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The actual Worst of Road Signs

Started by Alex, October 09, 2020, 12:01:18 PM

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Alex

Posts in this thread must adhere to these guidelines, the cRaIG coUntY example is what qualifies from a general consensus of the Worst of Road Signs:

Quote from: Scott5114 on September 21, 2010, 04:01:21 AM
Post the worst, most ineptly put together pieces of crap in your state. Not just "oh, it's in Clearview", "wrong type of shield", or "it's a bubble shield" or anything like that.


Additionally avoid posting examples of sign designs where the only thing wrong is:
Quote from: stridentweasel on October 08, 2020, 10:46:01 AM
Non-standard typeface.

unless
Quote from: jakeroot on October 08, 2020, 08:55:21 PM
Worst-of on typeface alone might work here if it was in wing dings or something

otherwise
Quote from: jakeroot on October 09, 2020, 02:01:46 AM
I don't think just an incorrect font has ever counted as worst-of. It's gotta be that and something else. Like mis-matched fonts in the same word, or wrong font and stretched, or whatever.

Off centered elements, faded signs:
Quote from: roadfro on June 29, 2020, 11:29:59 AM
Don't know that I'd call that sign a "steaming POS"... The logo panels are off-center, but other than the sign itself is not terrible. More of a candidate for the "Faded beyond recognition" thread given the state of four of those panels.

Bad spacing:
Quote from: kphoger on February 04, 2019, 03:33:18 PM
Quote from: csw on February 04, 2019, 03:08:29 PM
Let's get back on topic with this boi on I-65...


yawn
this response is not allowed either

Poor design, but not worst design:
Quote from: csw on June 15, 2020, 09:52:08 PM
It's not THAT bad...the way your post reads, I was expecting a craig county-type sign. Coming around the curve farther back, the sign looks like it's over the right lane. They attempted to fix the gantry being too long by angling the arrow. Plus it should be obvious that an "Exit Only" tab means that it's the right lane that is exiting.

While dancing arrows are heinous and especially common in Tennessee, this is a pretty minor offense.

In summary:
Quote from: kphoger on October 09, 2020, 10:08:22 AM
But the thing is that I don't come to this thread to see signs that are just kind of off in some respect.  I don't come here to see strange but still legible fonts.  I don't come here to see narrow margins, state shields that should be US shields, etc.  I come here to see the worst of road signs.

Quote from: kphoger on October 09, 2020, 10:08:22 AM
Quote from: formulanone on October 09, 2020, 09:52:06 AM
If "worst/best of" is subjective, then the polite thing to do if you have nothing to say is to say nothing and move on. Unless someone is either trolling or going overboard...
If you don't have something that really belongs in the worst category, then the polite thing to do is post it somewhere else.


hotdogPi

This one has already been posted before, but just to reinforce how bad signs have to be:


(taken from one of formulanone's posts, but I don't know if he took the photo)
Clinched, minus I-93 (I'm missing a few miles and my file is incorrect)

Traveled, plus US 13, 44, and 50, and several state routes

I will be in Burlington VT for the eclipse.

kphoger

 :bigass:

Oh, man, I had forgotten about that one!

For some reason, instead of making me cringe, it makes me grin and laugh.  It's just that terrible.
Keep right except to pass.  Yes.  You.
Visit scenic Orleans County, NY!
Male pronouns, please.

Quote from: Philip K. DickIf you can control the meaning of words, you can control the people who must use them.

kphoger

And also...  What's up with Florida and its state shape?  See this early post by Alex in the original thread.
Keep right except to pass.  Yes.  You.
Visit scenic Orleans County, NY!
Male pronouns, please.

Quote from: Philip K. DickIf you can control the meaning of words, you can control the people who must use them.

vdeane

Quote from: kphoger on October 09, 2020, 12:08:00 PM
:bigass:

Oh, man, I had forgotten about that one!

For some reason, instead of making me cringe, it makes me grin and laugh.  It's just that terrible.
Makes me wonder if a qualifier for this thread should be whether it would appear here is TV Tropes had a "roadgeekery" section.
Please note: All comments here represent my own personal opinion and do not reflect the official position of NYSDOT or its affiliates.

Scott5114

Wrong typeface has always been intended to count toward Worst of Road Signs. Within the first dozen pages were several Helvetica signs and everyone agreed they sucked. The only reason for the call-out disallowing Clearview specifically is because the board was so anti-Clearview in 2010 that I didn't want people posting signs as Worst Of just because they were in Clearview.

I would rather people be able to post whatever they want in Worst Of. We don't need to have the standards be so high that the thread barely gets posted in.
uncontrollable freak sardine salad chef

Max Rockatansky

To US 101 on the Nacimiento-Ferguson Road:

https://flic.kr/p/22A9Ew8

And a slightly less bad version:

https://flic.kr/p/22A9DX2

kphoger

Quote from: Scott5114 on October 09, 2020, 12:57:33 PM
Wrong typeface has always been intended to count toward Worst of Road Signs. Within the first dozen pages were several Helvetica signs and everyone agreed they sucked. The only reason for the call-out disallowing Clearview specifically is because the board was so anti-Clearview in 2010 that I didn't want people posting signs as Worst Of just because they were in Clearview.

I would rather people be able to post whatever they want in Worst Of. We don't need to have the standards be so high that the thread barely gets posted in.

Oh wow, I assumed Alex had consulted you before doing the lockeroo thing.
Keep right except to pass.  Yes.  You.
Visit scenic Orleans County, NY!
Male pronouns, please.

Quote from: Philip K. DickIf you can control the meaning of words, you can control the people who must use them.

renegade

I saw nothing wrong with the original thread, other than some people have great difficulty moving on.

:hmmm:
Don’t ask me how I know.  Just understand that I do.

Scott5114

Quote from: kphoger on October 09, 2020, 01:37:52 PM
Quote from: Scott5114 on October 09, 2020, 12:57:33 PM
Wrong typeface has always been intended to count toward Worst of Road Signs. Within the first dozen pages were several Helvetica signs and everyone agreed they sucked. The only reason for the call-out disallowing Clearview specifically is because the board was so anti-Clearview in 2010 that I didn't want people posting signs as Worst Of just because they were in Clearview.

I would rather people be able to post whatever they want in Worst Of. We don't need to have the standards be so high that the thread barely gets posted in.

Oh wow, I assumed Alex had consulted you before doing the lockeroo thing.

No, we haven't talked about it. But if Alex believes that most of the members want a more focused thread, well, it's his forum, not mine.
uncontrollable freak sardine salad chef

hotdogPi

Quote from: Scott5114 on October 09, 2020, 02:31:08 PM
Quote from: kphoger on October 09, 2020, 01:37:52 PM
Quote from: Scott5114 on October 09, 2020, 12:57:33 PM
Wrong typeface has always been intended to count toward Worst of Road Signs. Within the first dozen pages were several Helvetica signs and everyone agreed they sucked. The only reason for the call-out disallowing Clearview specifically is because the board was so anti-Clearview in 2010 that I didn't want people posting signs as Worst Of just because they were in Clearview.

I would rather people be able to post whatever they want in Worst Of. We don't need to have the standards be so high that the thread barely gets posted in.

Oh wow, I assumed Alex had consulted you before doing the lockeroo thing.

No, we haven't talked about it. But if Alex believes that most of the members want a more focused thread, well, it's his forum, not mine.

Jimbo Wales doesn't have absolute authority on Wikipedia. Why does Alex have absolute authority here? (However, I will note that both kphoger and I are supportive of the change, so if it did come down to consensus, the new thread would probably stay.)
Clinched, minus I-93 (I'm missing a few miles and my file is incorrect)

Traveled, plus US 13, 44, and 50, and several state routes

I will be in Burlington VT for the eclipse.

kphoger

Quote from: Scott5114 on October 09, 2020, 12:57:33 PM
the board was so anti-Clearview in 2010

That's so true.  My! how people back then hated Clearview with venom in their veins.  I'm glad that settled down.

(Same goes for FYA, to the point that most people have now completely embraced that development.)
Keep right except to pass.  Yes.  You.
Visit scenic Orleans County, NY!
Male pronouns, please.

Quote from: Philip K. DickIf you can control the meaning of words, you can control the people who must use them.

kphoger

Quote from: 1 on October 09, 2020, 02:36:33 PM
Jimbo Wales doesn't have absolute authority on Wikipedia. Why does Alex have absolute authority here? (However, I will note that both kphoger and I are supportive of the change, so if it did come down to consensus, the new thread would probably stay.)

Well, this isn't Wikipedia, I suppose...
Keep right except to pass.  Yes.  You.
Visit scenic Orleans County, NY!
Male pronouns, please.

Quote from: Philip K. DickIf you can control the meaning of words, you can control the people who must use them.

Scott5114

Quote from: 1 on October 09, 2020, 02:36:33 PM
Quote from: Scott5114 on October 09, 2020, 02:31:08 PM
Quote from: kphoger on October 09, 2020, 01:37:52 PM
Quote from: Scott5114 on October 09, 2020, 12:57:33 PM
Wrong typeface has always been intended to count toward Worst of Road Signs. Within the first dozen pages were several Helvetica signs and everyone agreed they sucked. The only reason for the call-out disallowing Clearview specifically is because the board was so anti-Clearview in 2010 that I didn't want people posting signs as Worst Of just because they were in Clearview.

I would rather people be able to post whatever they want in Worst Of. We don't need to have the standards be so high that the thread barely gets posted in.

Oh wow, I assumed Alex had consulted you before doing the lockeroo thing.

No, we haven't talked about it. But if Alex believes that most of the members want a more focused thread, well, it's his forum, not mine.

Jimbo Wales doesn't have absolute authority on Wikipedia. Why does Alex have absolute authority here? (However, I will note that both kphoger and I are supportive of the change, so if it did come down to consensus, the new thread would probably stay.)

Jimbo Wales doesn't pay for the servers.
uncontrollable freak sardine salad chef

kphoger

So, who does have ultimate authority on Wikipedia?  Is it the Wikimedia Foundation board of trustees?
Keep right except to pass.  Yes.  You.
Visit scenic Orleans County, NY!
Male pronouns, please.

Quote from: Philip K. DickIf you can control the meaning of words, you can control the people who must use them.

ozarkman417

Just saw the original ten-year old thread was locked. I was assuming it would be left open so the lower-tier bad signs could go there, and the one that are even worse would go here. Since it is locked, I suppose the "Erroneous Road Signs" thread could serve as the lower-tier thread, since it is more centered on those smaller errors already.

Scott5114

Quote from: kphoger on October 09, 2020, 02:51:33 PM
So, who does have ultimate authority on Wikipedia?  Is it the Wikimedia Foundation board of trustees?

It's complicated, really. The Foundation. The Arbitration Committee. Everyone. No one.

The Foundation technically has the legal control over the servers and thus the project, I think. Except the Foundation has the problem that the "product" that they "sell" is created by the community of Wikipedia editors. That product is what brings in the donation money that pays the Foundation's salary. If the editors decide to walk, Wikipedia as a product doesn't work anymore.

There's also the issue that en.wikipedia is huge, and that's before you get into the other projects the Foundation is in charge of, like Commons, Wikidata (nobody has heard of this but it supplies data to all of the projects; I was an admin there for a bit), de.wikipedia, en.wiktionary, and more. Only the tip of the iceberg is actually in English. The Foundation is a couple hundred paid staffers and cannot hope to actually oversee all of this themselves. The Foundation prefers to allow the huge projects' editors to organize things like the Arbitration Committee to govern themselves, and really only meddles with the projects that have a few dozen editors and thus can't support neutral governing bodies themselves.

Every so often the Foundation will step in it and royally piss off the editor corps by making a technical change or banning someone against community consensus, there will be a mass outcry, and usually the Foundation backs off, because again, if everyone walks, they stop getting paid.
uncontrollable freak sardine salad chef

hotdogPi

Quote from: ozarkman417 on October 09, 2020, 03:06:24 PM
Just saw the original ten-year old thread was locked. I was assuming it would be left open so the lower-tier bad signs could go there, and the one that are even worse would go here. Since it is locked, I suppose the "Erroneous Road Signs" thread could serve as the lower-tier thread, since it is more centered on those smaller errors already.

They go in the Signs with Design Errors thread.
Clinched, minus I-93 (I'm missing a few miles and my file is incorrect)

Traveled, plus US 13, 44, and 50, and several state routes

I will be in Burlington VT for the eclipse.

formulanone

#18
Quote from: 1 on October 09, 2020, 12:05:51 PM
This one has already been posted before, but just to reinforce how bad signs have to be:


(taken from one of formulanone's posts, but I don't know if he took the photo)

I took the photo, but jwolfer posted a photo before that (which now has a dead image link).

Personally: I have a 3 Strikes Rule for nominating a photo as "Worst Of". If it has three or more separate and obvious failures, then it qualifies. The higher the classification of the route, the higher the standards; there's going to be a lot more latitude for someone's homemade wooden sign on a dirt road or some shopping plaza which features some slightly wonky signage where none is expected.

Just my two cents.

jbnv

Livingston Parish is putting in some horrendous street blades. It's bad enough that they use a non-standard font that is illegible at high speeds. The new ones are formatted for mixed-case text--but are in all-caps.

Unfortunately no examples at the moment. Let's let the hurricane pass first.
🆕 Louisiana Highways on Twitter | Yes, I like Clearview. Deal with it. | Redos: US | La. | Route Challenge

formulanone

Quote from: kphoger on October 09, 2020, 12:08:00 PM
:bigass:

Oh, man, I had forgotten about that one!

For some reason, instead of making me cringe, it makes me grin and laugh.  It's just that terrible.

Some things are just so bad, they're good.

roadfro

Quote from: 1 on October 09, 2020, 03:08:02 PM
Quote from: ozarkman417 on October 09, 2020, 03:06:24 PM
Just saw the original ten-year old thread was locked. I was assuming it would be left open so the lower-tier bad signs could go there, and the one that are even worse would go here. Since it is locked, I suppose the "Erroneous Road Signs" thread could serve as the lower-tier thread, since it is more centered on those smaller errors already.

They go in the Signs with Design Errors thread.

Keep in mind there's also the Unique, Odd, or Interesting Signs aka The good, the bad, and the ugly thread... That's probably better for lower-tier or random, leaving Signs with Design Errors for things like "wrong font but otherwise fine" or "right design, wrong color".
Roadfro - AARoads Pacific Southwest moderator since 2010, Nevada roadgeek since 1983.

Alex

Quote from: roadfro on October 09, 2020, 05:48:45 PM
Quote from: 1 on October 09, 2020, 03:08:02 PM
Quote from: ozarkman417 on October 09, 2020, 03:06:24 PM
Just saw the original ten-year old thread was locked. I was assuming it would be left open so the lower-tier bad signs could go there, and the one that are even worse would go here. Since it is locked, I suppose the "Erroneous Road Signs" thread could serve as the lower-tier thread, since it is more centered on those smaller errors already.

They go in the Signs with Design Errors thread.

Keep in mind there's also the Unique, Odd, or Interesting Signs aka The good, the bad, and the ugly thread... That's probably better for lower-tier or random, leaving Signs with Design Errors for things like "wrong font but otherwise fine" or "right design, wrong color".

Or create a new thread or threads covering road signs fitting any of that lower-tier criteria.

formulanone

#23
Leaving O'Hare in December 2013 (it's gone now):



US/I/VA-60 in Hampton Roads and none of them look right (August 2014):



Connecticut 184 - the original shield was "liberated" and this replaced it:


1995hoo

#24
Just curious whether something like this one at Vermont and T NW in DC qualifies for this thread. Want to see if I understand the new ground rules. This seems to be an example of utter boneheadedness by the person who made it and the people who posted it.

"You know, you never have a guaranteed spot until you have a spot guaranteed."
—Olaf Kolzig, as quoted in the Washington Times on March 28, 2003,
commenting on the Capitals clinching a playoff spot.

"That sounded stupid, didn't it?"
—Kolzig, to the same reporter a few seconds later.



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