Are there any good reasons *not* to ban billboards?

[Scott5114]

I won't spoil it for anyone else (our facetious running theory, based on the oddly non-specific slogans used, was that he was a sex worker), but it's certainly not something where you would make a decision on the basis of sheer impulse while on the road.

^ True, but it does make his name familiar. That gives him a leg up on his competitors (or cut into their edge from their own advertising), should you ever need services of the kind he offers.

People in his profession need to be careful about what they promise in their ads, thus his minimal promise that his office will at least return your phone calls. (But there's no phone number on the billboard, not even an easy-to-remember toll-free number. Maybe on one of his other billboards.)

Furthermore, sometimes they borrow the fame of one [colleague of Morris Bart] to pitch for a more local [colleague of Morris Bart]. Throughout Alabama, the likeness of Alexander Shunnarah can be found on every fourth billboard, where there's some small print explaining which firm might pick up the phone call or provide [services].

Aw, man, you ruined the air of mystery we had going.

[hotdogPi]

Going back to a sentence in a previous post... are any of these law firm billboard people female?

[ethanhopkin14]

Going back to a sentence in a previous post... are any of these law firm billboard people female?

No, to quote George Carlin,"..no woman is this stupid."

[bing101]

Billboards provide useful and needed information to the traveling public.

Lawyer ads yes I see this in my area too.

[TheHighwayMan3561]

In MN and western WI we've been spammed by ads for Nicolet Law, featuring a cartoon head of the attorney at law with a massive beard and sunglasses with pine trees reflected in the lenses.

Oh, and Kris Lindahl, the real estate guy, who recently filed for a trademark for his horizontally-extended arms pose.

[CtrlAltDel]

Going back to a sentence in a previous post... are any of these law firm billboard people female?

No, to quote George Carlin,"..no woman is this stupid."

[hbelkins]

I think advertising control on Interstates (conceptually a bit broader than just a billboard ban) has been a success.  I actually support removing all grandfathered billboards on Interstates and extending the same form of control to all freeways.  It is on surface roads where matters become more complex.  Ghost signs are increasingly deemed worthy of historic preservation, and some advertising displays have become regarded as cultural fixtures (e.g., the billboards, painted barn roofs, etc. on US 66 pointing the way to Meramec Caverns in Missouri).

In regard to the First Amendment and private property rights, it is well-established law that nuisances--including billboards--are subject to legal control.

Long before we worry about anything fixed and off the road, I want to regulate those horribly bright electronic billboard type ads you sometimes see on box trucks. I hate those with a burning passion. Not only are they super annoying and distracting, but they blind everyone else on the road, especially if it's foggy out.

I would ban them outright.  I also support stringent regulations on fixed digital billboards where they are permitted, which would not be on freeways.

So if I'm lucky enough to own a piece of land next to a busy freeway, but unlucky enough for it not to be an an interchange, and I decide to build a barn on it, that's fine. But if I paint "See Rock City" or "Chew Mail Pouch Tobacco -- Treat Yourself to the Best" then it becomes a nuisance?

[oscar]

Going back to a sentence in a previous post... are any of these law firm billboard people female?

I've seen many billboards with at least one female lawyer. A few with most or all of the lawyers female, including at least one featuring attractive female lawyers for a firm specializing in defending male clients in divorce cases. (Yeah, as if any of those clients have any chance at all for getting anything more than legal services from those women.)

[J N Winkler]

So if I'm lucky enough to own a piece of land next to a busy freeway, but unlucky enough for it not to be an an interchange, and I decide to build a barn on it, that's fine. But if I paint "See Rock City" or "Chew Mail Pouch Tobacco -- Treat Yourself to the Best" then it becomes a nuisance?

Something close to this precise situation has happened just off I-91 in Vermont, except the painted display in question says "See Bellows Falls."  Given that billboard barns were a thing in the middle of the 20th century, care has to be taken regarding loopholes.

[Scott5114]

So if I'm lucky enough to own a piece of land next to a busy freeway, but unlucky enough for it not to be an an interchange, and I decide to build a barn on it, that's fine. But if I paint "See Rock City" or "Chew Mail Pouch Tobacco -- Treat Yourself to the Best" then it becomes a nuisance?

If you are demanding that people spend money on something, you are a nuisance.

[jeffandnicole]

On the PA Turnpike today, I passed by a billboard for skiing and snowtubing.  Something clearly I'm not going to find off the next exit today.  The location for the company was probably at least 150 miles away...and definitely not an activity anyone will be partaking in for the next 3 months.  But it plants that thought in people's head that, hey, why not start thinking snow.

Then again, I forget the company that was doing the advertisement, so I guess it wasn't all that memorable.

[US 89]

Going back to a sentence in a previous post... are any of these law firm billboard people female?

Hell if I remember her name, but there is some lawyer lady all over billboards in the Atlanta area.

[GaryV]

Going back to a sentence in a previous post... are any of these law firm billboard people female?

Joumana in Detroit. But who wants a lawyer who looks like Janice from Dr Teeth and the Electric Mayhem?

[roadman65]

If it takes a billboard ban to rid our highway's of the ugly face of Drunken Party Animal John Morgan, I ll go for it even if it means to not see EXIT NOW on interchange billboards.   IMO those classic words are cool to see when on the road, but I'll make the sacrifice.

[skluth]

I won't spoil it for anyone else (our facetious running theory, based on the oddly non-specific slogans used, was that he was a sex worker), but it's certainly not something where you would make a decision on the basis of sheer impulse while on the road.

^ True, but it does make his name familiar. That gives him a leg up on his competitors (or cut into their edge from their own advertising), should you ever need services of the kind he offers.

People in his profession need to be careful about what they promise in their ads, thus his minimal promise that his office will at least return your phone calls. (But there's no phone number on the billboard, not even an easy-to-remember toll-free number. Maybe on one of his other billboards.)

Furthermore, sometimes they borrow the fame of one attorney to pitch for a more local law firm. Throughout Alabama, the likeness of Alexander Shunnarah can be found on every fourth billboard, where there's some small print explaining which firm might pick up the phone call or provide representation.

After the beer, law firm, and strip clubs are accounted for, it's probably insurance, banks, HVAC repair, dealerships, gas stations, restaurants, and hotels rounding out the top ten.

Along with law firms and insurance, the big billboard advertisers locally are cannabis dispensaries and Indian casinos. I think every third billboard between Riverside and Palm Springs is selling cannabis. They don't bother me any more than the peripheral ads on the free games I play on my phone.

The only billboards I dislike are the giant LED screens and that's only when there's motion or flashing on the screen. I don't care for billboards aesthetically but not to the point it bothers me, and occasionally they can be entertaining enough to break up rural interstate monotony.

[kernals12]

Here in Boston, we hear the proclamation that there's only one Morgan and Morgan, even though there are obviously 2.

[hbelkins]

Here in Boston, we hear the proclamation that there's only one Morgan and Morgan, even though there are obviously 2.

They're everywhere. We have them here, too (and I think the Morgan family actually has a Kentucky connection) but I always associated that firm with Florida.

I know I'd never use them. They hired one of the slimiest politicians in Kentucky history to be one of their more prominent faces here.

[tigerwings]

Several versions of this...

https://www.pinterest.co.uk/pin/signs-billboards--406379566348754193/

[epzik8]

I just learned that 4 states ban billboards: Alaska, Hawaii, Maine, and Vermont. Billboards are ugly and they can distract drivers. And with the abundance of advertising space that can now be had on the internet, they are not really necessary anymore. Is there any reason, besides lobbying from billboard owners, other states haven't done it?

Well, Maryland doesn't have any on most of their rural Interstates. I-68 in the Cumberland area and I-95 in Baltimore are two exceptions.

[cl94]

Going back to a sentence in a previous post... are any of these law firm billboard people female?

One of the ambulance chasers in the Albany, NY area is female.

[thenetwork]

I could go both sides on this -- especially in the case of I-15 in the Southwest.

Either side of Vegas on I-15 from San Bernadino to Salt Lake there are hundreds of miles of nothingness.  I don't mind seeing a little distraction in advertising billboards, but there are some areas where the large signs are planted every ¼ mile, if not closer, on both sides of I-15.

I prefer signs that inform travelers of upcoming services, especially those that will list how many miles they are located from that point.

I also am fine with fuel Billboards that list what the going rate for fuel is at a particular exit. 

And I also like, especially when Vegas‐bound, some of the billboard "deals" you can get on food, or what shows are playing in town, as it helps people plan ahead with additional ideas.

Yes, the blue ground-mounted service signs at exits were designed in part to reduce some of the billboard clutter, but they are limited in info and only give a ½ -2 mile advance notice.

On the other hand, ambulance chaser billboards, political-leaning signage, or even billboards which promote questionable, semi-legal establishments (gentleman's clubs, fireworks, pot shops,...)  should be held on a tight leash, if even allowed to advertise on large-scale billboards.

[froggie]

An alternative to billboards are those signs on highways saying which services are available at the next exit, and then the distances to those establish,ents. More states could (and should) utilize them.

Doesn't nearly every state use these already? They're also not free - companies pay to get their logo on the sign. It's often one of the few transportation items that actually results in revenue and profit to a transportation department.

Vermont, for one, does not use logo signs.  They'll post generic service signs in advance of the exit but won't tell you which brand or how far.

[Rothman]

An alternative to billboards are those signs on highways saying which services are available at the next exit, and then the distances to those establish,ents. More states could (and should) utilize them.

Doesn't nearly every state use these already? They're also not free - companies pay to get their logo on the sign. It's often one of the few transportation items that actually results in revenue and profit to a transportation department.

Vermont, for one, does not use logo signs.  They'll post generic service signs in advance of the exit but won't tell you which brand or how far.

That said, the visitor information signage on their non-highways is pretty iconic.

[jeffandnicole]

An alternative to billboards are those signs on highways saying which services are available at the next exit, and then the distances to those establish,ents. More states could (and should) utilize them.

Doesn't nearly every state use these already? They're also not free - companies pay to get their logo on the sign. It's often one of the few transportation items that actually results in revenue and profit to a transportation department.

Vermont, for one, does not use logo signs.  They'll post generic service signs in advance of the exit but won't tell you which brand or how far.

So VT basically bans all outdoor advertising.

[NWI_Irish96]

An alternative to billboards are those signs on highways saying which services are available at the next exit, and then the distances to those establish,ents. More states could (and should) utilize them.

Doesn't nearly every state use these already? They're also not free - companies pay to get their logo on the sign. It's often one of the few transportation items that actually results in revenue and profit to a transportation department.

Vermont, for one, does not use logo signs.  They'll post generic service signs in advance of the exit but won't tell you which brand or how far.

So VT basically bans all outdoor advertising.

I think VT bans anything that makes money for any company.