As I have previously mentioned, Vancouver really won me over. Part of that is due not just to the natural beauty and wonderful people, but to the odd little things I observed around the city. Being a little quirky myself, I like it when others embrace the weird.

For instance, this sign at Granville Island Public Market warning people to protect their food from seagulls. At first I scoffed and thought uhhhhh…. they’re just seagulls. I laughed at them actually posting a warning about the food theft.

That is, until I walked outside and saw the gulls actively swooping people for their food. And then, horrifyingly, one dropped a small animal’s fresh carcass right at my feet. Beware of the gulls, indeed.

I found the following sign sad at first because it noted a recent oil spill. Then I found it odd that people would need to be told not to touch the oil on the beach. I guess it’s kind of like the ridiculous “hot contents” warning on coffee cups.

I know this one is not Vancouver’s doing and rather a tourist’s doing, but it was still really odd. This woman found a Vancouver calendar with landscape photos and was taking photos of the photos. I guess that’s an alternative, albeit lazy, way to see all of the city.

One thing I saw multiple times that I found unusual was allowing dogs in stores… even food stores. The idea of a dog potentially doing its business on clothes or food I want to buy is really unappealing.

I stumbled upon a coffee shop that caters to bicyclists. By caters to, I mean it is filled with cycling items and also filled with cyclists. Hardcore cyclists. As in, I was the only person in the shop not wearing spandex shorts and cycling shoes that clicked across the floor. The weirdest part, though, had to be this creepy spandex outfit hanging on the wall. Reminds me of Slim Goodbody.

And finally, I laughed out loud in Vancouver’s convention center bathroom when I read the following sign over the toilets. Is there really a concern that people are going to bend over and drink the toilet water? Seriously, what the heck??

Vancouver, it was fun. Thanks for making it memorable… and a little bit weird.