Just A Wooden Pole - Answer

The location of this pole can be found in this cryptic text which, as the story goes, was found on a wooden pole.

Note: (not a clue). The first alphabet in the second line is "I"

GSV Please.

I just had to post this before going to bed. 

CuriousJM , I'll have to tell you in a PM or here when you post the answer all the wrong tracks I followed trying to solve the cryptic text. 

Jul 5, 2015 23:14:06 GMT johnluke said:

I just had to post this before going to bed. 

CuriousJM , I'll have to tell you in a PM or here when you post the answer all the wrong tracks I followed trying to solve the cryptic text. 

Well done JL.  I think it will be better if you can post your "wrong tracks" here after I post my answer so that every one can enjoy it. I promise I will post my answer in about 7 days time and will let you know when I post it.

Hints for others;

• There is no clue in the subject line
• There is no hidden clue in the OP or the picture. The pole is insignificant. It is just a wooden pole. It has no history. It just happened to be there. The background buildings, persons and other things in the picture are all irrelevant- no connection with the story.
• The only way to solve this puzzle is to decipher the cryptic text. 

Jul 6, 2015 5:48:44 GMT CuriousJM said:

The pole is insignificant. It is just a wooden pole. It has no history. It just happened to be there.

You have to admit, CuriousJM, that it is a great coincidence that this wooden pole just happened to be there. 

Jul 6, 2015 11:34:08 GMT johnluke said:

Jul 6, 2015 5:48:44 GMT CuriousJM said:

The pole is insignificant. It is just a wooden pole. It has no history. It just happened to be there.

You have to admit, CuriousJM, that it is a great coincidence that this wooden pole just happened to be there. 

A brief background to how I found this.

When I saw SATOR in Little Cafe  by ndrqu I was reminded of this cryptic text from my childhood. When I Googled for the deciphered text it immediately took me to the location and I almost jumped out of my seat when I saw this wooden pole there. It was as JL says a really big coincidence.

So here is a hint for those who have deciphered the cryptic text and cannot find the location just Google for the deciphered text and you will get a business address where this pole is located. It should be on top of or amongst first few results.

For those who have not yet deciphered the text here is it's more famous and elder sibling and it is perhaps easier to decipher;

I'm quite snowed under these days I just took a bit of a break between two translation jobs...

Yea, it was very lucky that the pole was there... 

Well done all. 

SPOILER: Click to show

Basically there is no code in the OP image. It is all a matter of reading it with proper spaces.The cryptic text;

TOT
IEM
ULE

when written in a single line becomes TOT IEM ULE. Adding and removing few blank space it reads "TO TIE MULE" and a search for it in Google leads straight to the Wooden Pole at 188 15 Ave SW, Calgary, AB T2R, Canada, which is the location of Mule Ties.

Link to GSV

Jul 5, 2015 23:14:06 GMT johnluke said:

CuriousJM , I'll have to tell you in a PM or here when you post the answer all the wrong tracks I followed trying to solve the cryptic text. 

johnluke my apologies for late posting of the answer. I got busy somewhere else plus upgrading to Windows 10 was not without some hiccups. I am back on track and can we now have your the story of your adventures (wrong tracks) while trying to solve the cryptic text.

Aug 7, 2015 10:13:48 GMT CuriousJM said:

Jul 5, 2015 23:14:06 GMT johnluke said:

CuriousJM , I'll have to tell you in a PM or here when you post the answer all the wrong tracks I followed trying to solve the cryptic text. 

johnluke my apologies for late posting of the answer. I got busy somewhere else plus upgrading to Windows 10 was not without some hiccups. I am back on track and can we now have your the story of your adventures (wrong tracks) while trying to solve the cryptic text.

Well, it was a long tim ago... But the main one, the main big red herring I followed, was this one: after trying several code systems that didn't work, I turned the image upside down, and saw this:



And I thought: "could this mean...

37n
W31
LOL

... ?"

Get it? Some vague coords and the LOL to 1) confuse us a little and make the message longer and 2) make the LOL in the solved message, as a nod to the player. Far-fetched, I know, but I was ready to try everything! 

Useless to say all that proved totally wrong. 

I remember trying anagrams too.

But I have a question: in the OP you say "The location of this pole can be found in this cryptic text which, as the story goes, was found on a wooden pole.
"


"As the story goes". And you know what, I looked for the story, and didn't find it, but I sort of remembered a story like that, in which experts in latin and archeology and so on tried to solve the cryptic words on an old sign for years I think. Until one day the local farmer explained he had made the sign, and said what it was supposed to mean. I think I heard that story on the radio a long long time ago. When I finally figured out the solution, it rang a bell, and I remember having heard the story. It sounds like an urban legend or something. I need to look again for it. But do you have any info about it? 

Aug 16, 2015 18:00:38 GMT johnluke said:

................... But I have a question: in the OP you say "The location of this pole can be found in this cryptic text which, as the story goes, was found on a wooden pole.
"

"As the story goes". And you know what, I looked for the story, and didn't find it, but I sort of remembered a story like that, in which experts in latin and archeology and so on tried to solve the cryptic words on an old sign for years I think. Until one day the local farmer explained he had made the sign, and said what it was supposed to mean. I think I heard that story on the radio a long long time ago. When I finally figured out the solution, it rang a bell, and I remember having heard the story. It sounds like an urban legend or something. I need to look again for it. But do you have any info about it? 

johnluke, My apologies for your travel travail to the unlikely spot. I also had a big laugh at your efforts to find the spot.

As regards the story of the Wooden pole I had heard (or read it) in my younger days eon ago. I don't know the source and a search on google shows many variants; some say it was on wooden pole, some say on iron pole and some say on a iron ring. As I have mentioned earlier my finding it at the location was a big surprise and pure coincidence.