Daily conversation: What is the worst possible answer?

[kphoger]

25 JUN 2026

This crosswalk signal now displays both a steady green ball and a flashing yellow ball at the same time—on all signal heads, in both directions.

What is the intended meaning when a signal displays a combination of a steady green ball and a flashing yellow ball?

US 13 the politician who started it was having a very bad day.

Your answer is so bad that it's disqualified.

Try again.

[formulanone]

This crosswalk signal now displays both a steady green ball and a flashing yellow ball at the same time—on all signal heads, in both directions.

What is the intended meaning when a signal displays a combination of a steady green ball and a flashing yellow ball?

The ingredients of Happy Fun Ball include an unknown glowing substance which fell to Earth, presumably from outer space.

[TheCatalyst31]

6-29-2026: Why is Albert Lea a control city on 35 south out of MSP?

MnDOT wanted to remind drivers that there's always an alternative to voluntarily going to Iowa.

[I-57/Route 66 Fan]

6-29-2026: Why is Albert Lea a control city on 35 south out of MSP?

The local hospital was tired of The Mayo Clinic stealing all their patients, so they put signs up for their city.

[kphoger]

MnDOT wanted to remind drivers that there's always an alternative to voluntarily going to Iowa.

You win this round.

[kurumi]

6-29-2026: Why is Albert Lea a control city on 35 south out of MSP?

It's a consequence of the Stroudsburg Decision of summer 1978.

Originally MnDOT had assigned Stroudsburg as the control city, since you could take 35 south to 90 east to 80 east to Stroudsburg. However, the head of Policy and Planning remarked that her family typically took I-94 east instead, as it was a little more direct. Then an intern chimed in to agree, and the commissioner called a department-wide meeting for the following Monday.

It was a simple, pragmatic meeting typical of Midwestern government agencies. A show of hands for I-35, then I-94, then "other", just to leave no stone unturned. The summer population of Stroudsburg nearly triples due to all the Minnesotans, so this was important.

More than 400 hands were raised, easily a supermajority of the audience, favoring the I-94 route. This left I-35 needing something ("not necessarily," commented a visitor from Caltrans district 4). Des Moines was ruled out ("eww"), leaving Albert Lea as the best choice.

[kphoger]

30 JUN 2026

What type of road sign that is typically ground-mounted should be mounted on overhead gantries instead?

[I-57/Route 66 Fan]

30 JUN 2026

What type of road sign that is typically ground-mounted should be mounted on overhead gantries instead?

Railroad crossing sign.

[jeffandnicole]

30 JUN 2026

What type of road sign that is typically ground-mounted should be mounted on overhead gantries instead?

Every side street street blade, using current sizing.

[Big John]

30 JUN 2026

What type of road sign that is typically ground-mounted should be mounted on overhead gantries instead?

Deaf Child area

[kphoger]

Railroad crossing sign.

Why is that a bad answer?

[NE2]

30 JUN 2026

What type of road sign that is typically ground-mounted should be mounted on overhead gantries instead?

Truncated domes.

[1995hoo]

30 JUN 2026

What type of road sign that is typically ground-mounted should be mounted on overhead gantries instead?

Signs at crosswalks advising people to stop for (or yield to, depending on state law) pedestrians.

[kphoger]

30 JUN 2026

What type of road sign that is typically ground-mounted should be mounted on overhead gantries instead?

Truncated domes.

Are you going by an obscure definition of that word?

[NE2]

30 JUN 2026

What type of road sign that is typically ground-mounted should be mounted on overhead gantries instead?

Truncated domes.

Are you going by an obscure definition of that word?

No...?

[kphoger]

No...?

OK, then......??

[vdeane]

30 JUN 2026

What type of road sign that is typically ground-mounted should be mounted on overhead gantries instead?

Mile markers and tenth mile markers

[kphoger]

30 JUN 2026

What type of road sign that is typically ground-mounted should be mounted on overhead gantries instead?

Right-of-way markers, such as these Missouri ones.

Or, alternatively, bus stop signs.

[I-55]

30 JUN 2026

What type of road sign that is typically ground-mounted should be mounted on overhead gantries instead?

W1-8 Chevrons

[Mapmikey]

30 JUN 2026

What type of road sign that is typically ground-mounted should be mounted on overhead gantries instead?

Dip

[kphoger]

30 JUN 2026

What type of road sign that is typically ground-mounted should be mounted on overhead gantries instead?

R10-32P

—  OR  —


D9-6

[xonhulu]

30 JUN 2026

What type of road sign that is typically ground-mounted should be mounted on overhead gantries instead?

[I-57/Route 66 Fan]

30 JUN 2026

What type of road sign that is typically ground-mounted should be mounted on overhead gantries instead?

I can see that sign hanging from an overhead power line

[Scott5114]

30 JUN 2026

What type of road sign that is typically ground-mounted should be mounted on overhead gantries instead?

The W8-19 flood gauge sign. If the road might be flooded, it is important for that information to be highly visible to everyone for safety reasons, so mounting it overhead would be beneficial.

[NE2]

30 JUN 2026

What type of road sign that is typically ground-mounted should be mounted on overhead gantries instead?

Truncated domes.

Are you going by an obscure definition of that word?

Did you actually look up what truncated domes are? They are a sign to blind people that there is potential danger ahead.