Local News

Social media schools the City of Portland on spelling

By Erica Yee

1 minute to read

The spelling police are on high alert in Portland.

A Twitter user posted a picture on Monday of a no parking sign on which “Tuesday” was misspelled as “Tuedsay.”

“So, has anyone noticed the new signs up and down Commercial Street in @CityPortland ?” asked the tweet.

“Thanks!” the city’s official account replied. “We’re already in the process of fixing these. We totally agree that spelling matters.”

However, the signs are not new. City spokeswoman Jessica Grondin told the Portland Press Herald that she estimates the no parking signs were installed a year ago.

“They are old and we thought we had replaced all of the ones with the mistake,” Grondin wrote in an email to the newspaper.

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The same Twitter user posted another picture on the same day of a construction notice reading, “CITY of PORTAND.”

“Oh, hey @CityPortland, at least you’re consistent(ly bad at spelling)…” the tweet said.

The city again replied, “oof, we’re clearly having a bad day! We’ll address this one as well. so this sign isn’t up anymore, thankfully! but we’ll make sure to remind folks to proof better in the future. thanks!”

Grondin told the Press Herald this particular sign had been taken down already as the associated project was completed.

“That picture is not even current. Plus the contractor was responsible for the sign,” she wrote.

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On Tuesday morning, the Press Herald tweeted its front page story on the misspellings.

“We know the feeling, @CityPortland. We know the feeling,” the tweet said.

Once again, the city was quick to respond, writing, “thanks! Yet we don’t see front page articles on yours.”

https://twitter.com/CityPortland/status/930431715587362817