The Worst of Road Signs

[Arkansastravelguy]

Where is that??

Somewhere near the former I-540 near Fayetteville, AR.  The best part is the direction.  I don't think I-540 ever went east-west.

That's section of 49/540 is marked north and south. At the roundabout you go eastbound to get to 49, but you can literally see the 49 signs and intersection from the circle. Just hideous all around


iPhone

[jakeroot]

Don't know if this was meant as a joke or not, but just saw this on KTLA. It's in Culver City, LA near Linwood Howe Elementary:

(The photo is HTTPS, so let me know if you can't see it -- here's a link to the story just in case).

[1995hoo]

Picture displayed fine on my iPad and elicited a "holy shit!" from me. Wow.

Edited to add that I sent it to my brother and here was his reply:

i.e.:  Don't park there —they'll find a way to ticket you

[Brandon]

^^ Fuck me, that even makes Chicago look good.

[Marc]

Here are some more from my area. All of these were taken along I-565.

Exit 3 by freebrickproductions, on Flickr

This is one of the things that has always bothered by about Texas.
All of our exits are numbered in this fashion.

[CNGL-Leudimin]

Don't know if this was meant as a joke or not, but just saw this on KTLA. It's in Culver City, LA near Linwood Howe Elementary:

(The photo is HTTPS, so let me know if you can't see it -- here's a link to the story just in case).

This is even worse than Italian restricted traffic zone signs, known for their info overload. BTW, I can see the pic.

[signalman]

Don't know if this was meant as a joke or not, but just saw this on KTLA. It's in Culver City, LA near Linwood Howe Elementary:

(The photo is HTTPS, so let me know if you can't see it -- here's a link to the story just in case).

I was able to see the image on both my phone and home computer just fine.  All I can say is holy information overload!  By the time a person reads and deceiphers all that information, their permitted time to park there will be up. (Assuming one parks there during a permitted time.)  Unless I only needed to park there momentarily to use the phone or look at a map or something, I'd just park elsewhere.

[admtrap]

Well as far as I can tell, if it's noon on Tuesday, and you have a CCUSD permit, then you both can and cannot park there.  That makes it Schrodinger's parking spot.

[hotdogPi]

Well as far as I can tell, if it's noon on Tuesday, and you have a CCUSD permit, then you both can and cannot park there.  That makes it Schrodinger's parking spot.

This quote is meant for something else, but it probably applies here too:

When a rule or effect allows or directs something to happen, and another effect states that it can't happen, the "can't"  effect takes precedence.

[1995hoo]

Well as far as I can tell, if it's noon on Tuesday, and you have a CCUSD permit, then you both can and cannot park there.  That makes it Schrodinger's parking spot.

This quote is meant for something else, but it probably applies here too:

When a rule or effect allows or directs something to happen, and another effect states that it can't happen, the "can't"  effect takes precedence.

I once saw the following suggestion for whenever you think signs are ambiguous: Figure out which one is the most restrictive and follow that sign because you're better off incorrectly assuming you can't park than incorrectly assuming you can.

[kkt]

Unless you want to take the locality to court and make them look like the fools they are.

[Jim]

I saw at least 3 of these "I-I-195's", including this one on US 6 westbound, in East Providence, RI, back in April.  Others I saw were on RI 103.

[mrsman]

Don't know if this was meant as a joke or not, but just saw this on KTLA. It's in Culver City, LA near Linwood Howe Elementary:

(The photo is HTTPS, so let me know if you can't see it -- here's a link to the story just in case).

I was able to see the image on both my phone and home computer just fine.  All I can say is holy information overload!  By the time a person reads and deceiphers all that information, their permitted time to park there will be up. (Assuming one parks there during a permitted time.)  Unless I only needed to park there momentarily to use the phone or look at a map or something, I'd just park elsewhere.

I would simplify this as follows, into 6 signs:

No Parking /11 am to 1 pm/ Tuesday /Street Cleaning

Tow Away/ No Stopping/ 6pm to 12 Midnight Friday/ All-Day Sat and Sunday/ Permit 4 Exempted

Tow Away/ School Days/ 15 minute Limit/ 7:30-8:30 am Mon-Fri/ 1:30-2:15 Wed/ 3-4 pm Mon Tue Thur Fri

Tow Away/ School Days/ No Parking 8:30 am - 3 pm Mon Tue Thur Fri/ 8:30 am - 1:30 pm Wed/ 2:15 - 4 pm Wed CCUSD Permit Exempted

Tow Away/1 hour parking /4pm - 6 pm/ Mon-Fri/ District 4 Exempted

Tow Away/ Non-School Days/ 1 hour parking/ All-Day Mon-Thurs/ 12:01 am - 6 pm Friday/ DIstrict 4 exempted


As you can see, the real culprit are the rules themselves, because there is no easy way to simplify them.  It's probably better to loosen up some of the restrictions in the name of clarity, into 4 signs:


No Parking /11 am to 1 pm/ Tuesday /Street Cleaning

Tow Away/ No Stopping/ 6pm to 12 Midnight Friday Nights / All-Day Sat and Sun/ Permit 4 Exempted

Tow Away/ Mon-Fri/ (School Days/ No Parking 7:30 am - 4 pm/ School Uses Exempt/See Below)/ (Non-School Days & After School/ 1 hour parking 7:30 am - 12 Midnight/ District 4 Exempt)

Tow Away/ School Day Restrictions/ (15 minute Limit/ 7:30-8:30 am Mon-Fri/ 1:30-2:15 Wed/ 3-4 pm Mon Tue Thur Fri/
(No Parking 8:30 am - 3 pm Mon Tue Thur Fri/ 8:30 am - 1:30 pm Wed/ 2:15 - 4 pm Wed CCUSD Permit Exempted)



It would help even more if the school could have the same hours on Wednesdays as they do the rest of the week. 

It would also help if any street parking restriction (or school speed limit restriction) could have a clear indication of which days are school days.  In this era of the smart phone, I think a website URL that goes directly to the school's calendar could be posted on the parking sign.  Without other information, I would generally assume not to park in any school zone any Mon-Fri, because even if the district is on vacation, there could still be summer school or other unique scheduling at this particular school.

In my system, red should be used if the general public cannot park at all and green should be used if the general public can park, with a limited time frame.


Yes, the original sign is ridiculously complicated, but I do have to hand it to Culver City for at least trying to make the block available to parkers as often as possible.  It is a busy area where there are a lot of competing parking interests: residents, shoppers going to nearby Downtown Culver City, school employees, and parent drop off for school.  Plus the need to clean the streets once a week.  They could have easily put up one sign restricting parking for everyone at all times, except the school employees and have the residents and customers fight it out on other blocks.  But at least they are trying to equitably divide up a scarce resource - too bad the rules are unintelligible.

[1995hoo]

I believe someone here previously noted there is some sort of national prohibition against putting URLs on road signs.

[cl94]

I believe someone here previously noted there is some sort of national prohibition against putting URLs on road signs.

I think one can tell when school is in session. The full parking lot and presence of kids should give that away.

[1995hoo]

I believe someone here previously noted there is some sort of national prohibition against putting URLs on road signs.

I think one can tell when school is in session. The full parking lot and presence of kids should give that away.

Unless it's midday and the kids are inside the building!   

[PurdueBill]

I believe someone here previously noted there is some sort of national prohibition against putting URLs on road signs.

According to MUTCD Chapter 2A:

Standard:
14 Except as provided in Paragraph 16 and except for the Carpool Information (D12-2) sign (see Section 2I.11), Internet addresses and e-mail addresses, including domain names and uniform resource locators (URL), shall not be displayed on any sign, supplemental plaque, sign panel (including logo sign panels on Specific Service signs), or changeable message sign.

Guidance:
15 Unless otherwise provided in this Manual for a specific sign, and except as provided in Paragraph 16, telephone numbers of more than four characters should not be displayed on any sign, supplemental plaque, sign panel (including logo sign panels on specific service signs), or changeable message sign.

Option:
16 Internet addresses, e-mail addresses, or telephone numbers with more than four characters may be displayed on signs, supplemental plaques, sign panels, and changeable message signs that are intended for viewing only by pedestrians, bicyclists, occupants of parked vehicles, or drivers of vehicles on low-speed roadways where engineering judgment indicates that an area is available for drivers to stop out of the traffic flow to read the message.

[mrsman]

I believe someone here previously noted there is some sort of national prohibition against putting URLs on road signs.

According to MUTCD Chapter 2A:

Option:
16 Internet addresses, e-mail addresses, or telephone numbers with more than four characters may be displayed on signs, supplemental plaques, sign panels, and changeable message signs that are intended for viewing only by pedestrians, bicyclists, [bold]occupants of parked vehicles, [/bold] or drivers of vehicles on low-speed roadways where engineering judgment indicates that an area is available for drivers to stop out of the traffic flow to read the message.

Remember this is a parking sign.  Cars driving by will ignore these signs.  Only cars that are parking will notice this and won't be distracted by the URL.

Another helpful URL on parking signs may be the web-address for the parking ticket adjudication bureau.

[CNGL-Leudimin]

I saw at least 3 of these "I-I-195's", including this one on US 6 westbound, in East Providence, RI, back in April.  Others I saw were on RI 103.

This one must be from the Department of Redundancy Department.

[kkt]

The bad thing is not so much that the I and the "Interstate" are redundant, it's that the sans serif I looks like a 1.  In rain, fog, or bad light, wonder if that's 1195?  Or 1-195?  or H95?
 

[Brandon]

The bad thing is not so much that the I and the "Interstate" are redundant, it's that the sans serif I looks like a 1.  In rain, fog, or bad light, wonder if that's 1195?  Or 1-195?  or H95?

H95?  When'd we get to Hawai'i from Rhode Island? 

[exit322]

Well as far as I can tell, if it's noon on Tuesday, and you have a CCUSD permit, then you both can and cannot park there.  That makes it Schrodinger's parking spot.

No, it makes it Alan's.

[SectorZ]

I saw at least 3 of these "I-I-195's", including this one on US 6 westbound, in East Providence, RI, back in April.  Others I saw were on RI 103.

This one must be from the Department of Redundancy Department.

There is actually one of those on I-195 itself, eastbound just before the MA border.

[relaxok]

Uhm... thanks, I'll be on the lookout?

[freebrickproductions]

Exit 2 on I-565 heading west:

Exit 2 by freebrickproductions, on Flickr