"CHURCH" warning sign

[kphoger]

I agree that "CHURCH" signs (and, for that matter, "HOSPITAL" warning signs) are largely a holdover from the days of third restrooms, ecclesiastical school districts, and text-message warning signs for everything but curves and intersections.

When were the hospital diamond warning signs used?  The only one that I know about is hanging on my wall.

Three or four blocks from my house, as a matter of fact.  The best part is that, by the time you encouter one of these signs, you've already turned into the hospital entrance.
http://goo.gl/maps/4klBn
http://goo.gl/maps/DMP70

Joel Osteen

[discussingreligionexceptinofftopic]
I'd be in favor of a JOEL OSTEEN warning sign... 
[/discussingreligionexceptinofftopic]

[Takumi]

Speaking of Hospital text signs, I saw a "Hospital Zone" sign today. It's on westbound VA 312 in Newport News. The hospital looks fairly new.

[kphoger]

That sign is so prejudiced against Christian Science... 

[agentsteel53]

a holdover from the days of third restrooms

third restroom?

men, women, and colored?

[kphoger]

I'm glad I'm not the only one who didn't understand that.  I thought of the race issue, but that would make for four, not three.

[PAHighways]

"CHURCH," as well as "HOSPITAL," is still listed in the newest edition of PennDOT's Handbook of Approved Signs.

[J N Winkler]

I'm glad I'm not the only one who didn't understand that.  I thought of the race issue, but that would make for four, not three.

You are thinking of Plessy v. Ferguson--another Supreme Court decision four years later, in Cumming v. Richmond County BOE, watered down the "equal" part of "separate but equal."

[NE2]

I'm glad I'm not the only one who didn't understand that.  I thought of the race issue, but that would make for four, not three.

You are thinking of Plessy v. Ferguson--another Supreme Court decision four years later, in Cumming v. Richmond County BOE, watered down the "equal" part of "separate but equal."

Huh? Were there, in fact, genderless colored bathrooms, and if so, what does that court case have to do with it?

[kphoger]

Huh?  "Colored" didn't separate men's and women's?  I'm still confused...

Trivia:  The Pentagon was built with far more restrooms than needed in order to comply with segregation laws.

[J N Winkler]

Huh? Were there, in fact, genderless colored bathrooms, and if so, what does that court case have to do with it?

I have read that in many cases there were--the specific example I recall is gas stations built during Jim Crow days which nowadays have a "spare" restroom.  After some Web searching, however, I haven't found a specific example of architectural provision of this nature--only general observations that the restrooms provided for people of color were frequently grossly inferior to those available to whites.

The Cumming case (1899) was sparked by the decision of the Richmond County (Georgia) BOE to close its only high school for people of color.  The plaintiffs sought an injunction to close the high school for whites until facilities were made available for blacks to get a high-school education, per the separate-but-equal doctrine laid down in Plessy.  The Supreme Court viewed the matter as a choice between high school for several dozen white kids and high school for nobody at all, and ruled against the plaintiffs, on the basis that allocation of public funds is a matter of official discretion and no constitutional rights were being violated.  This case opened the door to all kinds of excuses for providing separate facilities for blacks that were, in fact, inferior.

[mrsman]

I'd never seen the church warning sign, but my guess is that the purpose is to alert drivers that there may be a higher concentration of children (for Sunday school) then a typical rural road.  While service times may vary, when a church service does end, there are usually a large number of people exiting at the same time.

[ARMOURERERIC]

You would have to go after all the Mission Ave/Road signs in California.

[english si]

[discussingreligionexceptinofftopic]
I'd be in favor of a JOEL OSTEEN warning sign... 
[/discussingreligionexceptinofftopic]

this one?
Though his congregation is more likely to think its this one
But if you hear him on Late Night TV it's more like

</offtopic>

------------------

It does make some sort of sense to have church (and Gurdwara, Mosque, Synagogue, Temple, Stone Circle, Reading Room, etc if needed) sign, but there's more generic ones for the warnings and also it is more than places of worship that would need those kinds of warnings - small stadia (though arguably that is also a place of worship).

OK, direction signs not warning ones, but why? The Mosque is right there in front of you. The brown (tourist) sign for St Mary's Church has very small text*, though even if it was readable at speed I don't see much point (this sign is rather new), despite the fact that you can't see the church - events can put directions and there's not much parking anyway (and what little there is is restricted).

*A Hertfordshire speciality with brown signs - have an x-height about half the height of the recommended height for directional signs at that speed.

[US71]

I agree that "CHURCH" signs (and, for that matter, "HOSPITAL" warning signs) are largely a holdover from the days of third restrooms, ecclesiastical school districts, and text-message warning signs for everything but curves and intersections.

When were the hospital diamond warning signs used?  The only one that I know about is hanging on my wall.

Probably before 1971 when all the graphic-style signs were introduced.

[hbelkins]

I remember seeing this, in a yellow diamond, in Irvine, Ky. when I was a kid.

QUIET
HOSPITAL
ZONE

[US71]

Meridian, MS


Williamsville, IL


Blue Island, IL

[elsmere241]

There's a Mormon church located a bit under a mile from my house whose car park was still quite full around 2:00 yesterday afternoon when we drove past. I have no idea what time they start or how long their worship goes or whether they have multiple worship services, as I don't know much about the Mormon faith.

Our meetings generally are in three-hour blocks on Sunday.  (No we don't just sit there the whole time, there are multiple meetings within that.)  But in most built-up areas we have more than one congregation in a building.  If there's room in the building and the parking lot, the schedules are staggered along the lines of 9-12, 11-2, 1-4, etc.  (If not, they'll go 9-12, 1-4 or something like that.)

[PColumbus73]

Here in South Carolina, CHURCH signs are mostly seen along rural high-speed roads (i.e. U.S. 76 between Florence and Marion, and U.S. 378 between Conway and Lake City). As someone on this discussion already stated, I think CHURCH signs are in place similar to HIDDEN DRIVE signs that I've seen in Ohio, to warn drivers of cars unexpectedly entering the road. I think CHURCH signs can serve as a universal application, regardless of personal faith.

[Alex4897]

I have one outside of my highschool, although its a bit obsolete considering the church left the premises a few years back.  It didn't make much sense warning that there was a church ahead considering virtually no one crossed the rural road its situated on and there's a traffic light there...

[Mr. Matté]

They sure worship at some weird places in Ocean County...

[bmeiser]

If there are warning signs which say "CHURCH," why not "MOSQUE" or "SYNAGOGUE"?

https://www.google.com/maps/preview#!data=!1m8!1m3!1d3!2d-86.157853!3d39.87779!2m2!1f217.07!2f88.83!4f37.5!2m4!1e1!2m2!1sEjUDX5Rl2ufgmRnbeDIdng!2e0&fid=5

The sign below the "Temple" sign sheds some light on why it's used; to warn of possible left turns after the curve in the road.