Saturday, August 25, 2012

If it ain't broke, don't fix it

American Digest ponders some radical changes in highway signs.

3 comments:

RebeccaH said...

There are no words to describe how I feel about people who describe shield-shaped road signs as "too police state". I don't even dare describe what I would like to do to such people if I had them alone in a sound-proof room.

JeffS said...

Reading through the comments, I have to agree with the engineer types -- the current sign system is the result of years of testing, studies, and evaluations in real time. I can see what the SF designers are trying to achieve, but it's hard to compete against a system that has to satisfy every person in the country. Including, I must note, politicians and ambulance chasers.

That fact clearly bypassed the SF based design firm when they proposed this concept. Said concept does have its merits in terms of information display, which is actually logical.

But they display an indifference to the problems posed with implementing such a system. Setting aside the huge cost of simply installing new signage, the education of the American public to read them will be more than daunting. I expect that changing this system would easily span a couple of generations. And to achieve.....a different look that might be more efficient? Hubris, indeed.

But the indifference to the problems generated by a project like this is really the most disturbing aspect of this story. Because it's a familiar aspect of the liberal mindset: solve perceived problems by creating real problems.

Like, oh, say.....ObamaCare.

The left, they never learn.

John A said...

Inconsistent? Not on tje Interstates, which are the same coast to coast.

The signage they propose looks very much like the State and local signs here in New Encland. Not easy to read, especially at night. Rgere are reasons for this, not least the sheer amount of signs involved.