Non English Road Signs

[roadman65]

https://goo.gl/maps/S67qyCM1vNdfnFvT7
Was curious to know what this means.

If I were to guess it's stating to reduce speed but I'm assuming Puerto Rico uses Velocity over speed in their verbiage.  Not to mention the English language reverses word pairs such as other languages would state river in front of a name instead of us saying the name than river.

[hotdogPi]

but I'm assuming Puerto Rico uses Velocity over speed in their verbiage.

This is the case for Spanish in general, not just Puerto Rico.



Lawrence, MA needs more bilingual road signs. Much of the city has more Spanish speakers than English speakers, but all the road signs are English only except for some private property installs. There's one that I think is really bad for a parking lot that says in English only that everyone must be out by 4 PM. Since parking is typically unrestricted, rather than prohibited, outside defined hours, someone who only speaks Spanish will think that it's fine to park outside the hours listed. And whenever I happen to be in that area between 4 PM and sunset, there's typically at least one car there.

https://www.google.com/maps/@42.7069393,-71.1567785,3a,15y,285.32h,77.07t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sX6FYx1V4R_eolIw2MzK2HA!2e0!7i16384!8i8192

Here is an example of one that is in Spanish (right next to an English one), the private property install type I was talking about, not that it's really needed since the shape of a do not enter sign is distinctive and it's not a text-only sign:
https://www.google.com/maps/@42.7103085,-71.1493745,3a,75y,19.83h,89.76t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sLrn2l0-cEip0LjO0mwOYsw!2e0!7i16384!8i8192

[SectorZ]

but I'm assuming Puerto Rico uses Velocity over speed in their verbiage.

This is the case for Spanish in general, not just Puerto Rico.



Lawrence, MA needs more bilingual road signs. Much of the city has more Spanish speakers than English speakers, but all the road signs are English only except for some private property installs. There's one that I think is really bad for a parking lot that says in English only that everyone must be out by 4 PM. Since parking is typically unrestricted, rather than prohibited, outside defined hours, someone who only speaks Spanish will think that it's fine to park outside the hours listed. And whenever I happen to be in that area between 4 PM and sunset, there's typically at least one car there.

https://www.google.com/maps/@42.7069393,-71.1567785,3a,15y,285.32h,77.07t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sX6FYx1V4R_eolIw2MzK2HA!2e0!7i16384!8i8192

Here is an example of one that is in Spanish (right next to an English one), the private property install type I was talking about, not that it's really needed since the shape of a do not enter sign is distinctive and it's not a text-only sign:
https://www.google.com/maps/@42.7103085,-71.1493745,3a,75y,19.83h,89.76t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sLrn2l0-cEip0LjO0mwOYsw!2e0!7i16384!8i8192

That's a very large assumption that said community needs signs in Spanish, as it's making a wholesale guess that their community has many people that can't read English signs. Of the handful of Latin Americans I know from Lowell and Lawrence they would not agree with you. Although Massachusetts for some reason lets people take their driver's ed test in Spanish (or did in 1994 at least) so maybe it is needed, given letting them test in that language then not having signs in their languages is its own logic problem.

[roadman65]

How about functionally illiterate people who are given an oral test?
Being that most are from third world countries they tend to look the other way and allow for it  despite considering reading traffic control devices and guide signs are needed to drive.

Then considering in the eighties driving with a Walkman on then was illegal as it was depriving the driver of hearing other corn honks and train horns and most of all EMS sirens, yet a deaf person is allowed a drivers license and can drive without sound of course

Oh then there are those rare people who have no arms whom I've seen as a toll collector Drive a car with their bare feet and allowed hand breaks and accelerators.

[kphoger]

https://goo.gl/maps/S67qyCM1vNdfnFvT7
Was curious to know what this means.

If I were to guess it's stating to reduce speed but I'm assuming Puerto Rico uses Velocity over speed in their verbiage.  Not to mention the English language reverses word pairs such as other languages would state river in front of a name instead of us saying the name than river.

Speed bump.

The phrase 'reductor de velocidad' literally means "speed reducer", and it's a very common term for speed bumps.  Here is an example in Mexico that I'm very familiar with.

[roadman65]

https://goo.gl/maps/S67qyCM1vNdfnFvT7
Was curious to know what this means.

If I were to guess it's stating to reduce speed but I'm assuming Puerto Rico uses Velocity over speed in their verbiage.  Not to mention the English language reverses word pairs such as other languages would state river in front of a name instead of us saying the name than river.

Speed bump.

The phrase 'reductor de velocidad' literally means "speed reducer", and it's a very common term for speed bumps.  Here is an example in Mexico that I'm very familiar with.

Could be.
https://goo.gl/maps/cjv5HXzWXjj6paVGA
In this the HAWK crosswalk does appear to be raised.

Funny I used that crosswalk in 2009, but no HAWK as it was never heard of then. I had a job to find a break in traffic to cross. I can see why the signal and the bump.

[kphoger]

Could be.

It is.  I couldn't even count how many times I've seen a sign for 'Reductor de Velocidad', and every single one has referred to a speed bump.

[interstatefan990]

I'm guessing this means some kind of upcoming turn-around or "go back" road?

[J N Winkler]

I'm guessing this means some kind of upcoming turn-around or "go back" road?

Yes.  Specifically, it refers to a facilitated U-turn.  This is a Hispanophone thing--besides Mexico, Chile and Spain have them too.

[kphoger]

Wow, you guys are choosing some of the most common message signs and then wondering what they are...

For what it's worth, the SCT recommends retiring the 'REDUCTOR DE VELOCIDAD' signage in favor of an SP-41 pictographic warning sign.  I've also seen combo signs–white rectangles with black legend and a yellow diamond next to the words–but I can't come up with a GSV example right now.

[J N Winkler]

At the Belgian-German border in the Eifel Mountains in southwestern North Rhine-Westphalia:



Klappschild = folding sign; Schießübungen/Exercice de tir = shooting practice.

(The folks in the There is NO way that is MUTCD-compliant Facebook group had a ton of fun when I initially misspelled Schießübungen by reversing the i and the e.)

[Scott5114]

(The folks in the There is NO way that is MUTCD-compliant Facebook group had a ton of fun when I initially misspelled Schießübungen by reversing the i and the e.)

I would think that would also merit a warning sign.

[J N Winkler]

Spanish sign not in Spanish.

[CovalenceSTU]

Tangibly related, but I once saw a video from Mexico with a translated US speed limit sign in it (not the one I saw but an identical one found online):