Art Pranksters Stealthily Erect Giant Fork In Road in Pasadena Saturday Morning

Nov. 4, 2009 | By John Rabe

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I got an email this weekend from occasional Off-Ramp contributor Donna Barnes-Roberts. She writes:

Dear John,

I don't know if you were in Pasadena when there was a building in Old Town with the legend:

"My People are People of the Dessert,” said T.E. Lawrence picking up his fork.

Well, some slightly wacky people up in the unincorporated township called Altadena felt a certain lack in their souls after that mural fell to progress oh so many years ago, and, Saturday morning at about 9:30, erected an 18-foot fork at the fork in the road where Pasadena Ave. divides into two one-way streets. If you go north on Pasadena Ave., from Glenarm, you will see it at the … fork in the road.


And see it before some bureaucrat takes it down -- though it is built sturdily and set in over 400 pounds of concrete. One of the participants was anticipating arrest, though he just turned 75, and didn't actually build it. However, he certainly had a twinkle in his eye when he mentioned “arrest".

The whole thing was a kind of birthday present for Pasadena. In fact, there was a party, and t-shirts were handed out.


This is officially the LARGEST fork in the road, according to one of the participants. Really.

-- Donna

UPDATE RECEIVED TUESDAY: "After doing some additional research, I now know that this is only the largest fork in the road west of the Mississippi. There is a 31-foot metal fork at a fork in the road in New York State. The pranksters are only mildly deflated. Even pranksters need an occasional reality check."

Donna Barnes-Roberts is a painter who teaches the delicate art of water color. She sent the photos above. I’ll post the video as soon as they send it to the YouTube.

UPDATE WEDNESDAY: Pasadena Star-News notices the fork, does some digging, reveals prankster. Best line in story: “It remains to be seen if the city will get the joke.”

Check out John's weekly show Off-Ramp!

gabrielle
4 months, 2 weeks ago

and I like the sign that sprouts a palm tree. This and the fork make me feel like the world as it should be. May be the fork long direct the universe.

ian
4 months, 2 weeks ago

I saw it Saturday morning. Brilliant! Can you imagine the logistics of sneaking a 400 lb fork onto a busy street? Impressive!

barista
4 months, 2 weeks ago

Just learned that it is the 2nd largest Fork-in-the-Road, but the LARGEST this side of the Mississippi. Wouldn't it be nice to have parking and a couple of benches available so people/tourist could park and enjoy photo opportunities or just reflect?

JF
4 months, 2 weeks ago

I missed it driving past this morning, but the kids in the car said "Hey did you see that giant fork?!" I thought they saw something that looked like a fork - then when I got to work someone told me to google "fork in the road pasadena" and there it was. I am such a grown up. But I do think it is cool

Marti
4 months, 2 weeks ago

When I lived in Austin, Texas, in the early 90's, there was a restaurant (can't remember the name) that had a huge fork as their sign. Periodically, they'd impale one thing or another on it -- I particularly remember a giant globe....

Kat Talley-Jones
4 months, 1 week ago

My recollection is that the My people are the people of the dessert sign fell apart during the Whittier earthquake. But perhaps that was just the beginning of the end.

Love the fork!

Cynthia in Pasadena
4 months, 1 week ago

I live in Pasadena and I love it. I hope they don't remove it. We need some whimsy in our lives these days....

Cindy
4 months, 1 week ago

Maybe this will let people know that we're not just forking around up here in Altadena!

Marc
4 months, 1 week ago

I remember seeing the fake TE Lawrence quote when I was a small child. I had just discovered puns (and had only recently learned who TE Lawrence was), and I thought it was the funniest thing I'd ever seen. We didn't live in the area, and I never saw it again - I'm so glad to hear that I'm not the only person who remembers it fondly.

Joey
4 months, 1 week ago

I love the fork. As I drove by on my way to work the other day I saw the fork in the road at the fork in the road and I had a huge smile on my face. It was bright, attractive and it makes me smile each time I pass. I hope Pasadena keeps the fork it is very creative and amusing.

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