Daily conversation: What is the worst possible answer?

[kphoger]

Because we aren't a communist country, and us would signify socialism.

It's an especially bad answer because communism and socialism aren't the same thing.

That's why "interstate" is abbreviated with "I". This is an individualistic country, I will drive "I" routes as I please.

Nicely played.

[TheCatalyst31]

23 SEP 2025

What does this sign mean?

*optional* — With four words or less, what would be a good text-based version be?

Road go spinny

24 SEP 2025

Interstate Highway shields say "INTERSTATE" on them.
Why don't U.S. Route shields say "U.S." on them?

Some guy really wanted them to say "FEDERAL", and they left it blank as a compromise.

[Dirt Roads]

24 SEP 2025

Interstate Highway shields say "INTERSTATE" on them.
Why don't U.S. Route shields say "U.S." on them?

Because U.S. contains too many letters for a road sign.

[IowaTraveler]

23 SEP 2025

What does this sign mean?

*optional* — With four words or less, what would be a good text-based version be?

This is the sign you'll see when you drive west across a time zone boundary. The counterclockwise rotation indicated by the arrows serves as a reminder to set your clocks back by an hour. A clockwise version of this sign is used when driving east across a time zone boundary, although both versions of the sign have fallen out of use with the proliferation of clocks that automatically adjust to time zone changes.

24 SEP 2025

Interstate Highway shields say "INTERSTATE" on them.
Why don't U.S. Route shields say "U.S." on them?

They do, but the letters are in white like they are on interstate shields, so they blend in with the white background.

[akotchi]

23 SEP 2025

What does this sign mean?

*optional* — With four words or less, what would be a good text-based version be?

You are lost.

[kphoger]

This is the sign you'll see when you drive west across a time zone boundary. The counterclockwise rotation indicated by the arrows serves as a reminder to set your clocks back by an hour. A clockwise version of this sign is used when driving east across a time zone boundary, although both versions of the sign have fallen out of use with the proliferation of clocks that automatically adjust to time zone changes.
They do, but the letters are in white like they are on interstate shields, so they blend in with the white background.

By the way, I love both of these answers.

[GaryV]

24 SEP 2025

Interstate Highway shields say "INTERSTATE" on them.
Why don't U.S. Route shields say "U.S." on them?

Because they wanted to head off having internet posters that might sing about little bushes and invent non-existent words. Too bad it didn't work.

[Henry]

24 SEP 2025

Interstate Highway shields say "INTERSTATE" on them.
Why don't U.S. Route shields say "U.S." on them?

Because we don't want the foreigners to think that we're all police officers.

[Scott5114]

Good answer:
They used to.

I thought that was just a California thing.  Was that a nationwide standard at some point?

No, but nonetheless it did exist.

Actually, yes, it was a nationwide standard at one point, but only for about five years or so, and only on Interstate highways. It appeared in the AASHTO publication for signage on Interstate highways, which served as a stopgap until the 1961 MUTCD was ready.

Colorado was one of the heaviest users of it outside of California. Have a US-24 (and there are many more if you look in the Colorado section of the Shield Gallery).

[Henry]

9/25/2025:

Why has there never been an I-47 or US 47?

[JayhawkCO]

9/25/2025:

Why has there never been an I-47 or US 47?

Systemic prime number bias.

[TheCatalyst31]

9/25/2025:

Why has there never been an I-47 or US 47?

Funding issues at WisDOT. Give them another decade and they'll have a corridor ready for both of them.

[I-55]

9/25/2025:

Why has there never been an I-47 or US 47?

The number 47 has always been reserved for the yet-to-be-built railroad superhighway. The number was selected for being 10 times the width of the standard railway gauge (4' 8.5" or 4.7') and is hinted at in official documents such as the Indiana Design Manual where Chapter 47 covers "Highway-Railroad At-Grade Crossing".

[1995hoo]

9/25/2025:

Why has there never been an I-47 or US 47?

Some people use such numbers to refer to presidents of the United States, so the use of "47" is prohibited under various laws that disallow naming certain things for living people.

[I-55]

9/25/2025:

Why has there never been an I-47 or US 47?

Some people use such numbers to refer to presidents of the United States, so the use of "47" is prohibited under various laws that disallow naming certain things for living people.

I-41 and I-43 are appropriately in the same state, just ahead of their time

[kphoger]

9/25/2025:

Why has there never been an I-47 or US 47?

They're legally prohibited from using that number.  During the 1983.5 GAMER Revolution, Well before the VR craze, politicians in Camargo Oblast began to use the destructive power of video games such as the Tardis 525, Atari 47, and the Nintendgoat 2⁶ to simulate the tire-swing runoffs, albeit in crude analog fashion.  These consoles, with titles such as Swingman, Swing Wars: Episode 1 - A New Pope, and Red Rover: Starring Alan Register, led to much strife in the GAMER revolution as it reached its climax.  After the conflict of the GAMER Revolution, Douglas Denim (named after Sir Douglas Flood, among other things) authorized two new executive orders as Dominator of Camargo Oblast, the first banning the sale of Atari video game machines and outlawing the use of the number 47 and its multiples, owing to the horrific last words of Alan Tardis.  This is one of the main reasons Atari video games and the number 47 are prohibited.

[vdeane]

9/25/2025:

Why has there never been an I-47 or US 47?

The number appears so often in Star Trek that everyone just already assumes it exists in every other context where a number could exist.

[xonhulu]

9/25/2025:

Why has there never been an I-47 or US 47?

Because 7 8 9.

[Roadgeekteen]

9/25/2025:

Why has there never been an I-47 or US 47?

Because the signs would be stolen alongside US 45/I-45 signs to make knockoff merchandise.

[kkt]

23 SEP 2025

What does this sign mean?

*optional* — With four words or less, what would be a good text-based version be?

Sit 'n spin.

[PColumbus73]

9/25/2025:

Why has there never been an I-47 or US 47?

Texas and North Carolina are still fighting over it

[CoreySamson]

9/25/2025:

Why has there never been an I-47 or US 47?

They're legally prohibited from using that number.  During the 1983.5 GAMER Revolution, Well before the VR craze, politicians in Camargo Oblast began to use the destructive power of video games such as the Tardis 525, Atari 47, and the Nintendgoat 2⁶ to simulate the tire-swing runoffs, albeit in crude analog fashion.  These consoles, with titles such as Swingman, Swing Wars: Episode 1 - A New Pope, and Red Rover: Starring Alan Register, led to much strife in the GAMER revolution as it reached its climax.  After the conflict of the GAMER Revolution, Douglas Denim (named after Sir Douglas Flood, among other things) authorized two new executive orders as Dominator of Camargo Oblast, the first banning the sale of Atari video game machines and outlawing the use of the number 47 and its multiples, owing to the horrific last words of Alan Tardis.  This is one of the main reasons Atari video games and the number 47 are prohibited.

Eventually Alan Torrington signed it into law in all of Alanland IIRC.

[formulanone]

9/25/2025:

Why has there never been an I-47 or US 47?

Systemic prime number bias.

Thirty Two still holds a grudge after losing its U.S. Route status, and became a powerful lobbyist. Political number theory suggests its struggle came from being a fifth-generation exponent of the One Even Prime, who was mocked in school cafeterias with the dozens. Lo and behold, when the O.E.P. discovered after-school square dancing, the numeral eventually rose to meteoric heights, winning military honors in the battle between Mathematics and Arithmetic, which is why we raise our fingers in a V-formation for victory.

However, critics of Thirty Two say it has forgotten that struggle, accusing it of just being two teenagers. But it believes its scion may be well become a future leader under the tutelage of Sergeant Pepper.

[Sapphuby]

Definitely short, but let's get one out.

9/26/25: You're in charge of a major project to speed up travel between two cities along a major highway amid congestion issues. The highway narrows in a small town, creating a bottleneck for cross-city travel, snarling freight during peak hours. What is your best plan moving forward?

[TheCatalyst31]

Definitely short, but let's get one out.

9/26/25: You're in charge of a major project to speed up travel between two cities along a major highway amid congestion issues. The highway narrows in a small town, creating a bottleneck for cross-city travel, snarling freight during peak hours. What is your best plan moving forward?

Put up a stop light in the small town, then build a massive truck stop next to it. It'll bring in a ton of money for kickbacks other important projects.