Is this a real picture of an Edinburgh Trams poster?
The picture, which has been shared multiple times on Twitter, alters the last letter of a tram safety campaign message from "Look out for the tram-pede" to "Look out for the tram-pedo."
An Edinburgh Trams spokesman confirmed that the images circulating on social media have been doctored, explaining that the real poster is actually part of a campaign which was launched during the Festival to remind residents and visitors of the importance of being safe around the tramway.
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Hide AdHe added: "The STOP. LOOK. LISTEN. campaign included messaging about the weight of a tram being equivalent to nine African elephants and used the ‘Look out for the tram-pede’ phrase. Although it’s disappointing to see the artwork has been photoshopped by some social media users, we’re happy that the campaign is still a talking point."
The spokesman confirmed that all physical posters, including the one at Haymarket which was photoshopped, remain as first printed.
Edinburgh Trams also posted a Tweet which reads: "Hi everyone, we're sure you've seen a photoshopped image from one of our posters that has been doing the internet rounds for some time. Won't be re-posting it, but rest assured it's a fake. Thanks to everyone who has written in."
The image was posted earlier today on Reddit, where the culprit appears to have since come clean about its authenticity.
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Hide Ad"I wish this was real, but it's a photoshop, I just changed the last 'e' into an 'o', it was the first thing I thought of when I saw it," they admitted.
Unsurprisingly, the fake image has drawn quite a reaction on Twitter today.
Many speculated on the idea that the message was trying to equate the phrase 'tram-pedo' to a 'torpedo.'
One Twitter user, called dr Faulk, wrote: "Right, so.... "Tram-pedo" as in "torpedo", but how does that relate to elephants? "Tram-pede" as in "stempede", fine, but why the "pedo"?
Another Tweeter, John Nichol, who is membership secretary of the Scottish Green Party, wrote: "This... This can't be real, can it???"
Well, at least now we know it most definitely isn't.