Ugliest route marker?

[hbelkins]

Found some more photos:

[Takumi]

Are we allowed to use shield shape variants as "ugliest of"?

If so, I could list several from Virginia alone...

[KEK Inc.]

Washington is cool with George Washington's profile of his head and all, but I think it can get a little hard to read since 3 digit routes don't have a stretched shield.  Either the shield has to be huge, or good luck reading it. 


(Image Credit to WSDOT)


(Image Credit to corco)

[Zeffy]

(Image Credit to corco)

Are those like 10' numerals on that WA 509 shield? There's no way I would be able to read those at a distance.

[Scott5114]

How about Kentucky's "teardrop" US shield style? Are we allowed to use shield shape variants as "ugliest of"?

Be my guest. Please. I hate that thing. I don't know where the idea for it came from. Maybe I should ask.

My guess would be that it didn't really come from anywhere. It was probably created when someone needed to make a US shield, didn't know where from or how to get the correct outline (or didn't care enough to go looking), and decided to wing it.

[vtk]

Leading zeroes or not, 001 sounds pretty darn important. When the Borg are on a course for Sector 001, you know something epic is about to go down.



Nearly every state route marker in Nelsonville Ohio. Some examples on the AARoads shield gallery call it 2002 spec. I call it derpy spec.

[Billy F 1988]

How about Kentucky's "teardrop" US shield style? Are we allowed to use shield shape variants as "ugliest of"?

Be my guest. Please. I hate that thing. I don't know where the idea for it came from. Maybe I should ask.

My guess would be that it didn't really come from anywhere. It was probably created when someone needed to make a US shield, didn't know where from or how to get the correct outline (or didn't care enough to go looking), and decided to wing it.

Tell that to Indiana and Pennsylvania with their "acorn" shields. Wah! I can't even bear to look at them without them raping my eyes!

[vtk]

raping

I'm pretty sure you're not using that word right. And I know we're not supposed to nitpick spelling and grammar, but a certain subset of the population has potential to get really offended when that word is thrown around lightly.  You might want to be more careful.

[formulanone]

raping

I'm pretty sure you're not using that word right. And I know we're not supposed to nitpick spelling and grammar, but a certain subset of the population has potential to get really offended when that word is thrown around lightly.  You might want to be more careful.

When the Borg are on a course for Sector 001, you know something epic is about to go down.

The Borg bring back bad memories as well. Think of destruction caused in their wake!

Also for pro tennis players, circa 1980.

[Takumi]

Also for pro tennis players, circa 1980.

YOU CANNOT BE SERIOUS!

[Alps]

raping

I'm pretty sure you're not using that word right. And I know we're not supposed to nitpick spelling and grammar, but a certain subset of the population has potential to get really offended when that word is thrown around lightly.  You might want to be more careful.

This thread just got raped.

[Scott5114]

Agreed with vtk, let's not abuse the word "rape". It's tasteless and trivializes a traumatic situation. There are cleverer ways to describe an ugly shield, anyway. Be creative!

[jeffandnicole]

Your mama is so ugly, she looks like an acorn shield.

[empirestate]

Agreed with vtk, let's not abuse the word "rape". It's tasteless and trivializes a traumatic situation. There are cleverer ways to describe an ugly shield, anyway. Be creative!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Fantasticks#Controversy

[formulanone]

My eyes! They're stolen!

[Duke87]

Washington is cool with George Washington's profile of his head and all, but I think it can get a little hard to read since 3 digit routes don't have a stretched shield.  Either the shield has to be huge, or good luck reading it. 

I just think it's weird to have silhouettes of George Washington plastered all over an area that's 2000+ miles from any place George Washington ever actually set foot. But then I suppose it matches the equally incongruous state name.

[Dr Frankenstein]

Washington is cool with George Washington's profile of his head and all, but I think it can get a little hard to read since 3 digit routes don't have a stretched shield.  Either the shield has to be huge, or good luck reading it. 

I just think it's weird to have silhouettes of George Washington plastered all over an area that's 2000+ miles from any place George Washington ever actually set foot. But then I suppose it matches the equally incongruous state name.

I just think that head profiles don't make good highway shields at all.

(Unless they actually represent a large rock that looks like a face)

[NE2]

I just think that head profiles don't make good highway shields at all.

(Unless they actually represent a large rock that looks like a face)

Or they have feathers in the back to give more room (sup ND).

[cpzilliacus]

I just think that head profiles don't make good highway shields at all.

(Unless they actually represent a large rock that looks like a face)

I think you are correct.  The National Park Service used to have heads like that (without a route number) on most of the signs on the George Washington Memorial Parkway leading to his estate at Mount Vernon.  But they got rid of the heads (and the Clarendon font) some years ago.

[agentsteel53]

standard '70 spec interstate and US shields.  blecccch!

[NE2]

Am I the only one who doesn't see the 1970 spec as outrage porn?

[hbelkins]

I also hate the PennDOT font.

[agentsteel53]

Am I the only one who doesn't see the 1970 spec as outrage porn?

it's not as terrible as many of the erroneous shields (see: "acorn"), but as far as a standard design is concerned, it's a pretty terrible design.

'70 spec interstate looks a lot better with 10" numbers on a 24" blank as opposed to 12".  as for the US route markers, using the '57 spec California cutout shape on the black square would make things look a lot better, and allow for the same 12" number size.

[Eth]

Am I the only one who doesn't see the 1970 spec as outrage porn?

No, I don't have a problem with it either.

Those markers do have Pennsylvania 2s, though, so they still fit the thread.

[formulanone]

Don't really mind the modern 1970-spec US shields, if done properly (although the modern California-style cutouts are much nicer). And I like the PennDOT numerals.



To each their own, I suppose.