Signs

So while we were out of town, we got to talking about signs. It started with a sign that implores people not to litter (find me someone who doesn't know this is considered a crime, even if they do it anyway), but then went into completely pointless signs. At least, they're pointless from my perspective.

The Queen's personal favorite is the public library sign. Sure, you want to know where the library is, but public is a wasted word when you think about it. Would you have a sign directing you to a private library? Even if you're going into someone's private collection, that would be something they'd chosen to make public, but any time you see this library sign, it is for a government-owned, public library.

One I noticed sometime ago as being a complete waste of money (though I know these things are out there for a reason) was in Kansas. Now, if you know anything about driving rules, you might know that the lines on the road mean something. Solid line means do not pass while a dashed line means it is ok to pass. Kansans apparently have some difficulty with this concept since they labeled every single one of these line changes with a corresponding sign. "Do Not Pass" for the dashed lines and "Pass With Care" for the dashed ones. Every. Single. One.

Traffic lights have a couple that I've seen most of my life, so apparently, Oklahomans have issues with figuring out traffic light meanings. Most left turn signals say "Left Turn Yield on Green." This fact is very easy to figure out when there is traffic coming from the opposite direction. Some lights only have a green arrow without that yield on green option, so they helpfully label it as "Left Turn on Green Arrow Only." You know, even though there is no other option there other than the green arrow besides the red and yellow lights, so it's not hard to screw that up. Someone must have, though, or it wouldn't be there. The final traffic light, and apparently left turn signal specific, sign is the one that says "Left Turn Signal" right up there next to the ... wait for it ... left turn signal. Didn't see that one coming, did you?

Of course, you have the myriad of construction signs that don't provide any useful information such as "Yield to Flagman." This would be as opposed to running him over entirely, I suppose, as if the dearth of orange signs and such didn't clue you in to something going on. I'm from Oklahoma where the orange construction cone is our state tree. There's the classic "Men At Work," with the unspoken and chuckled acknowledgement that this clearly won't apply to everyone out there since every site will have at least half a dozen standing around. Naturally, there won't be women out there cause they're too smart to get mixed up in that sort of job.

One of my favorites is the classic "No Trespassing." Yeah, that's not a street sign, but it's got to be one of the most pointless and most ignored signs that has ever been created. First of all, from a courtesy standpoint, property belongs to someone, and these signs are usually accompanied by nasty fences and such, so the act of putting up what amounts to a wall is already telling someone to "Keep Out" (which is another popular and equally pointless sign). If someone wants to cross the line, they'll do it whether you have a sign there or not. Your sign only wastes your money and validates your need for control. Now, don't confuse this with a "Beware" sign of some kind, which I acknowledge to be valid since you don't want to break the law AND get hurt.

There are good signs out there. Actually most of them are fine. Occasionally, you just have to wonder about people since there apparently arose a need for some of these to come into existence. Like, what exactly happened to make this one a reality?

Again, this one should be obvious.

Silly ones like that aside, I will leave you with one that I acknowledge is a completely valid sign.