Dumb road signs

[SidS1045]

US 3 jumps on 128 over to its old surface routing (which north of there is MA 3A/NH 3A).

If "there" means where that sign is, er, not quite...north of there (to the rear of the camera car) is US 3.  US 3 is a wrong-way concurrency with I-95/MA 128 for 2.7 miles, to exit 33 if one is driving northbound.  From exit 33, US 3 heads south and MA 3A heads north.

[empirestate]

Dumb road signs? Someone needs to post one of New York's "Text Stop" signs in this thread for it to be complete.

How come? You mean because it states the obvious, that one should stop to text?


iPhone

No, because it's a stupid attempt to rebrand a rest area.

But they still call them rest areas (parking areas, service areas, etc.)...I guess maybe I don't get the joke?

[vdeane]

The Thruway service areas sign the text stops the same as they would wifi or bathrooms.  The signage is more prominent at rest areas and parking areas.  They're signed in an attempt to reduce texting while driving, though I'm pretty sure most people know full well you can pull off into a parking area to text and just don't care.  But Cuomo likes them, so they are here.

[PurdueBill]

US 3 jumps on 128 over to its old surface routing (which north of there is MA 3A/NH 3A).

If "there" means where that sign is, er, not quite...north of there (to the rear of the camera car) is US 3.  US 3 is a wrong-way concurrency with I-95/MA 128 for 2.7 miles, to exit 33 if one is driving northbound.  From exit 33, US 3 heads south and MA 3A heads north.

North of where it joins the old surface routing (parenthetical referring to the immediately preceding "its old surface routing")....obviously behind the car in the camera is "new" US 3 alone.

[bzakharin]

The Thruway service areas sign the text stops the same as they would wifi or bathrooms.  The signage is more prominent at rest areas and parking areas.  They're signed in an attempt to reduce texting while driving, though I'm pretty sure most people know full well you can pull off into a parking area to text and just don't care.  But Cuomo likes them, so they are here.

Most people? Are there people who don't know you can text when not driving? Signing the existence of wifi and restrooms communicates something to drivers they may not already know. Or are there designated parking lots or other facilities just for texting? Like the Philadelphia airport has "cell phone areas", but would they tow you away if you are parked there and not texting?

[empirestate]

The Thruway service areas sign the text stops the same as they would wifi or bathrooms.  The signage is more prominent at rest areas and parking areas.  They're signed in an attempt to reduce texting while driving, though I'm pretty sure most people know full well you can pull off into a parking area to text and just don't care.  But Cuomo likes them, so they are here.

Most people? Are there people who don't know you can text when not driving?

"Can"? No, but there are certainly people who honestly and truly don't know that you must text when not driving; that they need to consider that option to the exclusion of all others. I'm speaking in all seriousness–there really are people who don't know this, and they have driver's licenses.

[peterj920]

Outside of Pulaski, WI.   No idea why there would be an advisory speed when traffic is supposed to stop

[Pete from Boston]

Along the lines of the original post:

* NB TN 840 at I-40 at Lebanon, TN:  Both a gantry and a gore sign

* I thought there was one in Nebraska somewhere, but I can't find it tonight.

That gore sign is especially dumb. There's no gore.

Very similar to the end of the US 3 expressway at 128 in Burlington.  The only saving graces are the button-copy shield (going or gone already), the wrong-way duplex, and the nearby parts bin flashing arrow accompanied by arrow board.  That and the last vestige of the "128=exit 25" system.

I don't think this is dumb, just a barely redundant reminder that after miles of numbered exits, this one is not optional.  Redundancy is called for at the end of a high speed road.

[vdeane]

I wouldn't really call it an "exit" though.  So why continue to sign it as such?  The road just becomes the ramp.

[jeffandnicole]

I wouldn't really call it an "exit" though.  So why continue to sign it as such?  The road just becomes the ramp.

In that sense, it's much like whenever one interstate highway ends at another interstate, and you must go North/South or East/West onto the other highway.  Those are usually signed with exit numbers as well.

[vdeane]

I wouldn't really call it an "exit" though.  So why continue to sign it as such?  The road just becomes the ramp.

In that sense, it's much like whenever one interstate highway ends at another interstate, and you must go North/South or East/West onto the other highway.  Those are usually signed with exit numbers as well.

Not around here they aren't.  Of all the freeway termini in the entire state, I can count the ones with exit numbers on my hands; most of them have history behind them:
-I-78: numbered circle, rest of route never built
-I-781: new, due to 2009 MUTCD
-NY 390: ???
-I-990: stub
-I-495: stub
-I-99: new, due to 2009 MUTCD
-NY 135: stubs
-Bethpage State Parkway: ???
-Bronx River Parkway: stub
-Cross Island Parkway: ???

So I can only see three instances where NYSDOT willingly gave exit numbers to a terminus, for whatever reason.  At one time the standard (at least upstate) was to not assign exit numbers at freeway-freeway junctions at all.

[silverback1065]

https://www.google.com/maps/@39.9784221,-86.1230846,3a,15y,119.08h,85.12t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sZ_R3icSS1eJ-rkzgHWAdkg!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

Drug free school zone signs.  What is the real purpose of this sign? Is it implying that there are other school zones in the area that aren't drug free? This should go without saying, every school is intended to be drug free (which is likely untrue at every school these days).  Also the font size is too small and unreadable by anyone not within 5 feet of it.  the sign has a good intent I guess, but was it really necessary?  feel free to call me stupid for that rant, but I think it's a stupid sign.

[GaryV]

Drug free school zone signs.  What is the real purpose of this sign?

I think it's to mark off the area where enforcement is stricter, and penalties are more severe.  So the perp can't complain to the judge, "But I didn't know it was a school zone, else I'd have sold my drugs somewhere else.  You can't throw the book at me!"

Kind of like the "Work Zone Begins" sign, so the perps can't argue that they weren't in the construction zone yet, so they shouldn't have to pay double fines.

[silverback1065]

Drug free school zone signs.  What is the real purpose of this sign?

I think it's to mark off the area where enforcement is stricter, and penalties are more severe.  So the perp can't complain to the judge, "But I didn't know it was a school zone, else I'd have sold my drugs somewhere else.  You can't throw the book at me!"

Kind of like the "Work Zone Begins" sign, so the perps can't argue that they weren't in the construction zone yet, so they shouldn't have to pay double fines.

Fair enough, that makes sense.

[Big John]

https://www.google.com/maps/@39.9784221,-86.1230846,3a,15y,119.08h,85.12t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sZ_R3icSS1eJ-rkzgHWAdkg!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

Drug free school zone signs.  What is the real purpose of this sign? Is it implying that there are other school zones in the area that aren't drug free? This should go without saying, every school is intended to be drug free (which is likely untrue at every school these days).  Also the font size is too small and unreadable by anyone not within 5 feet of it.  the sign has a good intent I guess, but was it really necessary?  feel free to call me stupid for that rant, but I think it's a stupid sign.

And making it look like a stop sign and putting it in that location in front of a signalized intersection is really a bad idea.

[empirestate]

https://www.google.com/maps/@39.9784221,-86.1230846,3a,15y,119.08h,85.12t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sZ_R3icSS1eJ-rkzgHWAdkg!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

Drug free school zone signs.  What is the real purpose of this sign? Is it implying that there are other school zones in the area that aren't drug free? This should go without saying, every school is intended to be drug free (which is likely untrue at every school these days).  Also the font size is too small and unreadable by anyone not within 5 feet of it.  the sign has a good intent I guess, but was it really necessary?  feel free to call me stupid for that rant, but I think it's a stupid sign.

Gotta love any sign you can make a liar out of, such as by lighting up in front of a "This is a Smoke-Free Environment" sign.

[TravelingBethelite]

I took this photo at Shiloh National Battlefield, near Savannah, Tennesee:

[bzakharin]

I've often wondered who this sign was targeting seeing as you can't stop here or walk up to it:
https://www.google.com/maps/@40.4778215,-74.4091554,3a,15y,127.09h,89.55t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sne0qNDsaPYcykaKLo6-DpQ!2e0!7i13312!8i6656
And they have them at most NJ Turnpike entrances

[SidS1045]

I've often wondered who this sign was targeting seeing as you can't stop here or walk up to it:
https://www.google.com/maps/@40.4778215,-74.4091554,3a,15y,127.09h,89.55t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sne0qNDsaPYcykaKLo6-DpQ!2e0!7i13312!8i6656
And they have them at most NJ Turnpike entrances

There's probably some obscure law that says the Turnpike regulations must be posted in a public place at all toll plazas, or something like that.  The law probably doesn't say that it has to be accessible or legible at any given distance.

[Pete from Boston]

I've often wondered who this sign was targeting seeing as you can't stop here or walk up to it:
https://www.google.com/maps/@40.4778215,-74.4091554,3a,15y,127.09h,89.55t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sne0qNDsaPYcykaKLo6-DpQ!2e0!7i13312!8i6656
And they have them at most NJ Turnpike entrances

There's probably some obscure law that says the Turnpike regulations must be posted in a public place at all toll plazas, or something like that.  The law probably doesn't say that it has to be accessible or legible at any given distance.

It's the EULA equivalent for the Turnpike.  You click "agree" by entering the road.

[NJ]

Oh really... didn't know I had to wait for green 

[Pete from Boston]

Oh really... didn't know I had to wait for green 

These tend to be less dumb road signs than signs necessitated by driver mistakes.

Does the oncoming traffic have a green light when traffic at this one has a red?  This would explain why drivers would need a reminder to keep still.

[NJ]

Oh really... didn't know I had to wait for green 

These tend to be less dumb road signs than signs necessitated by driver mistakes.

Does the oncoming traffic have a green light when traffic at this one has a red?  This would explain why drivers would need a reminder to keep still.

Still dumb... but I've seen 'Wait for Green' signs by my local mall with flashing yellow lights... are they still suppose to wait for green despite flashing yellow? 

[Mr_Northside]

I suppose that could also be a de facto "No Turn On Red" sign as well. 

A dumb sign indeed.

[NJ]

I suppose that could also be a de facto "No Turn On Red" sign as well. 

A dumb sign indeed.

Good point; California uses this symbolic sign
Canada uses this which I like and makes the most sense;