The Worst of Road Signs

[jeffandnicole]

I noticed a LOT of these while driving through Minnesooootaaaaa. The people in the right lane already know they should be in the right lane - that's why they're in the right lane. So why are these all on the right side of the road? *sigh*

I only look at pictures.  So should I be looking at the trees or the clouds?  Or should we clickbate this and say "You won't believe what's missing from this picture! (Hint, it's 4 words!)"

[seicer]

He was asking why the "Slower Traffic Keep Right" sign is oriented towards traffic in the right lane, rather than slower traffic in the left lane. In some states, that type of signage is installed in the left lane.

I like the newer variant of the sign, which I now see in some states like Kentucky and West Virginia, where it reads: "KEEP RIGHT (in bold) Except to Pass." It's less wordy and bolder and typically installed in the left lane orientation.

[tckma]

He was asking why the "Slower Traffic Keep Right" sign is oriented towards traffic in the right lane, rather than slower traffic in the left lane. In some states, that type of signage is installed in the left lane.

I like the newer variant of the sign, which I now see in some states like Kentucky and West Virginia, where it reads: "KEEP RIGHT (in bold) Except to Pass." It's less wordy and bolder and typically installed in the left lane orientation.

That's not necessarily what "slower traffic keep right" is saying, I think.  "Keep right except to pass" is a basic rule of the road.  I typically see "slower traffic keep right" signs posted where there is a climbing lane added for ascending a steep hill.

[jeffandnicole]

He was asking why the "Slower Traffic Keep Right" sign is oriented towards traffic in the right lane, rather than slower traffic in the left lane. In some states, that type of signage is installed in the left lane.

I know.  Thus the sarcastic "Or should we clickbate this and say 'You won't believe what's missing from this picture! (Hint, it's 4 words!)'"

I like the newer variant of the sign, which I now see in some states like Kentucky and West Virginia, where it reads: "KEEP RIGHT (in bold) Except to Pass." It's less wordy and bolder and typically installed in the left lane orientation.

That's 5 words...that's not less wordy than the 4 word "Slower Traffic Keep Right", although it does have one less letter.  And it's hardly a new variant...New Jersey and other states have used that sign for decades.

[jakeroot]

I seem to recall seeing "Left Lane for Passing Only" in Texas. I quite like this variant.

Washington uses "Keep Right Except to Pass". I'm not certain of its effectiveness, but they're all over the place.

[thefraze_1020]

I seem to recall seeing "Left Lane for Passing Only" in Texas. I quite like this variant.

Washington uses "Keep Right Except to Pass". I'm not certain of it's effectiveness, but they're all over the place.

And in some places, near state lines, Washington goes a step further with signs saying "STATE LAW Keep Right Except to Pass".
There is one on SR 20 Spur heading out of Anacortes, for the BC traffic coming off the ferry. I'd post the GMSV, but it is from 2008 and looks terrible.

[myosh_tino]

California uses "Slower Traffic Keep Right" signs but I have not seen too many of them recently.

[bzakharin]

I noticed a LOT of these while driving through Minnesooootaaaaa. The people in the right lane already know they should be in the right lane - that's why they're in the right lane. So why are these all on the right side of the road? *sigh*

The people in the right lane *now* may want to switch lanes later. The signs would discourage that, presumably. If you're already in the left lane, you were already ignoring the signs when you were still in the right lane (assuming there wasn't a left entrance)

[kphoger]

"Keep right except to pass" is a basic rule of the road.

Have you driven in Minnesota lately?  It is definitely NOT a basic rule of the road there.

[paulthemapguy]

Every "slower traffic keep right" sign I've ever seen has been on the right side of the road.  Except for maybe 1% of the ones I've seen.  Maybe it is a good idea to put them on the left as well.

[rarnold]

On I-25 in Colorado between Wyo state line and Denver they use "Keep Right Except to Pass", with the added yellow banner at the top STATE LAW. They are mounted on right and in the median.

[cl94]

On I-25 in Colorado between Wyo state line and Denver they use "Keep Right Except to Pass", with the added yellow banner at the top STATE LAW. They are mounted on right and in the median.

Vermont mounts it on both sides as well, except they use the standard sign.

[Roadgeek Adam]

In today's definition of worst of, or potentially the ugliest piece of crap of all time, even in a town famous for square NY 265 shields and square interstate shields. Tonawanda, NY's Woodstock Street provides us this:



Burn. Now.

[SignGeek101]

In today's definition of worst of, or potentially the ugliest piece of crap of all time, even in a town famous for square NY 265 shields and square interstate shields. Tonawanda, NY's Woodstock Street provides us this:



Burn. Now.

What font is that? It looks like something from a wild west movie.

[peperodriguez2710]

Speaking of bad fonts. This illegal abominations in the AP-7 entering Barcelona still exist. This an example of what happens when you let a toll plaza administrator (Abertis, in this case), order the signs in the nearest exit without any further supervision. What surprises me is that I've driven too through other Abertis tollways, or even the same one (AP-7) but more southern, and signs there follow the rules; so I think that the tollway contractor in the area is very dumb and has no respect for the laws at all. I just hope some very tall truck doesn't see the height warnings at the tollway entrance and destroys them all   

Eastbound:

Image by Erik Spiekermann


Sorry for blurryness, Google Street View censorship is so clumsy

Westbound:

So do you think it can't be worse?


I believe this is the worst Spanish sign ever. Helvetica, cut form above and without down pointing arrows in the non-exit one. Even a kid would've made it better.

(Maybe this would be better in the Arialveticsvesk thread, but those signs are really bad and I don't want to bump that thread xD)

[noelbotevera]

In today's definition of worst of, or potentially the ugliest piece of crap of all time, even in a town famous for square NY 265 shields and square interstate shields. Tonawanda, NY's Woodstock Street provides us this:



Burn. Now.

What font is that? It looks like something from a wild west movie.

That arrow also belongs to be in a laboratory for research on micro organisms.

[kphoger]

In today's definition of worst of, or potentially the ugliest piece of crap of all time, even in a town famous for square NY 265 shields and square interstate shields. Tonawanda, NY's Woodstock Street provides us this:



Burn. Now.

Is CONT'D supposed to be a contraction of CONTINUED? Because it's not.

[paulthemapguy]

This made me want to commit seppuku.
And the kicker is that the sign for the oncoming traffic matches this.  Both of them look like this.
P.S. Yes this is in the U.S.A.



2016-06-30_07-47-44 by Paul Drives, on Flickr

[PurdueBill]

In today's definition of worst of, or potentially the ugliest piece of crap of all time, even in a town famous for square NY 265 shields and square interstate shields. Tonawanda, NY's Woodstock Street provides us this:



Burn. Now.

Is CONT'D supposed to be a contraction of CONTINUED? Because it's not.

CONT'D and CONT. seem to both be acceptable based on various style sources, but CON'T (as on the sign, with an apostrophe) is total nonsense.  No letters omitted between the N and the T, no contraction, no apostrophe needed.  Abbreviation by omission doesn't take an apostrophe.

That sign almost seems like it was made to see how many ways they could mess with it.  How do they get away with the rectangular Interstate shields and signs like this one? Can't NYSDOT intervene if the city is refusing to even try to do things right?

[cl94]

That sign almost seems like it was made to see how many ways they could mess with it.  How do they get away with the rectangular Interstate shields and signs like this one? Can't NYSDOT intervene if the city is refusing to even try to do things right?

This is Region 5 we're talking about. They were the last to switch to mixed-case (even leaving old signal poles up in some places so they didn't have to install new mixed-case signs), they rarely install the NYSDOT-standard "state speed limit 55" signs, recent BGSes have been atrocious, and yes, some of my other issues with them are personal. There is a reason why people in the head office refer to them as "the kingdom"- they don't give a damn about anything.

[chays]

In today's definition of worst of, or potentially the ugliest piece of crap of all time, even in a town famous for square NY 265 shields and square interstate shields. Tonawanda, NY's Woodstock Street provides us this:



Burn. Now.

Is CONT'D supposed to be a contraction of CONTINUED? Because it's not.

CONT'D and CONT. seem to both be acceptable based on various style sources, but CON'T (as on the sign, with an apostrophe) is total nonsense.  No letters omitted between the N and the T, no contraction, no apostrophe needed.  Abbreviation by omission doesn't take an apostrophe.

That sign almost seems like it was made to see how many ways they could mess with it.  How do they get away with the rectangular Interstate shields and signs like this one? Can't NYSDOT intervene if the city is refusing to even try to do things right?

I'm wondering if it isn't supposed to mean CONNECTOR or CONNECTION.  The contraction doesn't really work for either of those either, but who knows....its a mystery the intent of that sign-maker

[vdeane]

That sign almost seems like it was made to see how many ways they could mess with it.  How do they get away with the rectangular Interstate shields and signs like this one? Can't NYSDOT intervene if the city is refusing to even try to do things right?

This is Region 5 we're talking about. They were the last to switch to mixed-case (even leaving old signal poles up in some places so they didn't have to install new mixed-case signs), they rarely install the NYSDOT-standard "state speed limit 55" signs, recent BGSes have been atrocious, and yes, some of my other issues with them are personal. There is a reason why people in the head office refer to them as "the kingdom"- they don't give a damn about anything.

Plus New York is a "home rule" state, so there's not much the state can order a municipality to do unless we're giving them money.

[Jim]

For the "Woodstock Con't" sign, here's the list of words I was able to pick off of a dictionary that start with "con" and end with "t".

Code Select Expand

concealment
conceit
concent
concept
conceptualist
concernment
concert
concisest
conclavist
concoct
concomitant
concordant
concordat
concurrent
condiment
conduct
conduit
confect
confederalist
conferment
confidant
confident
confinement
conflict
conformist
confront
confrontationist
congealment
congest
congregationalist
congruent
conjoint
conjunct
connect
conodont
conquest
conscript
consent
consequent
conservationist
consignment
consist
consistent
consonant
consort
constant
constituent
constitutionalist
constraint
constrict
construct
constructionist
consult
consultant
consumerist
contact
containment
contaminant
contempt
content
contentment
contest
contestant
context
continent
contingent
continuant
contort
contortionist
contrabandist
contract
contradict
contrast
controversialist
controvert
convalescent
convect
convenient
convent
conventionalist
convergent
conversant
conversationalist
convert
convict

While I'm guessing it's just an invalid way of contracting "continued", some of the words in the list can be fun to consider as possibilities.

[noelbotevera]

This made me want to commit seppuku.
And the kicker is that the sign for the oncoming traffic matches this.  Both of them look like this.
P.S. Yes this is in the U.S.A.



2016-06-30_07-47-44 by Paul Drives, on Flickr

[mrsman]

I seem to recall seeing "Left Lane for Passing Only" in Texas. I quite like this variant.

Washington uses "Keep Right Except to Pass". I'm not certain of it's effectiveness, but they're all over the place.

And in some places, near state lines, Washington goes a step further with signs saying "STATE LAW Keep Right Except to Pass".
There is one on SR 20 Spur heading out of Anacortes, for the BC traffic coming off the ferry. I'd post the GMSV, but it is from 2008 and looks terrible.

I like the terminology "Keep Right Except to Pass" because it most precisely states what the law is.  "Slower traffic keep right" is not as precise.