A Little “Pryce” to Pay: When the Sign Doesn’t Quite Sprint to the Finish Line

In a country known for world-class sprinters and lightning-fast finishes, it’s ironic that a simple street sign managed to stumble right at the starting blocks.

Yes folks, in what can only be described as a “spell check false start,” the Kingston and St Andrew Municipal Corporation (KSAMC) found itself in a bit of a public mix-up relay after proudly unveiling Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce Drive — with the slight hiccup of spelling her name as “Fraser-Price.” That’s right: “Pryce” turned into “Price” quicker than a false start at the Olympics.

Now, before anyone grabs their pitchforks (or red ink pens), let’s remember: we’ve all had our moments with typos. Whether it’s autocorrect gone rogue or a rogue contractor with a loose eye for detail, mistakes happen. But when it’s the fastest woman in the world, whose name is etched into global sporting history and on the tongues of children in Waterhouse and around the globe, getting it wrong is… well, let’s just say not quite medal-worthy.

To their credit, the KSAMC handled the blunder with the grace of a diplomat in a pothole protest. They apologized. They fixed it. They even managed to do it all within 24 hours — a miracle some Jamaicans might say we’ve never seen applied to road repairs.

Robert Hill, the CEO of KSAMC, took the mic with what could only be described as Olympic-level contrition. The apology was heartfelt, humble, and had just enough detail to suggest that someone is probably getting a very stern chat about spell-check procedures at the next staff meeting.

But beyond the chuckles, there’s something a little poetic about the whole thing. Jamaica has always had a complicated relationship with giving its heroes their flowers while they’re still around to smell them. So, the renaming of Ashoka Road to Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce Drive is not just overdue, it’s a long stride toward honouring greatness where it was born — right in the heart of the people.

Let’s be real, Shelly-Ann is not just a sprinter. She’s a “yaad gal turned global goddess,” a mother, a symbol of perseverance, and a beacon for every child who’s ever run barefoot down a gully path pretending to be her. The street name isn’t just a road sign — it’s a legacy marker.

So, yes — they messed up the name. But we’ve fixed it, laughed a little, and hopefully learned a bigger lesson: when we honour our legends, every detail counts. Because greatness deserves gold lettering, not spelling errors.

In the meantime, let’s give KSAMC a small round of applause — not for the mistake, but for the swift correction. As Jamaicans say, “dem drop the baton, but dem pick it up quick and still finish the race.”

And to the Honourable Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce: we see you, we salute you, and next time, we promise to proofread like we’re going for a world record.