Thursday, February 21st, 2008...9:57 am
My hand tells you all you need to know about the 301
When I was in junior high, the predecessor to today’s middle school, there were three ways you could be cool.
The first way was to be vaguely connected to the TV industry. We had one girl named Carrie whose sister played Heather in the show “Mr. Belvedere”. Another dude named Mason starred in some toy commercial, which for some reason automatically made him popular.
The second way was to wear the right shoes. I once was teased by my very own friends because I was wearing non-brand name sneakers with Velcro across the top that my dad perpetually bought me for $10 from Target. I told my dad how I needed $100 Nike sneakers because the Target shoes weren’t cool and that I was being ridiculed by my friends, to which he responded:
“If they make fun of you because of your shoes then they’re not really your friends.”
Makes perfect sense when you’re an adult. But when you’re 12-years-old and trying to hide your boners behind your schoolbooks every time a girl walked by, these shoes were the difference between being popular and being that guy who wore $10 shoes from Target.
The third way to be cool, from what I could tell since I wasn’t, was to be able to make signs with your hands. By that age, a bunch of upper-middle-class white kids running around flashing the “BLOOD” sign was totally rad and copied by everyone.
I could barely contort my fingers to spell – let alone the ubiquitous gang sign, though I did learn how later on in high school. To this day, it takes me a few seconds to get it right as I struggle to fold my fingers and thumbs into the right letters.
Declaring to who or what someone belongs through hand gestures continues to be a pretty common practice, even outside of suburban Los Angeles. But unless you’re trying to stake your claim to gang territory, it’s probably best not to do so once you’re old enough to vote.
I recently came across a friend’s photo on Facebook that showed him and his pals flashing a sign I had never seen before or even knew existed. This is the “301″ sign, meant to affirm one’s devotion to that area code which denotes part of Maryland, particularly Montgomery and Prince George’s counties.
The sign is formed by curling your forefinger down and tucking it into the fold of your skin between that finger and your thumb. This leaves your middle, ring, and pinky fingers showing (3), the forefinger tucked into a circle (0), and your thumb idly sticking out (1).
Cool? I don’t know. I’m too old to decide if these things are cool or not. I pretty much rely on other people to tell me whether something is cool or reviled. Though I hear this Soulja Boy dance is going to be huge.
But the problem with this 301 sign is that many people in the photo, which I won’t show out of deference to my friend and his buddies’ privacy, were doing it wrong. Out of 13 people in the picture, only four flashed 301 correctly.
Many had it backwards (like the guy in this photo, who apparently lives in the non-existent 103 area code), which would make sense if they were Hebrew. Others showed the sign sideways, which made it look like they were flashing the letter “B” in ASL.
As a Takoma Park resident since 2006 (though I lived for 7 years in the 202), I am proud of the 301. It’s way better than being from, say, 703.
Still, throwing signs, whether you’re a tiny kid from the San Fernando Valley or a University of Maryland alum with a real job, should probably not be at the top of your “party tricks” list (unless you’re trying to entertain a fussy kid by casting animal shadows against the wall).
Like I said, I’m no judge on what’s cool anymore. But I will always be a judge when it comes to doing things the proper way.
Especially if I catch you wearing $10 Velcro shoes from Target.
26 Comments
February 21st, 2008 at 10:11 am
That is the reason why gangstas in DC rep their neighborhood instead of the ‘202′. It is way too hard to make that sign. And by hard, I mean that I can’t do it.
I imagine that 202 would be easier to do than 818.
February 21st, 2008 at 10:23 am
Oh, jeez, thanks for the memories about “the shoes”… I had to beg my parents to upgrade me from the $15 K-Mart shoes, and instead i wanted the $100 Air Jordan’s like EVERY other kid in my 5th grade class, at least the 80% that were cool… They didn’t back down, so we compromised. I could get a $50 or so pair of regular Nike’s, so it at least had the Nike brand on them… so, i was kind of cool b/c they were Nike’s, but not totally cool b/c they weren’t Air Jordan’s…
A compromise that allowed me be cool, but not just be handed everything i wanted… i am sure there is a lesson in there somewhere
Kids are horrific little bastards and will tease anyone outside the norm of cool… BUT you can be rest assured I was glad i finally fell on the correct side of “cool” at least for the rest of that school year… LOL! As for today, i have no real care to know what’s cool… but i do have to say that i did nail the flip flop thing years before everyone else did
Ah, memories!!!
You know what’s cool? Cruises.
February 21st, 2008 at 10:38 am
Right before we moved from Florida to Virginia, my father bought us all new K-Swiss tennis shoes. I got ragged on so hard for my “Moon Shoes.” They later became the rage, but the ridicule could not be undone. *sniff*
That you can do that with your fingers is AMAZING. I can barely flip the bird, my fingers are so jacked.
Interesting that you said “ragged”. In LA, we used to say “bagged”. We also said, “‘moted” and “scratch”, the latter while feign-scratching your throat.
February 21st, 2008 at 10:55 am
dissing the 703??? ouch. The rich white people in the 703 are not happy with Arjewtino.
JackGoesForth’s last blog post..Law School Myth
There goes my main demographic. Rich, white Virginians.
February 21st, 2008 at 11:16 am
we used to flash a “W” for “Westside” with our hands, except, we were east coast kids from the eastern most part of the state. in high school kids used to steal the “westside drive” street sign even tho it wasn’t a great neighborhood.
who knew new hampshire could be so gangster.
That is just…wait, let me put this in language you New Englanders can understand…retahded.
February 21st, 2008 at 11:27 am
As a San Fernando Valley native I too can recall those boys struggling to get the “blood” sign just right. As a current Takoma Park resident I’m working on the TK PK symbol, but I can’t seem to get my fingers to go that way just yet.
Are you my doppleganger? Only more evil?
E-mail me and tell me where you lived.
February 21st, 2008 at 12:01 pm
If the blood gang sign isnt’ the best sign ever made by using your hands then I don’t know what is. Spelling words with your hands? Brilliant!
rs27’s last blog post..Nobody Said It Was Easy
Much better than that stupid V peace sign, which really only spells one thing — vagina.
February 21st, 2008 at 12:10 pm
Oh my god–we totally need a TKPK sign!
Would you put it on your bumper? And, no, I’m not being figurative.
February 21st, 2008 at 12:30 pm
I’m ready to be a comment whore on your blog again. I got my sights set on suicide_blond!!!!
Roosh’s last blog post..Top 10 Signs A Girl Is Open To Having Sex Abroad
You’re not the only one.
February 21st, 2008 at 12:35 pm
Don’t knock the 703, woot woot! I’ll confess, I have no idea what “woot woot” means, but it sounds cool. As for Soulja Boy, I quietly await the day that song goes the way of the dinosaur. I can say without a doubt that it ranks #1 as WORST hip-hop song ever.
I believe it’s w00t, but I could be wrong. My friend DC Katastrophe uses it much better than I, but then again, she’s 8 years younger than me.
February 21st, 2008 at 12:55 pm
I remember when that morbidly obese guy won american idol, he always wore a 404 shirt. And I asked someeone whether I should get a 192 shirt, since wearing your weight seemed to be the style at the time. Turned out that too was an area code.
i’m old.
There are no area codes that start with “1″ but I understand your point. Besides, shouldn’t your “area code” be down to “180″ or so?
February 21st, 2008 at 1:18 pm
When I was in middle school I was lucky enough to be that nerdy girl that was kinda cool since my friends were cool. And by nerdy I mean that as a 13 yr old I wore vests and berets and didn’t give a flip about shoe brand. I got my first pumas in 10th grade. Also, I’ve never had any attachment to my area code…but that might be cuase I’m not cool. sad face.
milano miss’s last blog post..Family projects?
You wore berets in middle school? That takes a lot of balls. Or ovaries, as it were.
February 21st, 2008 at 1:32 pm
My high school was even worse, they divided up my northern virginia neighborhoods and they would each represent their “hoods”. Each group would then proceed to have “gang wars” and toilet paper houses. Rich, bored, drugged/drunk, white kids are stupid.
jo’s last blog post..Still Standing
What was your turf? Did you guys come up with signs or slang or code words to differentiate yourselves from the others?
February 21st, 2008 at 1:54 pm
My hometown area code changed. 617 had a dangerous sound to it - like you wouldn’t want to walk around there unless you knew someone. Oh man, you do not want to fuck with 617.
But 781? Bunch of fucking pussies.
Good point. Each area code denotes some sort of feeling about the place. 310? Sort of cool. 714? Smoked-out hosers. Never, though fuck with a 213. Am I right, rs27?
February 21st, 2008 at 2:08 pm
I’m a 303 ho, but don’t have enough fingers for the sign I guess.
Denver, represent! You know, I just tried doing a 303 with my hands and I figured it out! Do the 301 with both your hands and then match up the zeros, leaving the three fingers on either side flared out, like if you were trying to cast a shadow of some sort of bird.
February 21st, 2008 at 3:13 pm
If you can figure out how to do 919 or 717, awesome. although I try to pretend I’m more 610 and not 717.
I bet back when 301 was the whole state of MD making that sign wasn’t as cool. I remember when the balitmore kids at camp were pissed they had a new area code. now I seem almost as old as you, Arjewtino!
Yeah, 410 now seems totally bad ass, but that’s only because I’ve watched the first four seasons of The Wire.
February 21st, 2008 at 3:16 pm
So, i started taking sign language classes a couple weeks ago… and i will teach you all the dirty ones the next time we meet up… did i mention its in a gay bar so deaf gay boys can teach non-deaf gay boys how to chat? its great… flirting takes on a whole new level…
hehe.
A deaf girl once taught me how to sign “Nice to meet you” but I messed it up and accidentally signed “I want to fuck you.” True story.
February 21st, 2008 at 3:23 pm
Here’s a sign for you:
IT’S PEANUT BUTTER JELLY TIME!
Yes. Yes, it is.
February 21st, 2008 at 5:31 pm
cuando era chico las mas populares eran las Pumas
February 21st, 2008 at 8:33 pm
Hilarious! And reminds me of the rather odd “95124 GANG” tag someone’s been spraypainting around here as of late. 95124 being of course the zip code for my ‘hood, a very white and middle-class suburb of San Jose, California. I can only imagine what sorts of shenanigans kids who use a zip code as part of their gang name might be up to…
February 21st, 2008 at 8:34 pm
I hope the “Crips” of Compton don’t read your blogs…..it could start a full on gang war! I personally never owned the $10 velcro bad boys that you did, but I assure you that the pair my mom bought me at the local Swap Meet could give you a run for your money. Good blog, I expect that you will learn how to represent the 818 and get back to us….
February 21st, 2008 at 8:40 pm
You’re not kidding about a nebulous connection to the TV industry equaling popularity. I went to high school with a guy who knew Kimmy Gibbler from “Full House.” For some reason, this REALLY impressed people. Er…me included.
Scotus’s last blog post..Justice League: The New Frontier
February 21st, 2008 at 9:53 pm
You knew the sister of someone on Mr Belvedere? Awesome! That was must watch television in my household since the show was said to take place in my dad’s hometown of Beaver Falls, PA.
Sean’s last blog post..Get Away From My Office
February 22nd, 2008 at 1:51 am
Hey, I had a 703 number and know that I’m all the way across the country in Armpit, Armpit State, I miss that number so much! What’s wrong with NOVA?
February 22nd, 2008 at 7:44 pm
I grew up in the 301, now live in the 562, had a cell phone with a 213 (because LA is so snotty about area codes), now have a Yahoo Phone # in the 310. I don’t know who the hell I represent anymore. An Area Code United Nations?
Moxie’s last blog post..After These Messages, We’ll Be Right Back
March 3rd, 2008 at 5:38 pm
703 is far superior to 301. You should know this by now . . . the lower the number the crappier the area it represents. Therefore Maryland is better than DC, and NoVa is better than Takoma Park.
I grew up in the 804, but that area has since been demoted to 434.
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