Most absurd VMS messages

[SidS1045]

The Freetown MA police department put this up a few days ago on the sign outside their station house:

HE SEES YOU WHEN YOU'RE SPEEDING
HE KNOWS WHEN YOU DON'T BRAKE
HE KNOWS IF YOU'VE HAD A FEW
SO DON'T GO OVER .08

[MASTERNC]

Texas had one that capitalized on the Mandalorian "Baby Yoda"

BABY YODA USES
A CAR SEAT
BE SAFE HE WILL

[kphoger]

All over the Toledo area last night (I went out for a few-hours-long late Christmas Eve drive)...

STAY TO THE RIGHT
SANTA NEEDS THE
LEFT LANE TONIGHT

... which would seem to contradict everything we've always been told about speed limits.

And about Santa, too.

[jeffandnicole]

All over the Toledo area last night (I went out for a few-hours-long late Christmas Eve drive)...

STAY TO THE RIGHT
SANTA NEEDS THE
LEFT LANE TONIGHT

... which would seem to contradict everything we've always been told about speed limits.

Nothing was mentioned about speed. Everything was mentioned about keeping to the right. Unfortunately, people want to read into these things way more than they need to, and the intended message is lost.

[stevashe]

WSDOT recently made a blog about the more "creative" messages they've been trying out in the Spokane area, including such gems as "Feast your eyes on the road, not your phone" and "You're not Rudolph, don't drive lit!" It even mentions the Ghostbusters message from a few posts ago - the DOTs must be sharing that one between themselves! Anyway, it's an interesting read if you want to know a bit about how they come up with these silly messages, and the reasoning for using them:

https://wsdotblog.blogspot.com/2019/12/spokane-message-boards-get-lit-for-holidays.html

[roadman]

Spotted yesterday on I-93 north in Somerville:

IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE

DON'T DRINK AND DRIVE

[jbnv]

DOTD this morning:

[Tonytone]

In Delaware over the holiday.


iPhone

[jeffandnicole]

A local town in NJ was using these messages on their portable VMS.

https://www.nj.com/news/2019/12/only-in-jersey-traffic-safety-served-up-with-a-side-of-attitude-humor.html

[kphoger]

All over the Toledo area last night (I went out for a few-hours-long late Christmas Eve drive)...

STAY TO THE RIGHT
SANTA NEEDS THE
LEFT LANE TONIGHT

... which would seem to contradict everything we've always been told about speed limits.

Nothing was mentioned about speed. Everything was mentioned about keeping to the right. Unfortunately, people want to read into these things way more than they need to, and the intended message is lost.

If it's not about speed, then why else would Santa need one specific lane?

[MASTERNC]

Delaware picked up on the Baby Yoda craze as well, even taking a page from the Texas message.  Consider these two VMS messages today on I-95

BABY YODA USES THE FORCE
BUT STILL NEEDS A CAR SEAT

BABY YODA USES A CAR SEAT
BUCKLE UP HE WILL

[Richard3]

All over the Toledo area last night (I went out for a few-hours-long late Christmas Eve drive)...

STAY TO THE RIGHT
SANTA NEEDS THE
LEFT LANE TONIGHT

... which would seem to contradict everything we've always been told about speed limits.

Nothing was mentioned about speed. Everything was mentioned about keeping to the right. Unfortunately, people want to read into these things way more than they need to, and the intended message is lost.

If it's not about speed, then why else would Santa need one specific lane?

Euhhh... what?  His sleigh is not flying anymore?

[wanderer2575]

All over the Toledo area last night (I went out for a few-hours-long late Christmas Eve drive)...

STAY TO THE RIGHT
SANTA NEEDS THE
LEFT LANE TONIGHT

... which would seem to contradict everything we've always been told about speed limits.

Nothing was mentioned about speed. Everything was mentioned about keeping to the right. Unfortunately, people want to read into these things way more than they need to, and the intended message is lost.

When it says upfront that he NEEDS the left lane, it implies he intends to pass everyone regardless of speed.  Crissake, get a grip, willya?  It was a lighthearted remark about a lighthearted message.

[RobbieL2415]

The Freetown MA police department put this up a few days ago on the sign outside their station house:

HE SEES YOU WHEN YOU'RE SPEEDING
HE KNOWS WHEN YOU DON'T BRAKE
HE KNOWS IF YOU'VE HAD A FEW
SO DON'T GO OVER .08

The last line means nothing anymore.  You can get arrested for DUI with literally a 0.0 BAC because the officer believes you're impaired.

[jbnv]

It's game day. There are flood warnings in the Baton Rouge area. LSU has canceled classes.

This is the message DOTD has on the digital sign on I-12 at Juban:

OBEY THE SIGN OR PAY THE FINE

This is nanny state crap.

[1995hoo]

Very strange thing to see on a sign on the new US-301 toll road in Delaware, of all places:

https://goo.gl/maps/aVHdmZcSioutfUg56

[Big John]

Article including more signs, in pictures and in the article text: https://www.npr.org/2020/03/05/812130695/humorous-highway-signs-aim-to-steer-drivers-safely-down-the-old-town-road

[roadman]

Very strange thing to see on a sign on the new US-301 toll road in Delaware, of all places:

https://goo.gl/maps/aVHdmZcSioutfUg56

WTF?  Unless the Mackenzie Brothers hacked the sign controller.

[webny99]

New York's are saying:

STAY HOME
SAVE LIVES

Go back in time two weeks and try to imagine that.
Truly unbelievable.

[RobbieL2415]

New York's are saying:

STAY HOME
SAVE LIVES

Go back in time two weeks and try to imagine that.
Truly unbelievable.

Should really say

SOCIAL DISTANCING
SAVES LIVES

as merely being on the road, out of contact with other people doesn't spread the virus.

[webny99]

New York's are saying:

STAY HOME
SAVE LIVES

Go back in time two weeks and try to imagine that.
Truly unbelievable.

Should really say

SOCIAL DISTANCING
SAVES LIVES

as merely being on the road, out of contact with other people doesn't spread the virus.

From the perspective of the average person, if you're on the road, you're coming from or going to a place that isn't home. And therefore, inevitably coming into contact with additional people than you would at home. I can think of a few exceptions to that, but not many. Us roadgeeks are the only ones that would go for a drive just for the joy of being on the road.

[1995hoo]

From the perspective of the average person, if you're on the road, you're coming from or going to a place that isn't home. And therefore, inevitably coming into contact with additional people than you would at home. I can think of a few exceptions to that, but not many. UsWe roadgeeks are the only ones that would go for a drive just for the joy of being on the road.

That final sentence is a further example of how times have changed over our lifetimes. I'm sure I'm not the only person here who remembers when it was fairly common for families to go for a "Sunday drive" in the afternoon. Often my dad didn't have anywhere in particular in mind before we headed out, but we'd all get in the car. We didn't necessarily wind up stopping anywhere, either.

[webny99]

From the perspective of the average person, if you're on the road, you're coming from or going to a place that isn't home. And therefore, inevitably coming into contact with additional people than you would at home. I can think of a few exceptions to that, but not many. UsWe roadgeeks are the only ones that would go for a drive just for the joy of being on the road.

That final sentence is a further example of how times have changed over our lifetimes. I'm sure I'm not the only person here who remembers when it was fairly common for families to go for a "Sunday drive" in the afternoon. Often my dad didn't have anywhere in particular in mind before we headed out, but we'd all get in the car. We didn't necessarily wind up stopping anywhere, either.

Certainly, people still do it, and it's more of a rural/small town thing, as I can relate to having a parent that came from a very rural area. But you are right that it does seem to be decreasing over time.

[MCRoads]

We are under a blizzard warning as well as dealing with COVID-19, so CDOT probably has signs that say:

[JoePCool14]

New York's are saying:

STAY HOME
SAVE LIVES

Go back in time two weeks and try to imagine that.
Truly unbelievable.

Driving through SC and NC, all VMSs say Stay Home for COVID-19. South Carolina even rolled out several temporary ones along I-26.