Or, in the case of Pittsburgh, it's a Port Authority bus falling into a sinkhole. The image of that poor bus, its nose pointed up at the sky as if looking to its creator, demanding to know, “Why? Why me?” really struck a chord, inspiring Halloween costumes, desserts, and countless memes, as well as a Twitter account.
It also inspired local artist Toby Fraley to create a Christmas ornament last year.
Now, nearly a year after the event, the sinkhole was finally repaired, opening 10th Street in Downtown up to traffic again.
How does one celebrate this momentous occasion? Thanks to Fraley, there's an ornament for that, too.
“Bring the excitement of a repaired hole into your home for 2020!” reads a description for the 2020 Repaired Sinkhole Ornament, depicting a section of street with a bump of blacktop marking the former location of the 18-foot, bus-swallowing hole. There's also a tiny discarded face mask.
On Fraley's website, the 2020 Repaired Sinkhole Ornament is pictured with text reading, “Pittsburghers didn't have a ton to celebrate in 2020..... except the sinkhole was finally repaired in October, nearly a full year after it formed and ate a bus.”
You can order your own Repaired Sinkhole Ornament now (either with or without a brass hanger), and shipping begins on Sat., Dec. 5.
You can also still buy the 2019 Sinkhole Bus Ornament and make it a set.
The Repaired Sinkhole Ornament would make a great gift for any yinzer with an irreverent sense of humor. It serves as a reminder that even the biggest problems are fixable, even if it takes a little time. And while we still have to grapple with the pandemic, social justice issues, and tumultuous election year, at least we have one less hole to worry about.
