STP

From UANotebook

Marc Bloch had the following to say about this mark:

Browsed the site, and it's looking really great. I can help you out with this picture:

STP is the name of the Seattle to Portland bike ride. The organizers of the ride tag the entire 194 (IIRC) miles of the route with directional signs for the riders so they don't get lost when navigating such large and confusing citytowns like Seattle, Portland, Toledo (WA!), Vader, Goble, and several other amusingly-named places. Route map is here.

They're consistent in their presentation--it has always been a circle with STP inside, plus a directional arrow out of the top indicating whether the rider should turn right, left, or straight.

But pranksters abound, and if you hit the route 4-12 hours before the official start, you can find several instances of the markings indicating U-turns, arrows that end in X's, or randomly-inserted markings that attempt to deter the bikers from finishing their goal. The organizers, however, are (to use Tom phraseology) "on to this trick," and do a dry run preview and fix what those pesky h4X0rZ have wreaked.

Unfortunately, the STP has fallen prey to the seemingly-inevitable "Total Pervasive Global Brand Everything Everywhere Everytime" campaign, as it is now "sponsored" by Group Death/Health. Back in the day, when I rode the route, it was purely fueled by volunteers.

Come to visit at Kai's someday soon.