Meaningless Road Signs
TweetThis post from Dilip has a collection of comical stuff including a set of road signs in the Nagpur to Wardha road indicating distances to Kanyakumari!
Having been a NJ resident for over 5 years, I was reminded of the ubiquitous signs that point to the Garden State Parkway (GSP) with nothing more than a pointed arrow. If you follow those arrows faithfully, rest assured that you are not likely to get to the GSP because it may actually be a bit far away as in 30-50 miles away! Yes I have followed those signs several times and gotten lost. The one GSP sign that takes the cake is the one you find in the NJ/PA border on route 78. As you enter NJ you will see a GSP sign with a pointed arrow and in this case GSP is only 40 miles away at exit 50 or something like that! So next time you see a GSP sign in NJ and get lost, get yourself a GPS.
Having driven through New Jersey many times trying to make my way back to the GSP, I truly relate to your comments. It always amazed me that the signs, which should be there to help orient non-locals, usually only have GSP on them as if someone from Michigan should know that GSP stands for the Garden State Parkway.
It has also been my experience on New Jersey roads that if you slow down to try to read the signs or make sure you understand them, you are taking your life into your own hands. New Jersey drivers and unforgiving of out-of-state drivers and will not miss an opportunity to do whatever they can to intimidate the lost soul. Enough complaining about NJ.
I don’t know what is worse, meaningless road signs or no road signs. If you have ever driven in Boston you can relate to this. I think it is the only major metro area I have visited in the US that thinks it is not necessary to post street signs on major streets to tell you what street you are on. They only seem to post the street names for the small, intersecting side streets.
I remember driving in circles looking for Massachusetts Avenue. When I finally pulled over to ask a pedestrian how to find it, he looked at me as if I were an idiot and then told me that I was on it. There is a collective logic there that I can’t comprehend.
Bill,
Don’t get me started about Boston the “Big Dig”. I have landed in Boston Logan past midnight several times and have driven around in circles in the downtown area trying to find my destination even after stopping to ask people for directions. I think in general, i would ascribe it to the Big City syndrome – people that are rude, are so busy that they dont have a nano-second for their compatriots, honking at them if they are confused is the done thing etc. Entire NJ and Boston both have this syndrome. Big cities in India like Chennai, Mumbai, Delhi are no exceptions.