Unique, Odd, or Interesting Signs aka The good, the bad, and the ugly

[mrsman]

(snipped)

...i have so many questions...

I'll put the text here if anyone can decipher it.
PROHIBITED
View-text electronic
Writing-Game
While driving

I'm going to guess that the horizontal lines are supposed to be list item separators, so maybe it is banning looking at your phone, writing text messages, and playing games while driving? (Relevant city ordinance.)

the intent is fairly obvious. my questions are more around "who wrote that? what were they on? who approved it? how confused was the guy at the sign shop when he saw the approved plans?" etc.

My guess is the original designer wanted a fancy 'branched' list, something like this:

But it got muddled up on the way to the signwriter. Perhaps the designer had to describe what they wanted over the phone while driving?

Probably an area where hand held cell use for making calls is permitted, but they don't want you reading a screen while driving.

[1995hoo]

50 bucks says you've never seen a sign like this one. "Ignore GPS."

Not the same language, but lots of "GPS Routing Not Recommended" signage in Kentucky and Virginia.

In Anchorage, KY, "YOUR GPS IS WRONG"  in both English and Spanish. https://goo.gl/maps/kzyQyk6dvQ3pyPCP7

Where is it? This comes up just facing the asphalt. I didn't see it stenciled on the ground?

You have to pull the camera up and then turn it around. Link here. Camera facing the ground is something a link originating from Google Maps on Android/iOS does. No idea why.

It also is written in Spanish, which I see mostly along the WA coast for tsunami warning signs.

Whereas when I opened that link on my iPad, I found it was pointed at the sky. Weird stuff.

[kphoger]

Puzzling English on this one-off sign in NE Texas.

The city ordinance states as so:

§ 71.055  PROHIBITING USE OF PORTABLE ELECTRONIC WHILE OPERATING A MOTOR VEHICLE.

(A)   The provisions of this section shall apply to all persons operating a motor vehicle on public roadways within the incorporated limits of the city.

(B)   In this section, portable electronic device means a hand-held mobile telephone, personal digital assistant, MP3 or other hand-held music player, electronic reading device, laptop computer, tablet computer, pager, broadband personal communication device, global positioning or navigation system, electronic game device, or portable computer device.

(C)   A driver of a motor vehicle may not use a portable electronic device to view, send, or compose an electronic message or engage other application software while operating a motor vehicle on a public roadway with the city.

[...]

link

[hotdogPi]

Arguable worst of:
(Haverhill, MA)

Leading zero (sign in the background identical except with no leading zero):
(Lawrence, MA)

[vdeane]

It also is written in Spanish, which I see mostly along the WA coast for tsunami warning signs.

Spanish? I assume you mean French (since WA is right next to Canada).

No idea about the tsunami warning signs, but the linked sign is definitely Spanish.

[jakeroot]

It also is written in Spanish, which I see mostly along the WA coast for tsunami warning signs.

Spanish? I assume you mean French (since WA is right next to Canada).

British Columbia isn't French.

The signs I'm referring to in WA are definitely Spanish: "RUTA DE EVACUACION". There are a lot of Spanish-speakers in WA and along the west coast in general, so it was important they understood the signs.

BC has French radio stations and French schools, but the languages of importance are easily English, Cantonese, and Mandarin. French fluency is higher than Spanish, but still quite low.

[jakeroot]

Question for anyone.

This sign in DC (image below) implies that the center lane can turn right or go straight between 4 and 6:30pm. Great. What about other times of day?

There are no markings or arrows approaching the intersection besides this sign to indicate legal maneuvers outside of these hours. Can all three lanes proceed straight outside these hours, since no lane forces anyone to turn?

I posted this here because it's a relatively unique sign.

[hotdogPi]

I would interpret it as "outside these hours, pretend this sign doesn't exist". I'm not sure what's up ahead.

[Scott5114]

Puzzling English on this one-off sign in NE Texas.

The city ordinance states as so:

§ 71.055  PROHIBITING USE OF PORTABLE ELECTRONIC WHILE OPERATING A MOTOR VEHICLE.

(A)   The provisions of this section shall apply to all persons operating a motor vehicle on public roadways within the incorporated limits of the city.

(B)   In this section, portable electronic device means a hand-held mobile telephone, personal digital assistant, MP3 or other hand-held music player, electronic reading device, laptop computer, tablet computer, pager, broadband personal communication device, global positioning or navigation system, electronic game device, or portable computer device.

(C)   A driver of a motor vehicle may not use a portable electronic device to view, send, or compose an electronic message or engage other application software while operating a motor vehicle on a public roadway with the city.

[...]

link

TEXTING AND APP USE PROHIBITED WHILE DRIVING probably communicates that a lot more clearly than whatever the hell they were attempting with that sign.

[mrsman]

Question for anyone.

This sign in DC (image below) implies that the center lane can turn right or go straight between 4 and 6:30pm. Great. What about other times of day?

There are no markings or arrows approaching the intersection besides this sign to indicate legal maneuvers outside of these hours. Can all three lanes proceed straight outside these hours, since no lane forces anyone to turn?

I posted this here because it's a relatively unique sign.

Great question.

[The sign should say Mon-Fri, but it doesn't.]

The normal rules would apply at other times.  All three lanes can go straight.  Right turns may only be made from the right most lane and left turns may only be made from the leftmost lane.

However, it is important to note that during the times 4-6:30 PM Mon-Fri, parking is prohibited in the right lane.  At other times parking is permitted, and there are usually parked cars there.  While you may proceed straight if you are in the rightmost lane, it is unlikely that you'd do so since you would then need to merge back into the next lane to the left to avoid the upcoming parked cars.  This is why the traffic sign also needs Mon-Fri, becasue the traffic sign only applies when the parking restrictions make this stretch effectively 3 lanes instead of 2.

Since there is some confusion, while you can go straight from the rightmost lane during off-peak times, I advise against it as someone from the middle lane may turn right into you.

The right turn path denotes a prominent way from Captiol Hill to the 14th St bridge to Virginia.  Since left turns are prohibited from Independence to 14th, traffic on Independence will make a left at 12th, a right at C [at this intersection], and then a left on 14th to the bridge.  This is a very busy routing during the afternoon rush and two lanes are probably necessary to deal with traffic.

DC is in the process of removing or restricting (red arrow) most double turns.  I wonder if this is on the list.

[tylert120]

An overhead BGS on the PA Turnpike was recently replaced with a post mounted BGS. Notice the exit speed on the BGS differs with the posted exit speed sign found immediately after the BGS.

[roadman]

An overhead BGS on the PA Turnpike was recently replaced with a post mounted BGS. Notice the exit speed on the BGS differs with the posted exit speed sign found immediately after the BGS.

Lower ramp speed than exit speed perhaps?

[jemacedo9]

An overhead BGS on the PA Turnpike was recently replaced with a post mounted BGS. Notice the exit speed on the BGS differs with the posted exit speed sign found immediately after the BGS.

Lower ramp speed than exit speed perhaps?

They didn't coordinate the BGS change with the other sign change?

[D-Dey65]

This isn't really that unusual, but I have a question:
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:SB_I-75_Marion_Co_Rest_Area;_White_Object_Markers.jpg
White object markers; Are they considered Type 1 or Type 2?

[roadfro]

This isn't really that unusual, but I have a question:
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:SB_I-75_Marion_Co_Rest_Area;_White_Object_Markers.jpg
White object markers; Are they considered Type 1 or Type 2?

Those are not object markers, they are delineators. While the MUTCD chapter 3F governs general principles, placement and colors of delineators, they don't actually specify the design (other than a minimum dimension of 3 inches).

[STLmapboy]

Anyone know what this is?

[wanderer2575]

Anyone know what this is?

That's how New Jersey signs an upcoming traffic circle or roundabout (at least in parts of the state and/or used to).  Move ahead a few clicks in Streetview. 

[tylert120]

Check out the mileage numerals on these new attraction signs at the Donegal interchange on the PA Turnpike. Yikes.

https://imgur.com/a/cikE26n

[Old Dominionite]

Check out the mileage numerals on these new attraction signs at the Donegal interchange on the PA Turnpike. Yikes.

https://imgur.com/a/cikE26n

Lol. Looks like the handiwork of a local second grade class.

[jakeroot]

Something about this backlit "ONE WAY" sign in Vancouver, WA is giving me "really old" vibes: https://goo.gl/maps/WfEnWqVWGaRX7s5V8

[Scott5114]

Probably the fact that the font they used resembles something from approximately 1947?

[jakeroot]

Probably the fact that the font they used resembles something from approximately 1947?

That was my thought. I don't see signs with fonts that old very often. The one-way system was put in place in the late 60s, so the signs couldn't be older than that. Unless they were taken from somewhere else.

I wasn't sure if the font was old, the sign was old, a combo of both, or only a couple letters were old (older boxy "O" but everything else normal, for instance).

[SectorZ]

Arguable worst of:
(Haverhill, MA)

Haverhill can't get any mixed-case street blades correct. This one (which I've seen before) is the most egregious, but there are others.

Haverhill also messes up other signs as well, https://goo.gl/maps/SqL5s6dn47DFJXwz6

(Bonus on that one is that they placed it in Plaistow NH. I know it's Haverhill's handiwork because the other end of the road has the same sign).

[ethanhopkin14]

I have seen this abomination too many times lately:

https://www.google.com/maps/@30.6239966,-97.6903865,3a,15y,9h,91.15t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1s9uzZBwa1FY8McUsXzXvVVw!2e0!5s20181201T000000!7i16384!8i8192

It may not seem like much at first glance, but every time I see it, the letters are too close to the margins.  It looks way cramped like someone with no time had to spit it out real quick and didn't care. 

[jakeroot]

This may not count for much, but the situation overall is fairly interesting:

WA-522 northbound at US-2; Monroe, WA: https://goo.gl/maps/v6KATX2kWJBpB6Cd8

The sign shows that the left lane is for US-2 West towards Everett, WA; the right lane is for US-2 East towards Wenatchee, WA.

This is correct, however, the left lane is heavily used to access US-2 East, to allow traffic to reach a traffic signal that is bypassed by the other exit. At the bottom of the off-ramp for "US-2 West", there are only two lanes, and both turn left towards US-2 East, with the right lane being an optional left/right turn lane instead.

My hunch tells me this layout remains from before the slip ramp was installed about ten years ago to allow unimpeded flow to and from US-2. Still, I feel like the sign on the left could also benefit from something saying "Kelsey St Northbound"; this could also go on a post-mounted sign. At any rate, the street is mentioned nowhere, and traffic that uses the US-2 East exit will end up overshooting the turn. Hardly a big deal, but it's interesting nonetheless.