You are the end result of a “would you push the button” prompt where the prompt was “you have unlimited godlike powers but you appear to all and sundry to be an impetuous child” – Zero, 2022
This is the City of Columbus's official map of the boundaries of the North Linden Area Commission.
It amuses me on several levels:
The accompanying text (not pictured here) lists the east border as "Conrail Road", as if it's a street name and not a railroad.
Conrail hasn't existed as such in 14 years; its assets were split between Norfolk Southern and CSX in 1999. (A company called Conrail still exists, but they sure don't operate here.)
The railroad tracks no longer physically exist! They were dismantled at least a decade ago, meaning that the city literally defines this legal border in terms of a nonexistent railroad track.
You are the end result of a “would you push the button” prompt where the prompt was “you have unlimited godlike powers but you appear to all and sundry to be an impetuous child” – Zero, 2022
Also I just noticed that the CSX and Norfolk Southern tracks (which do still exist) are also labeled "Conrail" on that map. Smooth.
Oh crap, apparently I was onto something in my last post, because they are trying to silence me now. I just survived an attempt on my life by the traffic signals. I was in a left turn lane, and my green left turn arrow and the oncoming traffic's normal green light both lit up at the same time.
You are the end result of a “would you push the button” prompt where the prompt was “you have unlimited godlike powers but you appear to all and sundry to be an impetuous child” – Zero, 2022
...Wow, that's pretty bad.
Signal controllers are supposed to have conflict monitors that can detect conflicting greens and throw everything to flashing red, but...things like that still manage to happen from time to time. :\
You are the end result of a “would you push the button” prompt where the prompt was “you have unlimited godlike powers but you appear to all and sundry to be an impetuous child” – Zero, 2022
Should technically probably be black on white instead of white on green because it's a regulatory message, but either way this sign appeals to me for some reason:
You are the end result of a “would you push the button” prompt where the prompt was “you have unlimited godlike powers but you appear to all and sundry to be an impetuous child” – Zero, 2022
I think you'd be driven crazy by some of the freeway signage around here. Since the recent construction, I-71 and I-670 each have some sign bridges where new ClearviewHwy signs have been posted alongside older FHWA Series signs. I don't have any pictures yet, because I'm always the one driving when I go through there...
You are the end result of a “would you push the button” prompt where the prompt was “you have unlimited godlike powers but you appear to all and sundry to be an impetuous child” – Zero, 2022
You are the end result of a “would you push the button” prompt where the prompt was “you have unlimited godlike powers but you appear to all and sundry to be an impetuous child” – Zero, 2022
Remember those old 3M signal heads that had a special system of lenses so their light could only be viewed from a very specific angle? This is the same concept but done electronically, in the form of an array of LEDs that can be programmed with software.
You are the end result of a “would you push the button” prompt where the prompt was “you have unlimited godlike powers but you appear to all and sundry to be an impetuous child” – Zero, 2022
Trivia time!
There is one United States jurisdiction where traffic drives on the left side of the road. Do you know what it is?
You are the end result of a “would you push the button” prompt where the prompt was “you have unlimited godlike powers but you appear to all and sundry to be an impetuous child” – Zero, 2022
You are the end result of a “would you push the button” prompt where the prompt was “you have unlimited godlike powers but you appear to all and sundry to be an impetuous child” – Zero, 2022
You are the end result of a “would you push the button” prompt where the prompt was “you have unlimited godlike powers but you appear to all and sundry to be an impetuous child” – Zero, 2022
It's the only one in this set that has the cantilevered signals!
I need to get more (and better) pictures of crossing signs/signals, probably some time next year
You are the end result of a “would you push the button” prompt where the prompt was “you have unlimited godlike powers but you appear to all and sundry to be an impetuous child” – Zero, 2022
I always did like those yellow-and-black Japanese crossbucks
You are the end result of a “would you push the button” prompt where the prompt was “you have unlimited godlike powers but you appear to all and sundry to be an impetuous child” – Zero, 2022
So...they went to the effort of patching the middle sign for the roadwork, but couldn't be arsed to replace the missing I-270 shield on the left sign while they were up there.
I saw an odd failure of road sign design earlier today in Kansas. I was on the interstate, and there was a sign for the exit for a 61st St. Only it wasn't formatted like that. It was more like: 61 St St Like, whoever designed that sign realized that there was a danger of people parsing the sign as "61 street street" rather than "sixty-first street", but they thought changing the text size was the best solution.
You are the end result of a “would you push the button” prompt where the prompt was “you have unlimited godlike powers but you appear to all and sundry to be an impetuous child” – Zero, 2022
Oh, wow. Sounds like some contractor just didn't care.
You are the end result of a “would you push the button” prompt where the prompt was “you have unlimited godlike powers but you appear to all and sundry to be an impetuous child” – Zero, 2022
Ah, yes! That's done to avoid the "yellow trap"--essentially, a certain cycle where you have a yellow light, prompting someone waiting in the intersection to turn left (assuming oncoming traffic has a yellow as well), when in reality oncoming traffic still has green.
This video explains it quite well, I think, as well as the now-obsolete "Dallas phasing" that was tested in the 2000s:
You are the end result of a “would you push the button” prompt where the prompt was “you have unlimited godlike powers but you appear to all and sundry to be an impetuous child” – Zero, 2022
Maryland highway oddity: A planned I-170 freeway through Baltimore was cancelled in the 1970s...but not before a 1.4-mile long stretch was completed. The short, aborted freeway is now used as part of US 40.
You are the end result of a “would you push the button” prompt where the prompt was “you have unlimited godlike powers but you appear to all and sundry to be an impetuous child” – Zero, 2022
Observation: the I-270 pull-through signs in Columbus traditionally had the I-270 shield with a control city and no cardinal direction...
...but now they have the shield with a cardinal direction and no control city!
You are the end result of a “would you push the button” prompt where the prompt was “you have unlimited godlike powers but you appear to all and sundry to be an impetuous child” – Zero, 2022
It always amused me that the original 1990s signage (the "before" picture above) treated "Easton" as if it were the name of a town or city. It's a big commercial development.
You are the end result of a “would you push the button” prompt where the prompt was “you have unlimited godlike powers but you appear to all and sundry to be an impetuous child” – Zero, 2022
It's just unusual (in Ohio, at least) to see the development itself named as a destination instead of the street name.
(And indeed, the newer signs refer to "Easton Way")
You are the end result of a “would you push the button” prompt where the prompt was “you have unlimited godlike powers but you appear to all and sundry to be an impetuous child” – Zero, 2022
I took some photos of my traffic signs and license plates with my phone’s camera flash on, to make them appear as they would in a vehicle’s headlights
You are the end result of a “would you push the button” prompt where the prompt was “you have unlimited godlike powers but you appear to all and sundry to be an impetuous child” – Zero, 2022
You are the end result of a “would you push the button” prompt where the prompt was “you have unlimited godlike powers but you appear to all and sundry to be an impetuous child” – Zero, 2022
Those are my own license plates, from my collection. They're all expired and I have them hanging on my wall.
You are the end result of a “would you push the button” prompt where the prompt was “you have unlimited godlike powers but you appear to all and sundry to be an impetuous child” – Zero, 2022
Comments
I'm pretty sure that's what happened.
61 St St
Like, whoever designed that sign realized that there was a danger of people parsing the sign as "61 street street" rather than "sixty-first street", but they thought changing the text size was the best solution.
sixty tooth street
sixty threeth street
sixty zeroth street
sixty negative wonth street
sixty eleventh street
sixty twenty wonth street
S-on!
E-on!
W-on!
N-on!
SEWN-on!
(or technically, SEWN-on!-on!-on!-on!)
I took some photos of my traffic signs and license plates with my phone’s camera flash on, to make them appear as they would in a vehicle’s headlights
...though I guess they are publicly visible...