Citizens of Oak Lawn, IL have a history of coasting through stop signs and in response the city installed smaller signs below their larger, legal counterparts to get motorists attention while providing them a tongue in cheek appeal to their conscience. The extra signs mimicked the red octagon shape only 1/3rd the size with slogans including “and smell the roses,” “right there pilgrim” and “means you’re not moving.” instead of the word STOP.
The town’s mayor and citizens found them funny, but there is a Local vs State conflict inherint in the act. The Illinois Department of Transportation claims that the signs violated the Federal Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices. Threatening to put federal funding for projects in the city on gold till they were removed. $1,700 worth of signs are now pulled down.
May 7th, 2008 at 12:19 pm
Oh man —- those are some state-folks with NO humor and taking guidelines faaaaar too seriously. I worked at the DOT (Illinois Dept. of Transportation) during college a couple of years and I can vouch for their overwhelmingly “non humorous” approach to life, to say it very forgivingly.
May 8th, 2008 at 8:37 am
This is genius.
May 14th, 2008 at 3:36 am
What, no “Hammer Time” sign?!
Road signage is very important to get right though. The thing is if someone drove through a ‘modified’ stop sign and caused an accident, they would probably have a case claiming the sign was confusing.
May 14th, 2008 at 7:08 am
1) Cool Totoro icon. I heart that movie
2) That sign would have made my year. I may have to fabricate my own “Hammer Time” signs.
May 21st, 2008 at 7:01 am
[...] o link pelo twitter, do mario [...]
June 18th, 2008 at 3:41 pm
That is perfection, and now because of standards, it goes away. So sad.
It really sucks when flavor is avoided for standards. Yawn.
June 27th, 2008 at 1:45 pm
What the hell is a “tounge”?