Conversations with non-roadgeeks

[Max Rockatansky]

I once explained the lore of Alanland to two of my investigators. 

[kphoger]

The Federal Register is not MUTCD. Besides that quote is from 2002.

It's an FHWA docket, and it's what the MUTCD links to.  It's dated 2002 because that's when the rule went into effect.

I'm struggling to come up with any MUTCD publication that refers to the color amber for anything other than lights/beacons or amber alerts.  The word 'amber' only occurs in the current edition of the 1161-page MUTCD seven times, and all of them are related to one of those two things.

In contrast, the word 'yellow' appears all over the place.  For example, right at the beginning of the section on warning signs:

Chapter 2C — Warning Signs and Object Markers

§ 2C.02 — Design of Warning Signs

01 — Except as provided in Paragraph 2 of this Section or unless specifically designated otherwise, all warning signs shall be diamond-shaped (square with one diagonal vertical) with a black legend and border on a yellow background.  Warning signs shall be designed in accordance with the sizes, shapes, colors, and legends contained in the "Standard Highway Signs" publication (see Section 1A.05).

[kphoger]

Appendix to Subpart F of Part 655 — Alternate Method of Determining the Color of Retroreflective Sign Materials and Pavement Marking Materials

The Federal Register is not MUTCD. Besides that quote is from 2002.

Hey, by the way, please refer to the current version of the MUTCD:

Chapter 1A — General

§ 1A.05 — Relation to Other Publications

Standard:

01 — To the extent that they are incorporated by specific reference, the latest editions of the following publications, shall be a part of this Manual:  "Standard Highway Signs" publication (FHWA), and "Color Specifications for Retroreflective Sign and Pavement Marking Materials" (appendix to Subpart F of Part 655 of Title 23 of the Code of Federal Regulations).

[GaryV]

What IS my favorite yellow sign, anyway?

Yield, old-school.

[The_Ginger]

What IS my favorite yellow sign, anyway?

One of these two, probably:

[kurumi]

...The other guy then responded, —"Oh, really?  So what's your favorite sign?  Actually, yellow.  What's your favorite yellow sign?"

I was kind of taken off guard.  I'd never been asked that question before, and I didn't have an answer ready.  What IS my favorite yellow sign, anyway?

Robert W. Chambers didn't have the MUTCD at hand, and never indicated which one was The Yellow Sign.

[kphoger]

I once explained the lore of Alanland to two of my investigators. 

How far down the iceberg did you go?

[Max Rockatansky]

I once explained the lore of Alanland to two of my investigators. 

How far down the iceberg did you go?

I think we got to the Virginia Oblast era and Gross Vegan incident.  I want to say this conversation was pre-Dunes Flamingo.

[kphoger]

Question:

When explaining Alanland to someone, what are the key points that they need to understand?

The Grand Unified Alan of Alanland
The Perkins Union
Itselfness
The secret war with Nimbya

What else?

Obviously, Max went further than that with his acquaintance.  How far is too far?

[GaryV]

How far is too far?

Mentioning it in public is too far. 

[Max Rockatansky]

Question:

When explaining Alanland to someone, what are the key points that they need to understand?

The Grand Unified Alan of Alanland
The Perkins Union
Itselfness
The secret war with Nimbya

What else?

Obviously, Max went further than that with his acquaintance.  How far is too far?

The Caterpillar Wars
Goat Jesus
Scottyland

[Scott5114]

What IS my favorite yellow sign, anyway?

It's not the Kansas route marker?

The Nevada burro warning sign is probably my favorite.

[kphoger]

Scottyland

Did you just invent a thing?

[Max Rockatansky]

Scottyland

Did you just invent a thing?

It got brought up during that whole thing where he got offended about real names being used.

[ClassicHasClass]

One of these two, probably:

My favourite yellow sign is jaundice.

[kphoger]

For what it's worth, my first answer to him was 'DIP', because I have childhood memories of going on camping road trips with my dad and, whenever we'd come upon a 'DIP' sign, he'd shout out, —Hey, you can't call me that!

My second answer was 'WATCH FOR HIGH WINDS', because wind isn't something you can see.

[kphoger]

Technically the MUTCD color spec isn't "yellow" -- it's AMBER (Color 1 on the chart). We all say "yellow sign" in casual speech, but the standard uses amber as the defined chromaticity.

What chart?  I'm interested to see what chart you're looking at.

The SHS also specifies "yellow" for the background color (I'm looking at ones with both 2012 and 2024 dates) on all the warning signs, and I still haven't found an MUTCD chart with chromaticity coordinates for "amber".