TV shows messing up highway shields

[Jim]

When Taking Woodstock was filmed in New Lebanon, NY, in 2008, they went to the trouble of putting up some accurate signs:



This was taken along US 20, nowhere near NY 17B or NY 55.

[topay]

don't forget the US-8/US-395 multiplex in Back to the Future! 

In 1955 AND in 1985!

Does it show up in 2015 as well? I don't remember seeing it in that scene, but I may have to watch the second Back to the Future movie again to make sure...

I think you're right.  I did notice there were still pavement markings in 2015, but I do not remember seeing the US Route shields.

Now, if the US Routes were in Hill Valley in 1885, then we'd really be talking!

[Brandon]

When Taking Woodstock was filmed in New Lebanon, NY, in 2008, they went to the trouble of putting up some accurate signs:

Almost accurate signs.  The NY-55 appears to be in Clearview.

[WNYroadgeek]

When Taking Woodstock was filmed in New Lebanon, NY, in 2008, they went to the trouble of putting up some accurate signs:

Almost accurate signs.  The NY-55 appears to be in Clearview.

I think the 17B is, too.

[Brandon]

When Taking Woodstock was filmed in New Lebanon, NY, in 2008, they went to the trouble of putting up some accurate signs:

Almost accurate signs.  The NY-55 appears to be in Clearview.

I think the 17B is, too.

Nope.  The "1" is FHWA font, as is the "7".  The "B" may be another story.

[agentsteel53]

the reason the 17B looks a tad wonky is that the font has been stretched horizontally a small amount, yielding different thicknesses for the horizontal and vertical strokes.

[Bryant5493]

Well, this isn't a T.V. show -- it's just a package store. The store's on U.S. 29/Roosevelt Highway.


Palmetto, Fulton County, Ga.


Be well,

Bryant

[agentsteel53]

I would really like to know who first invented that awful shield shape.  It takes a certain effort to distort the regular shield shape to that, so who bothered??

[golden eagle]

There's an episode of In the Heat Of the Night in which Chief Gillespie takes a trip to the Gulf Coast. In that episode, there's a mileage sign for Biloxi, Ocean Springs and Pascagoula (in that order). If you've driven that stretch of eastbound US 90, you know the sign. Anyhow, while the cities and mileage where correct, the placement was wrong. It showed the beach on the left side of the screen. If you're driving eastbound to Pascagoula, the beach would be on your right.

[Bryant5493]

^^

I remember that episode you're talking about, the one where I think his daughter Lana's mother, Georgia, died. (I look at this show every weekday on WGN America and Peachtree TV, lol.) Anywhoo, I didn't pay any attention to that, but now that you mention it...


Be well,

Bryant

[Bickendan]

I would really like to know who first invented that awful shield shape.  It takes a certain effort to distort the regular shield shape to that, so who bothered??

Don't get me started. I don't want to start scanning newspaper maps and advertising 'maps'. Needless to say, my cartographic sensibilities are offended every time. These abominations make bubble shields look legit, and we've already covered that debate.

[national highway 1]

Ah, in Midnight Club 3: DUB Remix on PS2, 1 of the locations is set in Atlanta. It shows an I-75 shield on an overhead BGS on an overpass.
In Need For Speed Undercover, it shows I-27 and US 99 in the same city.

[J N Winkler]

In addition to the observations others have made, the tab borders are just wrong--too much white outside the black inner borders, corner radii are not correct, etc.

[algorerhythms]

Just rewatched Back to the Future 2. No US-8 or US-395 shields, though apparently the flying highway is Skyway C25.

[Mr_Northside]

Just rewatched Back to the Future 2. No US-8 or US-395 shields, though apparently the flying highway is Skyway C25.

Hell yeah!
Just 5 more years till flying cars & Mr. Fusion.
I can't wait!

[rickmastfan67]

Just rewatched Back to the Future 2. No US-8 or US-395 shields, though apparently the flying highway is Skyway C25.

Hell yeah!
Just 5 more years till flying cars & Mr. Fusion.
I can't wait!

Yep!   I so want to fly over Mt. Washington. 

[florida]

On the 'Knight Rider' pilot, there is a button-copy BGS stating "Millston Airport" with an arrow and a circle-like SR shield with a 5 in it, on the top right of the sign. Considering they were filming in the California (and the general Southwest) desert, the closest SR-as-a-circle state is Oklahoma.

[Bickendan]

^That could be an example of trying to show their work, though the desert environs tends to throw that off.

[Michael]

As mentioned earlier, Cars was really good with route signage.  They even used the right fonts!  Here's some screenshots, with my comments below each picture:


The first overhead BGS leaving the first race, with a few diagrammatics.


A center-mounted and side-mounted BGS.  The shield on the left BGS looks like New Jersey with the non-cutout.  Also, note the cutout on the right post of the right sign.


The second overhead BGS with both a NJ and CA shield.  The cut-off overhead in the background just has an I-40 shield and "California" as a control city.


The truck stop exit that Mack wants to rest at.  The Exit Advisory Speed sign is black on white, not black on yellow.


Why do both directions blink yellow?!


I've never seen "End Construction Zone" signs on diamonds before.


The Radiator Springs exit is the first roadgeek related thing I noticed in Cars (that and the cutout US-66 shield).


Historic US 66 sign just outside of Radiator Springs

[agentsteel53]

damn, that Historic US 66 shield is better than 90% of what is posted on the route these days.

as for the advisory speed of 25 - that looks like an inverse of the 1929-1962 California speed limit sign.  It was black with white legend.

you can see one in the middle here:



that is the very first one (1929-1932), as it has no glass cateyes, and the auto club logo and AUTOMOBILE CLUB SOUTHERN CALIF. spelled out at the bottom.  Later ones added reflectors (1932), dropped the spelled-out verbiage (1934), and then the logo (1956).  I'd say the photo is 1931 or so, as the STOP sign has cateyes but the others do not.

In 1962, California switched to the federal standard, with SPEED and LIMIT on two lines, and then the number underneath.  However, the signs remained black with white legend until 1971.

[Scott5114]

I seem to recall there being a button-copy "TO I-40" assembly in Cars as well. I believe it was prominently shown in a scene where McQueen was on the edge of town, debating whether to stay or move on.

Someone on MTR said once that a curio shop along in town has a bunch of 66-related signs on the front of it, including a K-66 shield, but it's not really visible in the actual film.

[rickmastfan67]

There's a button copy US-66 shield right after McQueen catches the truck he think's is his hauler.  Don't recall any button copy I-40 shields.

[SP Cook]

You ever noticed this about TV and movies?  Whether its a part of the plot (where it can be overlooked) or just a casual element of the show, Hollywood seems unaware of the rural interstate.  The typical real world trip involves traveling from you local area to an interstate (or equlivant), driving for a very long distance on that road, and then perhaps a short distance from the interstate to your destination.  Any services needed along the way will be provided by chain companies which are similar across the nation in reasonable clean and organized surroundings. 

However, in Hollywood, people still travel like it was 1945.  Long distances on non-interstate four and two lanes, speed trap hick towns, and roadside services provided by an assortment of hicks, oddballs and people unaware of and untouched by much of anything that has happened in the last 60 years.

Sometimes, as I said, a plot device, but often not.  Happened, for example on the most recent Two and a Half Men.   Perhaps symptomatic of many in Hollywood, like many in larger cities, never traveling much by road.

[national highway 1]

Here's this card i randomly found on the internet. Good map, but the I-95 shield has the wrong colors in the wrong places.

[Bickendan]

It's also wrong: There's no gap in New Jersey