The Worst of Road Signs

[kphoger]

Two are fairly obvious

Usually, these things aren't.  Nothing is obviously wrong to me in that picture.  It looks like a normal advance junction sign, with a faded Interstate shield on it.

[chays]

jakeroot identified the other problem with this sign.  We could put this in the Poor Sign Placement thread

In fairness, the sign was there before the signal.

All things considered, with 4 different issues, I felt it warranted a space here.  Maybe driving by it semi-regularly amplified its badness 

[roadfro]

3. Those arrows should not have right angle stems.  They should just be left and right arrows, as they indicate movements at the very next intersection.  The right angle arrows, as I understand it, indicate that you should proceed to the next intersection and THEN turn at the following one.

I think how they've used the right-angle arrow is okay. I've seen WSDOT use right-angle arrows in place of APLs on more than one occasion (not that this is an APL, but right-angle arrows seem to have more than one use). In this particular instance, this seems to be a good use of the right-angle arrow, since the movement isn't for (AFAICT) several blocks.

The MUTCD is a bit ambiguous on the right angle arrows, as the main purpose is only through a guidance statement:

The Type C advance turn directional arrow should be used on conventional road guide signs placed in advance of an intersection where a turn must be made to reach a posted destination or group of destinations.

[jakeroot]

^^
Thanks for that. I also see them used rather often on overhead guide signs, but used against a white background (with the arrow painted black):

[OracleUsr]

then there are when birds get in the way.

Wash me please! by Adam Prince, on Flickr

When birds attack.... by Adam Prince, on Flickr

Clean up on exit 140.

There are cleaning crews right? It would be less expensive than a new sign.

That sign has been replaced. Not sure when Adam took the pictures, but this pic is from August.

2017 NC route-clinching trip Day 3 - 223 by H.B. Elkins, on Flickr

The upgraded sign was erected in 2013, IIRC.  All left exits in Surry County, NC, have the LEFT banner now.  Adam said when those were took when he posted them on FB.

[amroad17]

I remember seeing that (literal) crappy sign. Must have been a favorite "rest area" for birds. At least NCDOT got rid of the annoying "TO" in front of Wytheville.

[Flint1979]

I really don't get why MDOT thinks that dropping the "M" from the M-22 signs is going to prevent them from being stolen. All they look like now is a North Carolina state highway sign. I vote for M-26 as the most scenic drive in the state of Michigan though even over M-22.

[wanderer2575]

I really don't get why MDOT thinks that dropping the "M" from the M-22 signs is going to prevent them from being stolen. All they look like now is a North Carolina state highway sign.

I think you just answered your own question.

[Max Rockatansky]

Best worst US 101 shield ever along the Nacimiento-Fergusson Road in Big Sur:

IMG_0440 by Max Rockatansky, on Flickr

[Hurricane Rex]

Best worst US 101 shield ever along the Nacimiento-Fergusson Road in Big Sur:

IMG_0440 by Max Rockatansky, on Flickr

Don't you just love these homemade signs...

[Scott5114]

Not only is it a shittily-made stencil, it's in friggin' Calibri, the default MS Office font.

[Max Rockatansky]

Not only is it a shittily-made stencil, it's in friggin' Calibri, the default MS Office font.

It is actually a recycled sign from when the Nacimiento-Fergusson Road was the only access to Gorda down in Big Sur along CA 1. 

IMG_0442 by Max Rockatansky, on Flickr

I suspect that Los Padres National Forest just did what they could over at Nacimiento Station with a stencil.  Really though out to order a G14, US 101, and CA 1 shield at the junction to direct traffic the correct way.

[kphoger]

Best worst US 101 shield ever along the Nacimiento-Fergusson Road in Big Sur:

Don't you just love these homemade signs...

Not only is it a shittily-made stencil, it's in friggin' Calibri, the default MS Office font.

Now, THIS is what the thread is about!

[jeffandnicole]

Not only is it a shittily-made stencil, it's in friggin' Calibri, the default MS Office font.

It is actually a recycled sign from when the Nacimiento-Fergusson Road was the only access to Gorda down in Big Sur along CA 1. 

IMG_0442 by Max Rockatansky, on Flickr

I suspect that Los Padres National Forest just did what they could over at Nacimiento Station with a stencil.  Really though out to order a G14, US 101, and CA 1 shield at the junction to direct traffic the correct way.

They could've just used a sharpie, but then it wouldn't have looked professionally done.

[Scott5114]

It still doesn't...

[Brandon]

Best worst US 101 shield ever along the Nacimiento-Fergusson Road in Big Sur:

IMG_0440 by Max Rockatansky, on Flickr

This is an example of what makes this thread great.  Absolute suck that should never leave a sign shop.

[Max Rockatansky]

Had the stencil been centered I might have been able to draw a US Route shield with my sharpie.  There was a second US 101 drawn on a painted blank on another nearby guide sign that lacked the happy face:

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

[empirestate]

They could've just used a sharpie, but then it wouldn't have looked professionally done.

It still doesn't...

[jeffandnicole]

They could've just used a sharpie, but then it wouldn't have looked professionally done.

It still doesn't...

My dry humor says thank you.

[hubcity]

What's the over/under on them actually taking an X-acto knife to laser-printed 8.5x11 sheets with the letters blown up, then Kryloning those puppies in order to achieve said level of suck?

[Brandon]

Had the stencil been centered I might have been able to draw a US Route shield with my sharpie.  There was a second US 101 drawn on a painted blank on another nearby guide sign that lacked the happy face:

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

That's even worse than the sign posted here.

[kphoger]

Had the stencil been centered I might have been able to draw a US Route shield with my sharpie.  There was a second US 101 drawn on a painted blank on another nearby guide sign that lacked the happy face:

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

That's even worse than the sign posted here.

Hard to believe such a beautiful brown sign and such a pathetic route shield piece of crap can live so comfortably close together, isn't it?

[Max Rockatansky]

Had the stencil been centered I might have been able to draw a US Route shield with my sharpie.  There was a second US 101 drawn on a painted blank on another nearby guide sign that lacked the happy face:

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

That's even worse than the sign posted here.

Hard to believe such a beautiful brown sign and such a pathetic route shield piece of crap can live so comfortably close together, isn't it?

I kind of have half a mind to call a friend who makes signs and order at least something that that is MUTCD compliant if not outright Caltrans and maybe post them myself or offer them as a gift.  Neither was there earlier in the year when Big Sur access was bottle necked through the Nacimineto Road. 

[kphoger]

Had the stencil been centered I might have been able to draw a US Route shield with my sharpie.  There was a second US 101 drawn on a painted blank on another nearby guide sign that lacked the happy face:

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

That's even worse than the sign posted here.

Hard to believe such a beautiful brown sign and such a pathetic route shield piece of crap can live so comfortably close together, isn't it?

I kind of have half a mind to call a friend who makes signs and order at least something that that is MUTCD compliant if not outright Caltrans and maybe post them myself or offer them as a gift.  Neither was there earlier in the year when Big Sur access was bottle necked through the Nacimineto Road. 

Hit Jake up.

[Max Rockatansky]

Had the stencil been centered I might have been able to draw a US Route shield with my sharpie.  There was a second US 101 drawn on a painted blank on another nearby guide sign that lacked the happy face:

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

That's even worse than the sign posted here.

Hard to believe such a beautiful brown sign and such a pathetic route shield piece of crap can live so comfortably close together, isn't it?

I kind of have half a mind to call a friend who makes signs and order at least something that that is MUTCD compliant if not outright Caltrans and maybe post them myself or offer them as a gift.  Neither was there earlier in the year when Big Sur access was bottle necked through the Nacimineto Road. 

Hit Jake up.

Thought about that too but I haven't talked to the guy in a long time.  I know he's still making those porcelain 101 shields, I see them on eBay all the time.