this post was submitted on 28 May 2025
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Desire Paths

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Desire paths Desire paths can be paths created as a consequence of erosion caused by human or animal foot-fall or traffic. The paths usually represent the shortest or most easily navigated routes between origins and destinations. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Desire_path

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People walking between the bus stop (outside the picture) and the building (on the right) don’t like taking the long route around this huge green circle. It was pretty obvious that this would happen sooner or later.

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[–] [email protected] 0 points 1 month ago (2 children)

They need to pay an old lady with a stick to sit on the circle. And when you go onto the grass she comes and starts flogging you.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 month ago

Wait, free flogging? I usually pay for that!!!

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 month ago

Or just fill it up with trees, bushes and flowers

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 month ago (2 children)
[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 month ago

I was going to recommend WhenTaken to you, but I see you're active in /c/dailygames so you must be already familiar and good at it

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 month ago (1 children)

That’s pretty impressive detective work.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 1 month ago (1 children)

This pic has a lot of clues in it.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 1 month ago (1 children)

What are the other ones besides the restaurant?

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago)

So looking at it, I saw a few things. The easy thing is to google the restaurant name, of course, but there were other clues.

The trees were tall evergreens, suggesting northern part of the northern hemisphere.

The license plates appear to be European style suggesting somewhere in Europe.

There is a street sign that is like 4 feet wide but only two lines tall. Suggesting Scandinavian.

That was as specific as I got before looking at the street view that was posted and seeing Norway.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 1 month ago (2 children)

One method is to make your big green circle, then see where the desire paths occur, and then use brick or flagstone, etc to mark the most used path.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 month ago (2 children)

I’ve been thinking of collecting some flat stones and making that path myself.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 month ago

Go do it :)

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 month ago (1 children)

This is in the realm of Guerilla Gardening, and I strongly approve. I suggest putting some gravel under the flat stones, as it helps with leveling, and can make your positioning of the stones more durable.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Guerilla Gardening eh? Of course it’s a thing… Well, now I know what to call it. I thought I was just being an anarchist or something.

Thanks for the tips too!

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 month ago

Por que no los DOS meme.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 1 month ago (2 children)

Why isn't this comm called "desired paths?" Sounds really weird with the wrong tense.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago)

Because it comes from "paths of desire", I think. Sort of like "beauty mark" is not "beautifying mark": because it comes from "mark of beauty".

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 month ago (1 children)

These paths are called “desire paths”— paths that desire follows.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago) (3 children)

Weird. The grammatically correct way is "desired path."

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 month ago

"Desire path" is a valid noun phrase where "desire" functions as an attributive noun modifying "path." This construction is grammatically correct in English.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 month ago

The "grammatically correct" way is always whatever way is already in widespread use. Also, I'd say this is a noun adjunct, so not all that uncommon.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 month ago

Nope "desire path" is a perfectly grammatically correct way of saying "path of desire".