©2005 StopAndGo.org © 2009-2011 Munchulax Productions Speed Limit: 9 and a 1/2 miles per hour The cop clocked me at 12 and.
Download ReportTranscript ©2005 StopAndGo.org © 2009-2011 Munchulax Productions Speed Limit: 9 and a 1/2 miles per hour The cop clocked me at 12 and.
Slide 1
©2005 StopAndGo.org
© 2009-2011 Munchulax Productions
Slide 2
Speed Limit: 9 and a 1/2 miles per hour
The cop clocked me at 12 and 3/4 mph. [Westhampton, NY]
Slide 3
Bennington, VT: Three colors, three visors
Not really non-standard, but it's kinda silly that there are three different visors on this
light.
Slide 4
Big yellow and red ball, small green ball
Some municipalities like to put a 12" red light on top and 8" yellow and green lights
below it, but this is just bizarre. If you're gonna make the red and yellow lights 12", you
might as well make the bottom one 12".
Slide 5
Blue stop sign
This stop sign was clearly designed to be eye catching -- by completely blending in
with the bright blue sky in the background. [Honolulu, HI]
Slide 6
Cross traffic textual warning sign
There should be no cross traffic at a simple bend left in the road, but alas, there is. So
rather than just use a sign that indicates the fact that the road bends and a smaller
road merges and crosses in (drawn on the sign), the engineer here just decided to
waste another sign blank on making a sign that says "cross traffic".
Slide 7
Dead traffic light – because of a power out
Do I stop? Do I slow down? Do I just not realize at all that I'm headed for impending doom by crossing into an
intersection without traffic control? How long will it take before some genious invents some kind of
redundency system for traffic lights, especially considering LEDs consume very little energy. If the power failed,
and the traffic controller switched over to battery power, using one signal head per direction, 50% light
intensity, and a blinking-red/blinking-yellow mode, then considering an LED signal will consume about 6W
typically and then 25% of that in its reduced duty cycle, the whole intersection would only consume 6W (plus
the power to control the controller itself). My laptop battery currently holds 30Wh of charge, enough to run a
reduced power intersection for 5 hours according to this configuration during a power failure. Makes you
wonder why we don't invest that little extra bit of capital to keep our traffic flowing safely during a power
failure or other emergency.
Slide 8
Emergency escape ramp
Emergency Escape Ramp? Oh, you mean like a runaway truck ramp? Why is it so hard
for sign makers to follow standardized language? You wouldn't put "HALT" on a stop
sign, so just make up names as you go along with other types of signs?
Slide 9
Fresh tar, loose stone, drive carefully
To the sign maker: try picking a single font, and also, it would be nice if the sign wasn't
right on the ground. This sign indicates that you should only drive carefully in the
construction zone; once you get past the fresh tar and loose stone, you can speed.
Slide 10
Golf cart crossing (graphic)
This is where tax dollars go.
Slide 11
Hidden drives right
So we turn right, into the hidden driveway? Also the recommended speed is 30mph, so
drivers probably come around this bend at about 40 or 45 mph in reality. Still fast
enough for a horrible accident. Hidden driveway signs are wastes. If you're barreling
around a corner, a hidden driveway sign isn't going to slow you down, because
everyone knows that driveways usually handle very small numbers of cars each day. I
guess this sign is still MUTCD compliant though, even though it shouldn't be.
Slide 12
Keep left of divider (graphic)
You're left to figure out how this traffic pattern works... This photo was not edited.
Only in New Jersey! [Old Tappan, NJ]
Slide 13
Left lane closed when coned
When is a coned lane not closed?
Slide 14
MD90 Safety: headlight use required ahead
Can't this sign just say something like "Headlight use required" instead of something
like "Headlight use area ahead," as if everyone know what a headlight use area is.
What's up with the construction colors, anyway?
Slide 15
Pedestrian button for midgets
This is not an illusion, the button really is about 18" off the ground.
Slide 16
No left turn (painted on a concrete underpass)
Interesting, even eye catching, but completely non-standard.
Slide 17
No signs allowed (plaque)
Ironic, isn’t it?
Slide 18
(Nothing) Next 2000 feet
Indeed, there was no hazard within the next 2000 feet.
Slide 19
Warning: evergreen trees treated with noxious spray
As if anyone was trying to eat the evergreen trees?
Slide 20
Typically complicated New Jersey engineering
Another excessively complicated diagram decipherable only by the most skilled of New
Jersey drivers.
Slide 21
Intersection with two signal-heads and only one green lamp
Notice that this traffic light only has one green ball? The reason it had only one green
light in the first place was because it was used to control traffic outside a firehouse.
The light only blinked yellow and then phased to red during an emergency. The green
light never illuminated. This light has since been removed and replaced with a newer
set of lights.
Slide 22
Pedestrian signal flashing at drivers
Notice that the pedestrian signal faces the roadway! This is the most creative use of a
pedestrian signal I've ever seen. This light just blinks the standard white icon,
intended to warn drivers of a busy pedestrian crossing.
Slide 23
Red ball, green arrow signal with no phasing
I guess this light doesn't ever have to indicate much more than a red ball and green
arrow...
Slide 24
Squeeze right (construction sign)
I have no idea what this means, so I'm at somewhat of a loss to write a caption for it.
[Near UMass Amherst, MA]
Slide 25
Parking lot full: no entry, no stopping
I don't know why I found this sign to be so peculiar, but for some reason, it made me
think that the sign really has no authority to tell you 'no stopping' since it's black-onorange. Why exactly is this black-on-orange anyway?
Slide 26
Through way begins here
Good to know... Why does this require signage? Isn't it fairly obvious that there is, in
fact, a roadway there?
Slide 27
Triple red light signal head
Don't stop once, or even twice. Interesting application of a three-light signal head.
Slide 28
U-turn yield on green (part 1)
The U-turn yield on green is interesting, but what does that doghouse light look like
when illuminated?
Slide 29
U-turn yield on green (part 2): protected U-turn phase
A U-turn arrow lens! You don't see these much. [Ocean City, MD]
Slide 30
Unsafe to pass (warning sign)
A simple double yellow line would have done just fine in place of this sign.
Slide 31
Avoid the fine: use headlights (black sign, white text)
I wonder what belongs in the middle there? Also what is up with using white text on a
black sign?
Slide 32
Diagonal red arrow
In New York, you'd never see a blinking red diagonal arrow placed like this.
Slide 33
Simultaneous yellow and green signal light (part 1)
For some reason, every time this traffic light went green, the yellow light illuminated
as well. The light would stay like this, then go yellow, and then go red (see next pic).
[Honolulu, HI]
Slide 34
Simultaneous yellow and green signal light (part 2)
... and it's back to normal. Sort of reminiscent of how the yellow light used to
illuminate on all four sides of an intersection when traffic lights first came to be. This
was because traffic lights were electromechanical, so it was much easier to use one
rotating cam or relay to control all four lights then to use four cams or relays to control
all four lights.
Slide 35
Simultaneous yellow and green signal light (part 3)
Finally, perhaps the most interesting part of this yellow-green light mystery is that it
appears to not be as simple as a wiring error, since both signal heads display the
yellow-green lights.
Slide 36
Yield to pedestrians (graphic and text)
It's neither completely pictographic nor completely textual. If they'd settle on either all
pictures or all text, I'd be happy.
©2005 StopAndGo.org
© 2009-2011 Munchulax Productions
Slide 2
Speed Limit: 9 and a 1/2 miles per hour
The cop clocked me at 12 and 3/4 mph. [Westhampton, NY]
Slide 3
Bennington, VT: Three colors, three visors
Not really non-standard, but it's kinda silly that there are three different visors on this
light.
Slide 4
Big yellow and red ball, small green ball
Some municipalities like to put a 12" red light on top and 8" yellow and green lights
below it, but this is just bizarre. If you're gonna make the red and yellow lights 12", you
might as well make the bottom one 12".
Slide 5
Blue stop sign
This stop sign was clearly designed to be eye catching -- by completely blending in
with the bright blue sky in the background. [Honolulu, HI]
Slide 6
Cross traffic textual warning sign
There should be no cross traffic at a simple bend left in the road, but alas, there is. So
rather than just use a sign that indicates the fact that the road bends and a smaller
road merges and crosses in (drawn on the sign), the engineer here just decided to
waste another sign blank on making a sign that says "cross traffic".
Slide 7
Dead traffic light – because of a power out
Do I stop? Do I slow down? Do I just not realize at all that I'm headed for impending doom by crossing into an
intersection without traffic control? How long will it take before some genious invents some kind of
redundency system for traffic lights, especially considering LEDs consume very little energy. If the power failed,
and the traffic controller switched over to battery power, using one signal head per direction, 50% light
intensity, and a blinking-red/blinking-yellow mode, then considering an LED signal will consume about 6W
typically and then 25% of that in its reduced duty cycle, the whole intersection would only consume 6W (plus
the power to control the controller itself). My laptop battery currently holds 30Wh of charge, enough to run a
reduced power intersection for 5 hours according to this configuration during a power failure. Makes you
wonder why we don't invest that little extra bit of capital to keep our traffic flowing safely during a power
failure or other emergency.
Slide 8
Emergency escape ramp
Emergency Escape Ramp? Oh, you mean like a runaway truck ramp? Why is it so hard
for sign makers to follow standardized language? You wouldn't put "HALT" on a stop
sign, so just make up names as you go along with other types of signs?
Slide 9
Fresh tar, loose stone, drive carefully
To the sign maker: try picking a single font, and also, it would be nice if the sign wasn't
right on the ground. This sign indicates that you should only drive carefully in the
construction zone; once you get past the fresh tar and loose stone, you can speed.
Slide 10
Golf cart crossing (graphic)
This is where tax dollars go.
Slide 11
Hidden drives right
So we turn right, into the hidden driveway? Also the recommended speed is 30mph, so
drivers probably come around this bend at about 40 or 45 mph in reality. Still fast
enough for a horrible accident. Hidden driveway signs are wastes. If you're barreling
around a corner, a hidden driveway sign isn't going to slow you down, because
everyone knows that driveways usually handle very small numbers of cars each day. I
guess this sign is still MUTCD compliant though, even though it shouldn't be.
Slide 12
Keep left of divider (graphic)
You're left to figure out how this traffic pattern works... This photo was not edited.
Only in New Jersey! [Old Tappan, NJ]
Slide 13
Left lane closed when coned
When is a coned lane not closed?
Slide 14
MD90 Safety: headlight use required ahead
Can't this sign just say something like "Headlight use required" instead of something
like "Headlight use area ahead," as if everyone know what a headlight use area is.
What's up with the construction colors, anyway?
Slide 15
Pedestrian button for midgets
This is not an illusion, the button really is about 18" off the ground.
Slide 16
No left turn (painted on a concrete underpass)
Interesting, even eye catching, but completely non-standard.
Slide 17
No signs allowed (plaque)
Ironic, isn’t it?
Slide 18
(Nothing) Next 2000 feet
Indeed, there was no hazard within the next 2000 feet.
Slide 19
Warning: evergreen trees treated with noxious spray
As if anyone was trying to eat the evergreen trees?
Slide 20
Typically complicated New Jersey engineering
Another excessively complicated diagram decipherable only by the most skilled of New
Jersey drivers.
Slide 21
Intersection with two signal-heads and only one green lamp
Notice that this traffic light only has one green ball? The reason it had only one green
light in the first place was because it was used to control traffic outside a firehouse.
The light only blinked yellow and then phased to red during an emergency. The green
light never illuminated. This light has since been removed and replaced with a newer
set of lights.
Slide 22
Pedestrian signal flashing at drivers
Notice that the pedestrian signal faces the roadway! This is the most creative use of a
pedestrian signal I've ever seen. This light just blinks the standard white icon,
intended to warn drivers of a busy pedestrian crossing.
Slide 23
Red ball, green arrow signal with no phasing
I guess this light doesn't ever have to indicate much more than a red ball and green
arrow...
Slide 24
Squeeze right (construction sign)
I have no idea what this means, so I'm at somewhat of a loss to write a caption for it.
[Near UMass Amherst, MA]
Slide 25
Parking lot full: no entry, no stopping
I don't know why I found this sign to be so peculiar, but for some reason, it made me
think that the sign really has no authority to tell you 'no stopping' since it's black-onorange. Why exactly is this black-on-orange anyway?
Slide 26
Through way begins here
Good to know... Why does this require signage? Isn't it fairly obvious that there is, in
fact, a roadway there?
Slide 27
Triple red light signal head
Don't stop once, or even twice. Interesting application of a three-light signal head.
Slide 28
U-turn yield on green (part 1)
The U-turn yield on green is interesting, but what does that doghouse light look like
when illuminated?
Slide 29
U-turn yield on green (part 2): protected U-turn phase
A U-turn arrow lens! You don't see these much. [Ocean City, MD]
Slide 30
Unsafe to pass (warning sign)
A simple double yellow line would have done just fine in place of this sign.
Slide 31
Avoid the fine: use headlights (black sign, white text)
I wonder what belongs in the middle there? Also what is up with using white text on a
black sign?
Slide 32
Diagonal red arrow
In New York, you'd never see a blinking red diagonal arrow placed like this.
Slide 33
Simultaneous yellow and green signal light (part 1)
For some reason, every time this traffic light went green, the yellow light illuminated
as well. The light would stay like this, then go yellow, and then go red (see next pic).
[Honolulu, HI]
Slide 34
Simultaneous yellow and green signal light (part 2)
... and it's back to normal. Sort of reminiscent of how the yellow light used to
illuminate on all four sides of an intersection when traffic lights first came to be. This
was because traffic lights were electromechanical, so it was much easier to use one
rotating cam or relay to control all four lights then to use four cams or relays to control
all four lights.
Slide 35
Simultaneous yellow and green signal light (part 3)
Finally, perhaps the most interesting part of this yellow-green light mystery is that it
appears to not be as simple as a wiring error, since both signal heads display the
yellow-green lights.
Slide 36
Yield to pedestrians (graphic and text)
It's neither completely pictographic nor completely textual. If they'd settle on either all
pictures or all text, I'd be happy.