Roadgeek Memes

[kphoger]

Wow, I haven't heard much about New Mexico on this forum, now I'm hearing that its DOT is worse than OkDOT (I didn't think that was possible)! But, yeah, New Mexico sucks with lots of things, including their control cities. Ugh.

My experience driving in New Mexico is very limited.  Since the 1990s, I've only driven 425 miles in the state, and on just two trips.  And yet, just in that small number of miles, I've seen crap like this:

https://goo.gl/maps/YLazndTgFVwnTiDb8 (route fraction)
https://goo.gl/maps/ukTmwR3ktJKMAwF37 (missing route)
https://goo.gl/maps/pNRECiybh7CHEDaU7 (wrong shield)
https://goo.gl/maps/hLDBWX9CmrDCwkac9 (awful font)
https://goo.gl/maps/tkdqZWeg8Fu5K4cK7 (signpost ridiculousness)
https://goo.gl/maps/AuHrFjHUyJ4mug8t6 (missing trailblazer)
https://goo.gl/maps/vKqt3MrfMfGsSoaP7 (incomplete information)
https://goo.gl/maps/afxPXQYt9WuCuQob8 (unintelligible guidance)
https://goo.gl/maps/qdpdRsFmZ4H64j6C9 (ridiculous speed limit in a "safety corridor" where fines are doubled)

...and those are just some that I've personally driven past.

[hbelkins]

Anybody want to try one of those adult Halloween costume memes for roadgeeks?

If there was a specific one for Carl Rogers, one of the included items would have to be a little green shrub.

[D-Dey65]

https://goo.gl/maps/qdpdRsFmZ4H64j6C9 (ridiculous speed limit in a "safety corridor" where fines are doubled)

...and those are just some that I've personally driven past.

Is that "Freedom School" there still active? Because it doesn't look like it.

[Max Rockatansky]

Anybody want to try one of those adult Halloween costume memes for roadgeeks?

If there was a specific one for Carl Rogers, one of the included items would have to be a little green shrub.

I've thought about putting some sort of arm handle on one my Interstate shields to do some sort of Halloween Captain America highway knock off.

[kphoger]

https://goo.gl/maps/qdpdRsFmZ4H64j6C9 (ridiculous speed limit in a "safety corridor" where fines are doubled)

...and those are just some that I've personally driven past.

Is that "Freedom School" there still active? Because it doesn't look like it.

No, and it hasn't been for years.  Des Moines has a school, but that isn't it.

[Scott5114]

Wow, I haven't heard much about New Mexico on this forum, now I'm hearing that its DOT is worse than OkDOT (I didn't think that was possible)! But, yeah, New Mexico sucks with lots of things, including their control cities. Ugh.

The funny thing is while it's always good fun to make fun of OkDOT, who clearly knows what a good road sign looks like because they accidentally make them from time to time, by the time we had made it through New Mexico the second time, it almost felt bad making fun of NMDOT. Sort of like making fun of a special needs child or something like that. New Mexico has a lot of problems as a state; it's one of the poorest states in the union. Its road sign problems seem like they might be a symptom of some greater trouble beneath the surface.

And NMDOT occasionally does some quirky, charming things, like welcoming you to a DOT district with all the sincerity and flourish of a state line crossing, or accidentally recommissioning US-66 because they seem to have forgotten that it was decommissioned. And some of their errors are just kind of sad, like when they manage to misspell the name of the largest city in the state somehow. (Granted it is a long and complicated name, but you'd think they'd have seen it enough. Maybe if they'd stop signing Santa Rosa and Tucumcari as controls they'd get more practice at typing it out...)

[SD Mapman]

Wow, I haven't heard much about New Mexico on this forum, now I'm hearing that its DOT is worse than OkDOT (I didn't think that was possible)! But, yeah, New Mexico sucks with lots of things, including their control cities. Ugh.

The funny thing is while it's always good fun to make fun of OkDOT, who clearly knows what a good road sign looks like because they accidentally make them from time to time, by the time we had made it through New Mexico the second time, it almost felt bad making fun of NMDOT. Sort of like making fun of a special needs child or something like that. New Mexico has a lot of problems as a state; it's one of the poorest states in the union. Its road sign problems seem like they might be a symptom of some greater trouble beneath the surface.

When I went down to an impoverished part of rural Peru to build a greenhouse for a mission trip, I thought to myself in the bus driving around "Wow, these roads feel like New Mexico roads!". That's saying something.

[JoePCool14]

Wow, I haven't heard much about New Mexico on this forum, now I'm hearing that its DOT is worse than OkDOT (I didn't think that was possible)! But, yeah, New Mexico sucks with lots of things, including their control cities. Ugh.

The funny thing is while it's always good fun to make fun of OkDOT, who clearly knows what a good road sign looks like because they accidentally make them from time to time, by the time we had made it through New Mexico the second time, it almost felt bad making fun of NMDOT. Sort of like making fun of a special needs child or something like that. New Mexico has a lot of problems as a state; it's one of the poorest states in the union. Its road sign problems seem like they might be a symptom of some greater trouble beneath the surface.

And NMDOT occasionally does some quirky, charming things, like welcoming you to a DOT district with all the sincerity and flourish of a state line crossing, or accidentally recommissioning US-66 because they seem to have forgotten that it was decommissioned. And some of their errors are just kind of sad, like when they manage to misspell the name of the largest city in the state somehow. (Granted it is a long and complicated name, but you'd think they'd have seen it enough. Maybe if they'd stop signing Santa Rosa and Tucumcari as controls they'd get more practice at typing it out...)

The other thing that separates OkDOT is that the new roads that they build, at least from an outsiders perspective, look very high quality. It's the ugly signs that let them down. But since I haven't driven them, I can't judge things like the geometry or the overall design, for example.

Do you have an example of one of these DOT district crossing signs from NM? I'd love to see one.

[algorerhythms]

Wow, I haven't heard much about New Mexico on this forum, now I'm hearing that its DOT is worse than OkDOT (I didn't think that was possible)! But, yeah, New Mexico sucks with lots of things, including their control cities. Ugh.

The funny thing is while it's always good fun to make fun of OkDOT, who clearly knows what a good road sign looks like because they accidentally make them from time to time, by the time we had made it through New Mexico the second time, it almost felt bad making fun of NMDOT. Sort of like making fun of a special needs child or something like that. New Mexico has a lot of problems as a state; it's one of the poorest states in the union. Its road sign problems seem like they might be a symptom of some greater trouble beneath the surface.

And NMDOT occasionally does some quirky, charming things, like welcoming you to a DOT district with all the sincerity and flourish of a state line crossing, or accidentally recommissioning US-66 because they seem to have forgotten that it was decommissioned. And some of their errors are just kind of sad, like when they manage to misspell the name of the largest city in the state somehow. (Granted it is a long and complicated name, but you'd think they'd have seen it enough. Maybe if they'd stop signing Santa Rosa and Tucumcari as controls they'd get more practice at typing it out...)

I've never been to New Mexico, so I don't know what its roads are like, but judging by the drivers with New Mexico plates I've come across in other states, I assume all drivers in New Mexico are loaded drunk 24/7.

[Scott5114]

The other thing that separates OkDOT is that the new roads that they build, at least from an outsiders perspective, look very high quality. It's the ugly signs that let them down. But since I haven't driven them, I can't judge things like the geometry or the overall design, for example.

Yes, newly-completed roads in Oklahoma are generally quite good, as long as you don't look at the signs! But the tradeoffs are

- We are a fairly middle-class state, so we have to cut a lot of corners that other states wouldn't (the new I-235/I-44 interchange still has two loop ramps with a c/d road in between)
- It takes an exorbitant amount of time to get projects done because ODOT is not allowed to issue revenue bonds, and so can only work with money doled out to them by the Legislature, which isn't much because our Constitution requires a higher vote threshold in the Legislature to raise taxes than to lower them (the aforementioned interchange took 10 years to build)
- During construction, OkDOT has a penchant for "cattle chute" work zones, and they can be very, very dangerous. It's best to just avoid them entirely unless hitting other cars, Jersey barriers, or both is your idea of a good time. Two-thirds of the accidents I've had have been in OkDOT work zones.

Do you have an example of one of these DOT district crossing signs from NM? I'd love to see one.

Sure thing!


Yes, it really has six legs; that's not a stitching error. Check out how much bigger the district boundary sign is than the county line!

When I went down to an impoverished part of rural Peru to build a greenhouse for a mission trip, I thought to myself in the bus driving around "Wow, these roads feel like New Mexico roads!". That's saying something.

In New Mexico, we had a "is this bridge closed or not?" moment. Decided to go for it, and it was fine (the intent was probably to just close one lane of a two-lane road, but the signage was ambiguous), but you don't get those kind of...erm...thrills in any other state.

[Max Rockatansky]

I had the pleasure of working in New Mexico for close to three years during past employment.  New Mexico is probably a ton ten scenic state, but the Highway inventory is all over the place.  Hawaii is really the only state I've been to that even approaches the weirdness and haggard standards of New Mexico.  Really New Mexico is virgin territory for anyone in the community looking to document something largely untouched.  I wish that I had taken the time to get serious by road photos when I actually worked in New Mexico, I have rarely had occasion to visit this past decade.

[kphoger]

What makes Oklahoma highways seem poor is that it's between Kansas and Texas, both of which tend to have good-quality roads (and signage too).  Oklahoma might take a while to fix its broken highways, but they do eventually get around to it.  As for signage, I'd characterize it more as "quirky" than "awful" (except for that Craig County sign, may it rest in peace and live in infamy).  But New Mexico, on the other hand...

Driving in New Mexico is quite a bit like driving in actual Mexico.  Its roads are maybe halfway Mexican, in my opinion.  Signage tends to be spotty, inconsistent, and often unhelpful–all hallmarks of Mexican signage.  Pavement quality tends to be bumpy, conditions tend to be dusty, and speed limits tend to be under-posted and/or overly cautious and/or seemingly random–all hallmarks of Mexican highways.  You might get a wide, divided, four-lane highway;  you might get a decent two-lane highway with shoulders;  you might get a narrow shoulder-less mess of patchwork and crumbling asphalt;  who know till you get there!

[Scott5114]

The zia doesn't even guarantee you'll get pavement! How's that for inconsistent?

[Max Rockatansky]

The zia doesn't even guarantee a graded road sometimes.

[JoePCool14]

The other thing that separates OkDOT is that the new roads that they build, at least from an outsiders perspective, look very high quality. It's the ugly signs that let them down. But since I haven't driven them, I can't judge things like the geometry or the overall design, for example.

Yes, newly-completed roads in Oklahoma are generally quite good, as long as you don't look at the signs! But the tradeoffs are

- We are a fairly middle-class state, so we have to cut a lot of corners that other states wouldn't (the new I-235/I-44 interchange still has two loop ramps with a c/d road in between)
- It takes an exorbitant amount of time to get projects done because ODOT is not allowed to issue revenue bonds, and so can only work with money doled out to them by the Legislature, which isn't much because our Constitution requires a higher vote threshold in the Legislature to raise taxes than to lower them (the aforementioned interchange took 10 years to build)
- During construction, OkDOT has a penchant for "cattle chute" work zones, and they can be very, very dangerous. It's best to just avoid them entirely unless hitting other cars, Jersey barriers, or both is your idea of a good time. Two-thirds of the accidents I've had have been in OkDOT work zones.

Do you have an example of one of these DOT district crossing signs from NM? I'd love to see one.

Sure thing!


Yes, it really has six legs; that's not a stitching error. Check out how much bigger the district boundary sign is than the county line!

Thanks for sharing. I'd love to know what the average person thinks when they see a sign like that. I'd imagine quite confused. Also, I wouldn't mind if we had those in Illinois for when you leave the clutches of IDOT District 1.

Speaking of Illinois, it's funny that you say OK is a "middle-class" state that leaves things like loop ramps and C/D roads, and yet there's plenty of examples of just that from Illinois, a supposedly not middle-class state. I know we're all aware of the budgetary shortfalls of IDOT, but we have more loop ramps than I could count. The ramps near my office are one example of a newly built C/D road with loop ramps and it's constantly bottlenecks all traffic right there. It's also dangerous. I feel like I'm going to rear-end or get rear-ended by someone almost every time, no matter what time of day it is.

For the record, it's this one here: https://goo.gl/maps/rtanTbbw7Lwp9CDGA (Same one I wrote about regarding the lack of a ramp meter)

[hbelkins]

Regarding the highway district boundary signs, I can tell you as someone who works for a highway district and is responsible for dealing with complaints from the public that I wish we had such things in Kentucky. Often, we will get communications about issues that should go to another district office. I keep a copy of the other district office numbers near my desk because I have to refer to it often.

[kphoger]

Regarding the highway district boundary signs, I can tell you as someone who works for a highway district and is responsible for dealing with complaints from the public that I wish we had such things in Kentucky. Often, we will get communications about issues that should go to another district office. I keep a copy of the other district office numbers near my desk because I have to refer to it often.

So... putting 2 and 2 together...  New Mexico has those signs because so many people complain about their terrible roads.   

[Scott5114]

Regarding the highway district boundary signs, I can tell you as someone who works for a highway district and is responsible for dealing with complaints from the public that I wish we had such things in Kentucky. Often, we will get communications about issues that should go to another district office. I keep a copy of the other district office numbers near my desk because I have to refer to it often.

I suspect they probably don't help your counterparts in NM nearly as much as you'd hope they would.

[bwana39]

Couldn't resist

via Imgflip Meme Generator

Texarkana has a fixation on them.

[cjk374]

Couldn't resist

via Imgflip Meme Generator

Texarkana has a fixation on them.

Add Louisiana to that list. Next year, DOTD is going to overhaul exit 84 on I-20 in Ruston. Along with a brand new overpass (built in 1959!), they will be installing 4 (yes, 1, 2, 3, 4!) circles of Satan there. One for each Service road, and one for the on & off ramps.

[Great Lakes Roads]

Couldn't resist

via Imgflip Meme Generator

Texarkana has a fixation on them.

Add Louisiana to that list. Next year, DOTD is going to overhaul exit 84 on I-20 in Ruston. Along with a brand new overpass (built in 1959!), they will be installing 4 (yes, 1, 2, 3, 4!) circles of Satan there. One for each Service road, and one for the on & off ramps.

Add Carmel (and Indiana as a matter of fact) to that list.

[kirbykart]

^And Olean, NY. A few years ago now they installed 5 tiny ones on Union Street.

[Big John]

Add Wisconsin to the list. https://www.google.com/maps/@44.5897933,-88.0472462,17z

[SEWIGuy]

Add Wisconsin to the list. https://www.google.com/maps/@44.5897933,-88.0472462,17z

I used to take this exit on my way home from work. If you zoom out, there are two more as you head west. So yeah, I would drive through five roundabounts in about one and a half miles.  It sounds ridiculous, but honestly they aren't difficult to manage or anything.

[JoePCool14]

I'm not sure where the roundabout hate comes from. I'd love to see more roundabouts in Illinois. I can think of several locations where they would be beneficial, one in particular in my head where there's already ample space to build one.