angle you used, so it'd come out similarly. Good challenge! And I find it strange (but true) that Carrie hadn't been tagged before.
ornoth
2018-08-15 20:45:27
You don't need any more hints, except maybe one. Google Maps: close but no cigar!
ornoth
2018-08-18 15:53:24
I think that the reason it isn't being picked up is that it's not as central as some of the other tags. It may take some time before someone else goes out there. @paulheckbert seems to ride in the area based on his other tags.
edronline
2018-08-18 16:47:17
Yup. Not surprising. Just putting a reminder in, since most people can swing a longer expedition over the weekend. Tho I suppose there might be more attractive destinations...
ornoth
2018-08-18 18:48:53
@paulheckbert might be busy researching future tags in McKees Rocks.
paulheckbert
2018-08-18 20:52:54
Found it in 30 sec. with Google Maps. Curry St & Bell Ave, North Braddock https://flic.kr/p/2aeTMVd
paulheckbert
2018-08-21 14:14:21
Location: 40.459388, -79.922289 Busway footbridge @ E & S Nearest intersection: Ellsworth Ave & Shady Ave
ornoth
2018-08-25 08:40:20
So fresh! If you've been paying attention lately, it's halfway to St. Peter, and in pretty perfect proximity for Pedal PGH participants.
ornoth
2018-08-25 12:19:44
St. Adalbert's hall, Price of Peace Parish, South Side Flats Rear entrance on South 14th St
mrdestructicity
2018-08-28 08:36:20
36 hr timeout Prince of Peace Bingo, 108 S 14th St, St Adalbert Catholic Church, Southside. With Charlie King and Elvita Kondili, visiting from out of town. https://flic.kr/p/NwqhGQ
paulheckbert
2018-09-01 10:08:31
#2a – After you pick up a Tag, a new tag must be placed within 36 hours. If the new tag is not set within the time limit, the first Bruced posted gets the tag.
rustyred
2018-09-01 11:36:03
#2a – After you pick up a Tag, a new tag must be placed within 36 hours. If the new tag is not set within the time limit, the first Bruced posted gets the tag.
Ah, but of course. I forgot. It's brutal out there, on the street...
ahlir
2018-09-01 15:18:58
The artist is a genius. I wish he would catalog everything he's done and make it available on a website/google map. Actually, he may be doing something like that...
edronline
2018-09-01 16:04:29
loc: 40.461859, -79.968424 Magneto Mural at AAA Scrap Iron & Metal on Penn Ave in the (upper?) Strip. The artist is Jeremy Reymer. He actually lives not too far from there.
ahlir
2018-09-01 18:03:03
Actually, Raymer lives over by the Samalot statue in Uptown. Or maybe that's his artist space?  Or maybe he moved? I thought it was one in the same. I was out taking pictures of his place and the Samalot statue about a year ago when he pulled up in his car, got out, and we started chatting. He's a super nice guy. And his website now has a mural map! http://www.jmraymer.com/index.php/mural-map/ He was actually an engineer in a past life and gave it up to do art full time. (Just like Gregg Gillis / Girl Talk, another Pittsburgh native, gave up engineering for music)
edronline
2018-09-02 10:41:40
@Eric, You're right. He lives on Tustin. Samalot and the side of the house have been featured as tags in the past. I somehow had in mind this house on 35th that he's been working on.
ahlir
2018-09-02 12:27:11
It's a very recent one.
ahlir
2018-09-03 09:21:01
That's raymer plus another guy collaboration. Just from the style difference you can tell raymer is on the left. Well, and his signature.
edronline
2018-09-03 09:51:53
It is indeed a collaboration, with Matt Gondek.
ahlir
2018-09-03 13:59:14
Make sure the fine folks at @pghmurals know about them, too. Last I knew, some of the people who maintain that site have accounts on this message board, but hit them up at Twitter/pghmurals, too.
stuinmccandless
2018-09-03 15:36:03
Yo. If you commute into town... You should be able to get this one tomorrow morning. Look to your right. (Well, depending on where you're coming from.)
ahlir
2018-09-03 20:30:37
Penn Ave before 31st st.
edronline
2018-09-05 10:29:26
Oh MAN I was going to enjoy this pittsburgh native garden on a terribly hot day but the city is doing work on it...
edronline
2018-09-05 10:58:10
Back in the day (high school, college) I loved bands with that ____ sound. Happy Mondays, Stone Roses, Charlatans UK...
edronline
2018-09-06 10:16:10
Any more hints needed? My guess is that there are so few people left playing that when it's in an area of town people don't regularly go to it takes a long time for a pickup.
edronline
2018-09-08 06:23:06
I think the hints were good, and it's a real easy pickup; players just need to man up. I was giving it time, so that others could have a chance, and now it looks like a week of rain. Altho I'm really focused on a goal of claiming two more tags...
ornoth
2018-09-08 07:16:07
There may not be any players to man up.
edronline
2018-09-08 08:38:48
Manchester Native Plant Garden loc: 40.4585763,-80.0280511
ahlir
2018-09-12 17:24:49
I had actually hoped for clues referencing The Man in the [High] Castle. Ah well.
Though note that Manchester is, I believe, the only district in Pittsburgh that's essentially flat and also has brick sidewalks. (Feel free to correct me.) So, really, the tag could have worked even without a clue. But the rules require a hint (though without much guidance on how clear it needs to be).
ahlir
2018-09-12 17:30:11
This Phillip K Dick book (now a Amazon TV show) gives you a hint as to what pgh neighborhood it is in.
edronline
2018-09-12 17:38:11
Power House
ahlir
2018-09-12 18:10:21
Ok. Let's try some hints. This tag is on a side street, off a street that I think of as popular with riders eagerly heading out of town to have some road-ish fun. It's a short street. If you go down a bit (to the left) you'll reach the end. You'll find a lane that drops down to where you can get to below an overpass. Once I found a music case, maybe for a brass instrument, that had been tossed over the side. I wondered about that moment of cruelty and someone's anguish that preceded that toss over the fence... The spot had since grown over with weeds. I didn't care to go check if the case was still there. Maybe it's my imagination that's the problem. Anyway, I'm getting off-topic. When you do wander down that street you should be able to catch sight of the House of Metals. This pic is from that overpass, so adjust for angle. All things considered, there's a lot of metal thereabouts.
ahlir
2018-09-14 20:22:26
Carry Furnace: Am I the only 1990s baby who knows about FORTRAN and punched cards?
zzwergel
2018-09-14 21:00:19
Second time Performance Bike has cancelled their group ride without telling anyone. Second time I've made up for it by going to find a tag. Duquesne Light substation? Off Brighton. Location: 40.455266, -80.016014 Nearest intersection: Riversea Rd & Brighton Rd
ornoth
2018-09-15 09:44:09
Not much to go on here. I was just surfing the Google Maps (as you do), and thought this was one of the prettiest streets I've seen since moving to the Burgh. One hint I can give you is that just behind me is a institution, which to me (being from Boston, and knowing the news from there) seems a lot more Ayanna than Elvis.
ornoth
2018-09-15 12:43:24
1324 Ingram St 40.466154, -80.030415 grabbed on my way to work this morning.  I am about 2 houses up from original and it is a little before the sun comes up.  Photo We looked at 2 houses on this street a few years back when we were considering buying.
jstalnaker2112
2018-09-18 08:59:03
Weldun! Nice grab. Ayanna Pressley would be proud! One technicality: it's "Ingham".
ornoth
2018-09-18 09:11:28
@ornoth thanks for the street correction.
jstalnaker2112
2018-09-18 20:10:50
I can see the picture but also the location of the picture on a map... It pulls it straight into my Google photos on my Android and if I tap once on the picture it shows me all the exif data.... Date/time taken, Samsung phone, Camera settings, location (both coordinates and on map) In the future strip out the exif data if you're not using imgur. Imgur autostrips the data. This is a decent exif stripper https://www.verexif.com/en/
edronline
2018-09-18 20:34:07
@eric  thanks for the info.  I didn't even think about the data file on the picture.  Might go back to imgur if I can find why it is taking 2 days to upload a file.
jstalnaker2112
2018-09-19 12:06:23
I don't use it, but people seem to have good luck with Flickr. It autostrips the exif data. I use my own website to host the photos I post on tag o Rama. Not ideal. And when I don't renew my website in the future the photos go bye bye.
edronline
2018-09-19 15:06:08
I use Flickr and like it. You do need to do some extra steps but once you've figured it out it's pretty smooth. And it lets you pick a resolution and stuff.
ahlir
2018-09-19 17:23:23
Sorry, I was trying different photo upload methods and thought I could delete a post afterwards.  Now I can't find a spot to delete the post
jstalnaker2112
2018-09-20 08:40:05
you can't delete posts. It's one of the fine features of this message board. And even with the location in the exif data, I ain't climbing all the way up there to snag the tag. Maybe @stu can grab it on his way into town one day on a bike. he comes in that way.
edronline
2018-09-20 08:54:35
I’ll pick this one up over the weekend if someone doesn’t ride up there and get it first. Hint: East St is a pretty easy climb, easier than for me to bike down Perry/Perrysville six miles.
stuinmccandless
2018-09-21 06:30:28
Pittsburgh Barber Lounge, Baytree St at Capus Way loc: 40.489487, -80.016979
ahlir
2018-09-23 16:05:20
No [...] Dogs or Other Pets
ahlir
2018-09-23 20:28:16
On picking up the Barber Lounge tag... I went up Baytree instead of East. It's a pleasant climb up a residential street. There's traffic, but much less than on East. Check it out if you haven't up to now. Also... Any idea what the Daughters were thinking when they proscribed "other pets"?
ahlir
2018-09-23 20:40:46
The weather hasn't been so good. But not to worry. This area hasn't seen a flood for a good long time.
ahlir
2018-09-26 18:30:07
I wasn't gonna jump on this, but it's been a week... Fort Pitt block house @ the point Location: 40.441216, -80.009637 Nearest intersection: I- 279 & I- 376 It took some effort, but with this tag I’ve achieved the goal of breaking into Tag-o-Rama’s top ten participants by count of tags claimed. Ta-dah!
ornoth
2018-09-29 10:56:09
Here’s a new tag, placed in honor of my taking over tenth position amongst T-o-R players.
ornoth
2018-09-29 12:22:24
10th St. & E. Carson St., Southside, World War 1 memorial: ”In grateful recognition of patriotic service given to their country by men and women of the seventeenth ward in the World War 1917-18” https://flic.kr/p/2bxZYH6
paulheckbert
2018-09-29 17:05:08
Whoa! Tell me about your fenders! I've never seen those before. Do they work well?
edronline
2018-09-29 17:19:56
The fender is DeFender XC1. I’ve had it for 3 yrs, moderate use (I’m not a hardcore mtn biker). They were slipping down the fork shafts over time until we put zip tie below them. I’m happy with it.
paulheckbert
2018-09-29 18:12:35
I know this would show up in a tag!
zzwergel
2018-09-29 20:40:41
From the park you hear the happy sound of the carousel You can almost taste the hot dogs and french fries they sell, yes you can Under the Boulevard, down by the sea, yeah On a blanket with my baby is where I'll be https://www.flickr.com/gp/11288822@N00/YYi762
jonawebb
2018-09-30 20:32:52
fyi, you need to click the 'share' icon then cut'n'paste the BBCode version of the url (which you then need to edit to get rid of the Flickr branding crap). It's a pain but I (as we all) are hoping Flickr will stay in business under their new owner SmugMug (a paid photog storage service). Whatever. We should accept that we are but ants living in this age of collosi striding across the increasingly arid plain of the interwebs...
ahlir
2018-09-30 21:08:08
Thanks ahlir. I was sort of annoyed, because it works better from the phone than the laptop, right now. FYI, ahlir is just reposting the photo. He didn't pick it up.
jonawebb
2018-09-30 22:13:29
If this is where I think it is, StreetView shows a blank wall. I drove past the spot on Saturday and it isn’t blank.
stuinmccandless
2018-10-01 07:49:15
Two other options for Flickr users: From the photo page, click Download and View All Sizes. From there you can select an image size and Right-Click to Copy Image Url, which can be pasted into an IMG tag or in the Url prompt on the editor's IMG button. The Medium 500 size is best for this page; then I always make that image a link to the Url of the Original image size. Or you can use my tool, located here. You have to enter your username from your Flickr Url (for jona, that'd be 11288822@N00, since he hasn't set a custom username). With that, it'll give you text code that you can just copy and paste into this editor for a thumbnail and link to your most recently-uploaded Flickr image. If the image has GPS data, the text will also include lat/long coordinates and the nearest street intersection. I find it really helpful when claiming tags in the field. I should probably update it to use cookies to remember your username between sessions. Will look into that shortly.
ornoth
2018-10-01 08:23:49
loc: 40.4365738,-79.997173 Ross, at 2nd, at under the Blvd of the Allies. It's printed on fabric and attached to the wall (as opposed to being a mural).
ahlir
2018-10-01 12:31:06
Bike Rack
ahlir
2018-10-01 14:01:05
bike racks
ahlir
2018-10-03 18:15:23
I didn’t find it, but I did ride all the way into town and rode around a good bit, looking for it, on my way in to work this morning. And that’s the whole point of the game, right?
stuinmccandless
2018-10-04 20:39:25
I have a good sense where it is but not the exact locale. I'm guessing the cultural district by the bricks and the fact that there are funky bike racks installed by the Pgh Cultural Trust throughout the cultural district. And it looks like there's a bike lane on one side of the street, so it isn't Penn Ave. I also won't have a chance to look for it until probably Saturday, if then, so maybe someone else can pick it up.
edronline
2018-10-04 21:07:15
Bollard.
Apologies that this seems obscure. But the pics should have all the information a habitual biker would need. There's really only one (well traveled) street downtown that could fit. @Eric mostly has it right. Consider the street markings; all the lines are white. They're spaced oddly. And for some reason the bus is in the middle lane (where it belongs). No climbing required.
ahlir
2018-10-05 07:24:20
Bike Rack by Paul Rosenblat. Penn and Ninth. Outside Nicky's Thai Kitchen.
edronline
2018-10-05 10:35:17
New tag. Wonder Bread is damn near Heaven.
edronline
2018-10-05 10:37:56
Any idea when this was used last as a Wonder/Hostess outlet? I'm fascinating by this place. It's so derelict but the sign still has non faded colors.
edronline
2018-10-06 11:57:05
the sign still has non faded colors
Just like the bread, really. I bet if you went inside you'd find a loaf or two that's just as fresh as the day it was baked.
ahlir
2018-10-06 13:30:13
Darn. I checked the entire length of Penn one morning, even getting off at corners to walk around the parked cars, looking for this specific rack. All the way from Stanwix to the Convention Center. And somehow missed this. Oh well, I'm breaking the whining rule. As to the Wonder location, I'm thinking it was still operating as of 2005, maybe even 2008. My biking adventures through the city commenced around 2007, and my weekly food rescue runs had me traveling near this part of town often. Port Authority's Manchester facility is across the street from here, so I'd go past here as often as I could to see what interesting thing might be parked there (a wrecked bus under repair, experimental equipment here for evaluation, etc.). Anyway, I'm still in this game. Two for two on identifying a location.
stuinmccandless
2018-10-07 18:52:36
New tag tomorrow morning I promise.
jonawebb
2018-10-07 20:22:22
The Wonder Bread's company went bankrupt in 2008. It might have been a consequence of being bought earlier by a private equity concern. Or maybe the product simply lost favor in the market. Local stories were somewhat predictable: Post-Gazette had a human-interest story on people buying and hoarding their favorite items. The Tribune had a story on how it was all the fault of the unions. A decade later we might expect the P-G to carry the anti-union story, with maybe a sidebar on the consequent human suffering experienced by hoarders.
ahlir
2018-10-07 21:02:51
Cementing my leadership position in this thread I post this way Many of you pass by this every day
jonawebb
2018-10-08 09:55:05
The Wonder Bread outlet was tag 146, back in March 2011, seven years ago. If the store lasted until 2008, it had been closed for just three years then. That old tag featured a marker showing the height of the water during the 1936 flood. The building's been there a long time.
steven
2018-10-11 03:04:46
This tag's not that hard From the Trail it beckons Take a ride through the yard It will take just a Second
jonawebb
2018-10-11 17:51:14
Location: 40.434911, -79.966803 Second Ave, across from parking garage, near Thermo Fisher ,under the EFT
ornoth
2018-10-12 11:10:14
Continuing the graf theme. This tag's not so conveniently placed, tho. To pick up this one, you'll need to TRY TRY TRY TRY TRY TRY TRY TRY TRY TRY TRY TRY TRY TRY TRY TRY to remember the main flavoring ingredient in gin.
ornoth
2018-10-12 12:54:15
So, are you thinking of jenever or genièvre? Yes, I know: Not strictly the ingredient thing you have in mind. Where I come from we had Geneva gin. Work with me here...
ahlir
2018-10-12 19:40:19
What was the TRY TRY TRY thing about? I found the tag by the gin clue and google maps street view. But couldn't figure out the Try. Also, Paul, did you show it your titties?
edronline
2018-10-13 19:04:08
TRY this: just down the street are tags #982 and #1065. Also, here.
ornoth
2018-10-13 19:16:13
new tag hint: the racist sign here was probably taken down decades ago https://flic.kr/p/2c29vC4
paulheckbert
2018-10-13 20:58:40
The sign said "No dogs or niggers allowed". They should have saved it to put in a Museum of Pittsburgh Racism.
paulheckbert
2018-10-15 10:41:33
as far as I remember from reading elsewhere (I wasn't alive yet) the sign was posted AFTER the pool was desegregated, at least on paper.   here's a times article about racism at swimming pools in the U.S. https://www.nytimes.com/2018/08/01/sports/black-people-pools-racism.html there's also a nice story on the Backstory history podcast about swimming pools and racism.  Something about black people being in the same water as whites drove whites crazy. As if the water was contaminated and that swimming in the same water would contaminate you too.  Also the sexual connotations -- black men being in the pool with scantily clad white women, etc. etc. As big orange would say, "SAD!" History lesson is over.
edronline
2018-10-15 18:58:49
Exactly. I made sure not to give away the tag. Highland Park pool is infamous, nationally, for racial incidents around desegregation of pools. Thanks for fixing the tag.
edronline
2018-10-16 07:13:45
the earlier hints should be plenty, but here's a view from the street https://flic.kr/p/2b7yXXw
paulheckbert
2018-10-19 12:29:17
Not sure exactly when the Hostess Outlet closed but I know it was still open between 2005-2007.  I believe it closed shortly after SCI-Pittsburgh re-opened in March 2007.  Now, they're both closed.
fultonco
2018-10-20 07:39:30
West Penn Community Rec Center 30th St and Paulowna St here is the other shot that has a bit more light.  Wish I had time to grab a tag after the sun was up
jstalnaker2112
2018-10-23 08:19:48
NEW TAG! go west young man, but not all the way. https://flic.kr/p/2bhx6j9          
jstalnaker2112
2018-10-24 22:23:46
  Under the West End Bridge. I love it when tags pop up a few yards from work.
rustyred
2018-10-25 09:07:11
New Tag! This terrifying thing seems appropriate for Halloween. It looks like he's been Butchered and set out as a bike rack.
rustyred
2018-10-25 09:09:36
hint: look at the time of the two previous posts
paulheckbert
2018-10-26 13:21:57
Gaaah, I biked right past that, an hour after it was posted. Easy pickings, folks. This tag won’t last long!
stuinmccandless
2018-10-26 20:38:54
NEW TAG!   Newly painted with fresh fruit  
jstalnaker2112
2018-10-30 13:47:39
The snozzberries taste like snozzberries! Location: 40.442122, -79.996681 Nearest intersection: Montour Way & Strawberry Way
ornoth
2018-10-30 15:04:58
A new tag entitled: ARGYBARGY AT THE ARCHEPARCHY!
ornoth
2018-10-30 17:41:05
Aw poo. There goes my excuse for riding today! ;^P Edit: OTOH, at least I don't have to ride up those setts! ;^)
ornoth
2018-11-05 10:26:33
Mr Snickett says this is the shortest street in the Golden Triangle. (If the photo doesn't appear, give me an hour to get home & use an actual computer to upload it. Tried two different ways to post it but I'm not sure either one worked.)
stuinmccandless
2018-11-05 18:12:34
Lemon Way... Decidedly NOT lemon fresh! Location: 40.438483, -79.998467 Nearest intersection: Cherry Way & 4th Ave
ornoth
2018-11-06 13:49:54
Good day for a ride, if you don't mind some headwinds. My last tag was a Big 48; this time it's a Big 32. Should be familiar enough that I'll skip the hintage... for now.
ornoth
2018-11-06 15:48:02
Our first bruce in a while! Nice shot of the Christmas tree - which went up only a few hours before I took this shot Monday morning.
stuinmccandless
2018-11-07 09:38:57

I learn something new every day. I've only biked past it a zillion times but I didn't know that Lemon way was an actual street.

Liked the Lemony Snicket reference. BTW, the Netflix series of "Series of Unfortunate Events" with Neil Patrick Harris is muy bien.  Much better than whatever movie they made years ago with Jim Carrey as count olaf.
edronline
2018-11-07 18:50:33
I guess I don't have any good clues for this one. If you get caught trespassing here, you could get sent up the river. Or down the river. Or stay right there. I was glad I was just a visitor.
ornoth
2018-11-11 09:04:55
need more hint
paulheckbert
2018-11-12 13:17:02
Mmmm. I guess I should have made it easier. How about this: I dropped this tag just off a common bike route, about halfway between Ohio and California.
ornoth
2018-11-12 13:47:53
If I'm thinking of the right place it's at the end of the line .
edronline
2018-11-12 14:53:29
Still _32_, even if you ride a tall bike.
ornoth
2018-11-13 21:00:30
Western Penitentiary, small building in a parking lot at the corner of Westhall and Preble. Somebody likes to do donuts in that parking lot.
rustyred
2018-11-14 12:51:47

Card in spokes . Is that Frigid Bitch related?

edronline
2018-11-14 14:15:50
hint: former school
paulheckbert
2018-11-18 17:25:00
Gladstone Middle School on Hazelwood Avenue between Gladstone and Sylvan streets. https://flic.kr/p/QWq68Y  
yalecohen
2018-11-21 18:36:18
The Iguana returns!
jonawebb
2018-11-21 18:55:07
NEW Tag with The Paul H. https://flic.kr/p/2d5pyoi NEW!! ...not been there ...not done that ...until now ... Happy Thanksgiving.
yalecohen
2018-11-22 00:14:26
I was just coming here to suggest that someone make the next tag what the next tag is... Because, you just have to at this point.
edronline
2018-11-22 06:43:01
The snowy fresh Mon Warf Switchback! Found finally open :) I just found the thread, this is my first tag!
anotherkenny
2018-11-27 18:31:17
Mazel tov!  This was a great tag. It was pretty much obligatory given how long we've been anticipating the ramp. Make sure to post another one post-haste to stay within the rules.  I think it's 48 hours, but the quicker posts = more game play.
edronline
2018-11-27 18:39:55
NEW tag. The Irish climbed above The iron Staff and rightly stopped to peruse a book. A photo indecisively taken hovering between tribunals of red-black and blue-green.  To dance, the Irish climbed above The iron Staff and rightly stopped to peruse a book.
anotherkenny
2018-11-27 18:48:11
The Irish climber—also known as the original trekking star captain who lives beneath an undersea rock.
anotherkenny
2018-11-29 09:29:30
The clues aren't doing much for me. A library near a Pike?
rustyred
2018-11-29 13:17:42
Picture was sufficient. Kennard Playground, Kirkpatrick St & Reed St, Hill District https://flic.kr/p/2atNynq
paulheckbert
2018-11-29 15:14:54
Hey! KIRK?!? Any self-respecting Trek-fan KNOWS damn well that Pike is the Original captain of the Enterprise!
rustyred
2018-11-29 16:21:34
I have no self respect
anotherkenny
2018-11-29 16:38:10
KirkPATRICK.  Like Patrick the starfish/spongebob, eh?
edronline
2018-11-29 18:16:01
Jonathan Archer was (actually, will be in 2151) the captain of the first Enterprise NX-01...and even had the first human run in with The Borg...in case you were wondering...or not... [If we consider those 'times' that an Enterprise travelled back in time, we might? have a different answer...depending what timeline this thread is on...] ?¥?¥??§ ?§??¥  
yalecohen
2018-11-30 02:08:26
That explains it. In my timeline Star Trek: Enterprise never aired. :-) The PG says the current tag is scheduled to be removed today, so we're in for even more timeline issues, I guess. We might wind up with a photo of where a tag formerly was.
steven
2018-12-03 14:52:32
Um, I'm lost in space. Do we even have a current tag?
stuinmccandless
2018-12-10 17:18:41
Another hint?
edronline
2018-12-10 17:43:32
A squamata friend of mine figured this out in seconds, so I didn't think a hint necessary, but here's one: not car-negie, not boat-negie, but ...
paulheckbert
2018-12-10 18:10:16
It's been almost 3 weeks since the last tag was set. RIP Tag-o-Rama?
edronline
2018-12-19 22:10:02
I for one don't know where it is.
jonawebb
2018-12-20 08:25:58
this is what i know -- squamata is an order of reptiles that includes snakes and lizards. Currently the Carnegie Museum of Natural History has a travelling exhibit about these animals (I saw it, it was pretty good). And of course the tag is a bus shelter with an ad for the Carnegie Museum of Art in it. My guess is that it's a bus shelter right outside the Carnegie Museums, or somewhere within the Pitt/CMU realm on Forbes or Fifth. As for the second part of the clue -- "but here’s one: not car-negie, not boat-negie, but …"  Maybe he's thinking we should say something like "train-negie." If that's the case, maybe it isn't a bus shelter but maybe a shuttle bus shelter somewhere down in the hollow by that Pitt parking lot/joncaire steps/train tracks. Though honestly the lawn behind it doesn't fit what's down there. Am I going to be able to go out and look anytime soon? No. But maybe this is enough to get people out and looking.
edronline
2018-12-20 08:50:00
Update - I zoomed in on the photo. I know right where it is. It's hiding in plain sight in the middle of Oakland between Pitt and CMU.
edronline
2018-12-20 08:53:23
Yeah, it's not a difficult fetch, but I've been lazy about getting out due to iffy weather, no good ideas for a replacement tag, and preoccupation with my new toy (Zwift).
ornoth
2018-12-20 09:37:57
I’m connected with Hyla Willis (top left name in the tag photo) on Facebook, who told me exactly where it is. That is to say, was. The structure was taken down a couple weeks ago. Hyla herself used to participate in this game (@pseudacris on this board), and we jointly picked up a tag one time. I’m for keeping the game going. I just haven’t been on a bike much due to work demands, and right now the bike is in the shop anyway.
stuinmccandless
2018-12-21 05:20:26
What’s the question? More hint please.
paulheckbert
2018-12-26 15:02:47
You need a hint? Well, if your busnegie is a no-show, where would that leave you?
stuinmccandless
2018-12-27 06:18:31
This tag called me From a popular bridge I hope you'll find it And place your bike on the ridge https://flic.kr/p/2dRhtXt
jonawebb
2018-12-28 13:35:36