24 April 2009

 

The neighbourhood of weird signs

Most of the street-name signs in Burnaby, the Vancouver suburb where I live, are the standard metal stick-out-from-the-post type, like this one:

Normal sign

However, a couple of decades ago, just up the block from us, the city installed this one, entirely vertical in design and mounted on a girder rather than a post. And I haven't seen another like it anywhere in Greater Vancouver:

Weird sign

It's not genuinely bizarre—it's still white on green, and if all the signs were like that, things would work just fine. I just wonder why it's different from all the rest. (UPDATE: In the comments, visitor RentingSucks provides the explanation, which is funny, and logical.)

Across the street from those two is this masterpiece, which I still consider the most confusing road sign ever:

World's most confusing road sign

Maybe there's a secret road sign experimentation division down by Burnaby City Hall that I don't know about, and our street is its main lab.

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# 9:34 AM

Comments:

Man, I just thought you were making a pun on 'Mate-land' and 'Sus-sex'.
# posted by Blogger Darren Barefoot : 24 April, 2009 10:24
 
It's signs like that that cause most accidents.
# posted by Anonymous simon James : 24 April, 2009 10:28
 
I've lived in this neighbourhood since 1971, so the potential double entendres in street names don't even register with me anymore.
# posted by Blogger Derek : 24 April, 2009 10:40
 
Don't forget the rhino crossing sign in North Van...

https://www.flickr.com/photos/joannabriggs/2487579228/
# posted by Anonymous Kirsten : 24 April, 2009 10:55
 
Yeah, I am confused too!
# posted by Blogger Raul (hummingbird604) : 24 April, 2009 11:42
 
The Harley sign is specially reinforced because it kept getting stolen. Apparently it looks good in a biker den as it references a very popular motrocycle. I heard this from people that live on that street.
# posted by Blogger RentingSucks : 24 April, 2009 14:01
 
Well, how about that? Since that street is so short, that's the only sign for it too. Very clever. I wish I'd had the Internet to find that out back when it was originally installed.

Incidentally, back then a house kitty-corner from mine, and about three blocks from the sign, was a biker clubhouse, so that might have been extra incentive.

Thanks for the long-awaited answer!
# posted by Blogger Derek : 24 April, 2009 14:25