It's like being in a cartoon

Untitled, originally uploaded by epredator.

I grew up watching cartoons like Top Cat. So whenever I go to the US it is always interesting to see the street furniture that in my younger years I only ever saw as a cartoon.
The fire hydrant is one such piece. I see them and I think they are drawn like an augmented reality model layered on my view of the world.
Of course it is what you get used to. I guess London's red buses, or our old telephone boxes may have the same impact on people from elsewhere.
What is your cartoon become reality icon?