Graffiti on road signs, especially overhead signs

[Roadgeekteen]

Never seen this before



Huh, looks like imgur is not working, pasted the link

https://imgur.com/a/XqNaQUw

[kphoger]

Overhead signs and pedestrian bridges aren't a good match.

[kphoger]

Never seen this before



Huh, looks like imgur is not working, pasted the link

https://imgur.com/a/XqNaQUw

[TBKS1]

I've seen many examples of this before, there was this one close to where I live (the sign has since been replaced)



[Street View]

There's probably been other examples of this being done where speed limit signs have been transformed to look like they have a higher speed limit than they actually have.

EDIT: I didn't really see that this included overhead signs, I personally haven't seen any that have been vandalized before, but I have seen speed limit signs in particular being vandalized.

[mrsman]

This phenomenon is especially common in the Los Angeles area.

[Truvelo]

Here's it's 30 signs which have had the left side of the 3 painted into an 8 even though the highest speed limit is only 70.

[Roadgeekteen]

I've seen many examples of this before, there was this one close to where I live (the sign has since been replaced)



[Street View]

There's probably been other examples of this being done where speed limit signs have been transformed to look like they have a higher speed limit than they actually have.

EDIT: I didn't really see that this included overhead signs, I personally haven't seen any that have been vandalized before, but I have seen speed limit signs in particular being vandalized.

Do people actually fall for this?

[kphoger]

Do people actually fall for this?

You mean drive 80 mph in a 20 zone?  No, of course not.

But the real question is, if you did a good enough job, would it fool a self-driving car.  Real-world experimentation has determined that answer to be "yes".

[SectorZ]

Never seen this before



Huh, looks like imgur is not working, pasted the link

https://imgur.com/a/XqNaQUw

Take a road trip up US 3 thru Lowell and Chelmsford and you can get your fill of some brand new graffiti on the backs of signs and bridge abutments.

[csw]

There are a few graffiti'd signs in and around Louisville - here are some examples.

[hotdogPi]

What would be some good graffiti to spray on an overhead sign? "EXIT 45 TO BYPASS TOLL"? "KNOWN SPEED TRAP CORRIDOR"?

[kphoger]

What would be some good graffiti to spray on an overhead sign? "EXIT 45 TO BYPASS TOLL"? "KNOWN SPEED TRAP CORRIDOR"?

Spray-painted corrections to lane markings on diagrammatic signs?

[hbelkins]

Some of those "tags" on the signs in Louisville just amaze me. How can people scale those gantries and paint those signs without falling? And how can they do it without being caught by cars passing by?

[jeffandnicole]

Do people actually fall for this?

You mean drive 80 mph in a 20 zone?  No, of course not.

But the real question is, if you did a good enough job, would it fool a self-driving car.  Real-world experimentation has determined that answer to be "yes".

Do people actually fall for this?

No proof.  No video.  A single sign with a supposed modification, taken at such a close, zoomed in angle where there's nothing around to indicate where the sign was located.  No idea what kind of road this was on - most roads with 35 mph would be ultra-dangerous to be driven at 85 mph for any length of time, including the time it would take to accelerate to and decelerate from 85 mph.

Don't believe everything you read on the internet.

[Verlanka]

Some of those "tags" on the signs in Louisville just amaze me. How can people scale those gantries and paint those signs without falling? And how can they do it without being caught by cars passing by?

Maybe they're doing it before the signs go up in the first place.

[jeffandnicole]

Some of those "tags" on the signs in Louisville just amaze me. How can people scale those gantries and paint those signs without falling? And how can they do it without being caught by cars passing by?

Maybe they're doing it before the signs go up in the first place.

Usually not. These signs are many years old. The tags are relatively new.

[Roadgeekteen]

There are a few graffiti'd signs in and around Louisville - here are some examples.

Do the words on the top sign actually mean anything?

[kphoger]

And how can they do it without being caught by cars passing by?

What do you mean, "caught by cars passing by"?  Other than calling the police, who would presumably not respond within 30 seconds, what are passing drivers going to do?

[csw]

There are a few graffiti'd signs in and around Louisville - here are some examples.

https://i.imgur.com/IgEydA6.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/OFDIqSf.jpg

Do the words on the top sign actually mean anything?

I don't know man, I thought "ZEN MIAGE CLEAN 2BUCK BINGE" was pretty clear.

[Roadgeekteen]

There are a few graffiti'd signs in and around Louisville - here are some examples.

https://i.imgur.com/IgEydA6.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/OFDIqSf.jpg

Do the words on the top sign actually mean anything?

I don't know man, I thought "ZEN MIAGE CLEAN 2BUCK BINGE" was pretty clear.

Looked it up. Apparently it's to honor a graffiti artist who died getting hit by a car.

[bing101]

In the Los Angeles area Caltrans in the past had to put barbed wire on BGS signs because they were getting graffiti in the past though.

[kphoger]

 

BGS signs

[csw]

BGS signs

Somebody's reeeally bored during quarantine...

[hbelkins]

And how can they do it without being caught by cars passing by?

What do you mean, "caught by cars passing by"?  Other than calling the police, who would presumably not respond within 30 seconds, what are passing drivers going to do?

Well, it's been my experience that most people don't commit acts of vandalism out in full view of the public. And what if one of the passing cars happened to be a cop car?

BTW, an arrest was made in Louisville earlier this week for graffiti.

https://www.wdrb.com/news/two-arrested-in-connection-with-graffiti-over-interstates-64-65-lmpd-says/article_5b28b4f8-8b39-11ea-b0e0-6f22a9f21ceb.html

[STLmapboy]

And how can they do it without being caught by cars passing by?

What do you mean, "caught by cars passing by"?  Other than calling the police, who would presumably not respond within 30 seconds, what are passing drivers going to do?

Well, it's been my experience that most people don't commit acts of vandalism out in full view of the public. And what if one of the passing cars happened to be a cop car?

BTW, an arrest was made in Louisville earlier this week for graffiti.

https://www.wdrb.com/news/two-arrested-in-connection-with-graffiti-over-interstates-64-65-lmpd-says/article_5b28b4f8-8b39-11ea-b0e0-6f22a9f21ceb.html

That is some extremely politically charged graffiti.

As for examples, I know SoCal used to have a lot, but the barbed wire and/or plastic film around bridge-mounted signs has helped. The Bay Area has also tried implementation: https://abc7news.com/building-a-better-bay-area-freeway-signs-highway-graffiti-on/5290143/