As you cruise the roads of America you realize there are too many signs. I was talking to a little old lady from Chelsea England the other day and she too pointed it out. That was in a good way to say that people in America must never get lost what with so many nice signs and all. I told her to take a guess again.
She was miffed with the state of affairs back home where signage for many a reason did not exist or what was there did not sufficiently educate the fellow motorist.
Back to the stateside observations -
Some signs purely leave you dazed and confused as to their intent and more so their meaning in these days of everyone and their uncle suing the other's uncles and aunts. Take for example most common signs in residential areas - 'SLOW CHILDREN' (big yellow sign) right at that corner to Uncle Benny's house followed by the people walking sign.
Now I am not a big fan of children in particular but I do know that my child is fast mentally and physically so am I to assume that the immediate area is populated by someone different from my child? What about these slow children I ask? Are they in a special area? What makes them slow exactly? What should the fellow motorist take away from this observation? In reality it is asking the motorist to SLOW DOWN as there may be children spotted in the area. Quite the magnet for those wanting to observe children at play I suppose. I say to the parents of these children - keep them on a leash lest they get under the passing motorist who is only minding his business of motoring (on a road). Unless that motorist was texting and not really driving in which case there should be signs for children saying SLOW TEXTERS.
That is clearly not the case as pedestrians get some rights ....
Then there is another peculiar one saying 'SLOW WHEN CHILDREN PRESENT'. Why - do I want to wave to them as I am driving past? Do they want to come up to me and wave? Or throw something sinister on my car? Why slow especially when you see children? I would want to get the heck out of there fast is it not?
Then there are those warning a fellow motorist of a non human species that may invade that drive up the hill or even on the highway. Try motoring in Canada or Alaska or Hawaii. Depending on the latitude Deer, Elk, Nene (an odd bird) or even the beastly geese get their own signs. What the heck is happening to our roads I say? I mean if bicycles have lanes give these characters their own lane but let me keep motoring. Too many signs are equally to blame for distracted driving rather than having just the ones critical to human health. i.e. RAIL ROAD crossing sign. You may not see a train depending on where you are on the road but a loud and prominent one of those should keep you out of trouble. I read somewhere that more Americans are dying at rail road crossings of the unmanned or unmarked kind than any other crossing.
Troubling? You bet!
She was miffed with the state of affairs back home where signage for many a reason did not exist or what was there did not sufficiently educate the fellow motorist.
Back to the stateside observations -
Some signs purely leave you dazed and confused as to their intent and more so their meaning in these days of everyone and their uncle suing the other's uncles and aunts. Take for example most common signs in residential areas - 'SLOW CHILDREN' (big yellow sign) right at that corner to Uncle Benny's house followed by the people walking sign.
Now I am not a big fan of children in particular but I do know that my child is fast mentally and physically so am I to assume that the immediate area is populated by someone different from my child? What about these slow children I ask? Are they in a special area? What makes them slow exactly? What should the fellow motorist take away from this observation? In reality it is asking the motorist to SLOW DOWN as there may be children spotted in the area. Quite the magnet for those wanting to observe children at play I suppose. I say to the parents of these children - keep them on a leash lest they get under the passing motorist who is only minding his business of motoring (on a road). Unless that motorist was texting and not really driving in which case there should be signs for children saying SLOW TEXTERS.
That is clearly not the case as pedestrians get some rights ....
Then there is another peculiar one saying 'SLOW WHEN CHILDREN PRESENT'. Why - do I want to wave to them as I am driving past? Do they want to come up to me and wave? Or throw something sinister on my car? Why slow especially when you see children? I would want to get the heck out of there fast is it not?
Then there are those warning a fellow motorist of a non human species that may invade that drive up the hill or even on the highway. Try motoring in Canada or Alaska or Hawaii. Depending on the latitude Deer, Elk, Nene (an odd bird) or even the beastly geese get their own signs. What the heck is happening to our roads I say? I mean if bicycles have lanes give these characters their own lane but let me keep motoring. Too many signs are equally to blame for distracted driving rather than having just the ones critical to human health. i.e. RAIL ROAD crossing sign. You may not see a train depending on where you are on the road but a loud and prominent one of those should keep you out of trouble. I read somewhere that more Americans are dying at rail road crossings of the unmanned or unmarked kind than any other crossing.
Troubling? You bet!
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