Actual, but unbelievable, road signs

[NigelM]

Just found this pic from when we were living in Brussels (Belgium). For all those in the U.S. the top sign is "no entry" and the bottom sign is a "dead end"! So how did all those cars get in there?

(Suggestion for other posts: try to only post actual photos you took, rather than the millions of internet ones)

 

[markwj]

the top sign is "no entry" and the bottom sign is a "dead end"! So how did all those cars get in there?

My schoolboy French translates the middle sign as something like 'except residents and deliveries'.

Welcome to Belgium, where taking shortcuts on roundabouts is the norm...

 

[NigelM]

Welcome to Belgium, where taking shortcuts on roundabouts is the norm...

Quite seriously: I once saw a roundabout in Belgium with grass and flowers in the middle (typical European style) and there were two deep tire tracks straight across the middle! Unfortunately I didn't have a camera with me then.

 

[markwj]

Quite seriously: I once saw a roundabout in Belgium with grass and flowers in the middle (typical European style) and there were two deep tire tracks straight across the middle! Unfortunately I didn't have a camera with me then.

My favorite was a Belgian highway exit, with the front of a car perched up on the crash barrier dividing the highway from the exit sliproad. An old couple were standing behind the car arguing. Belgium has the worst drivers and the most complex roads in Europe (IMHO).

 

[TEG]

One of my workmates grew up in Belgium. He said they have some archaic socialistic traffic laws that were meant to let the commoners cut off any royal procession that tries to hog the main road. I gather to this day they still let people merge in from side roads forcing the main road to yield somewhat against their will.

 

[Lloyd]

Hmmm...... California mandates that the merging traffic has the right of way also. Socialistic as a state, maybe..... Is that why they designed the trafiic laws that way, likely not. Any royal procession in California has an escort that trumps traffic laws. Nice story though!

 

[TEG]

I wonder what level of political notoriety grants someone the right to get the CHP to block the on-ramps and get a motorcycle escort so you don't have to experience traffic congestion? The President definitely qualifies. I think the governor may as well as high ranking foreign dignitaries. But what is the cutoff?

 

[vfx]

But what is the cutoff?

O.J.?

 

[TEG]

O.J.?

Ummm... Yes, CHP escort, but not the kind of "cutoff" I was pondering... :redface: (wrong kind of notoriety.)

 

[raymond]

Jeez... how many typo's can you squeeze together on a single road sign? Only in Belgium does bilingual mean: "you speak one language and massacre the other one"

PS: I'm Dutch so I'm no authority on that cute variety they use in Belgium, but neither "overbewoneren" nor "leverancierren" appear anywhere on the web.

 

[NigelM]

Jeez... how many typo's can you squeeze together on a single road sign? Only in Belgium does bilingual mean: "you speak one language and massacre the other one"

PS: I'm Dutch so I'm no authority on that cute variety they use in Belgium, but neither "overbewoneren" nor "leverancierren" appear anywhere on the web.

I lived in the Country for 2 years before I found out that "Mons" and "Bergen" were one and the same city, but with two names!

 

[dpeilow]

Quite seriously: I once saw a roundabout in Belgium with grass and flowers in the middle (typical European style) and there were two deep tire tracks straight across the middle! Unfortunately I didn't have a camera with me then.

A girl at school managed to do that on her driving test.

One of my workmates grew up in Belgium. He said they have some archaic socialistic traffic laws that were meant to let the commoners cut off any royal procession that tries to hog the main road. I gather to this day they still let people merge in from side roads forcing the main road to yield somewhat against their will.

Priorité à Droite also exists in France. You can be cruising along the road and bam, some farmer comes straight out of a side road.

 

[raymond]

Priorité à Droite also exists in France. You can be cruising along the road and bam, some farmer comes straight out of a side road.

Of course! Why else would it be called "right of way"?

 

[stopcrazypp]

Hmmm...... California mandates that the merging traffic has the right of way also. Socialistic as a state, maybe..... Is that why they designed the trafiic laws that way, likely not. Any royal procession in California has an escort that trumps traffic laws. Nice story though!

The California driver handbook says freeway traffic has the right of way over merging traffic.
http://dmv.ca.gov/pubs/hdbk/merg_pass.htm
Here's the relevant vehicle code:
http://dmv.ca.gov/pubs/vctop/d11/vc21804.htm
The code is more specific and seems to say the merging traffic yields to the main traffic first, then once the merging traffic has entered the road, the main traffic has to yield to it (basically allow it to merge). So sounds like the main traffic has right of way (as I have learned it).

I wonder what level of political notoriety grants someone the right to get the CHP to block the on-ramps and get a motorcycle escort so you don't have to experience traffic congestion? The President definitely qualifies. I think the governor may as well as high ranking foreign dignitaries. But what is the cutoff?

Well recently in San Francisco, the southbound part of highway I-280 was closed for a funeral procession for two firefighters. It was a pretty big deal since it was closed on Friday during commute time (3-7pm).

 

[TEG]

Yesterday on the 101 freeway I was in the carpool lane during carpool hours and a motorcycle CHP came up behind me with lights blaring. I thought for a moment "doesn't he see my stickers?" so I pulled aside, and he sped past with a lone SUV close behind with hazard lights flashing. It didn't look like an official vehicle being escorted, or even anyone important looking inside. Perhaps they were being escorted for a medical emergency. Oddly, as I pulled aside, I got behind another CHP and I could see him gesture towards the motorcylcle CHP and the interaction looked like "WTF - why are you escorting this vehicle?" Then he got on his radio and must have asked the motorcycle CHP what was going on, then soon turned on his lights too, got behind the SUV and the three of them sped off forcing people out of the carpool lane to get wherever they were going.

 

[bonnie]

I'd post unbelievable signs from all the time spent on the roads in Puerto Rico, but, well, there are very few signs. It's more 'actual but unbelievable traffic rules'...

• Signs? We don't need no stinkin' signs. If the hurricane thought to take them out, who are we to argue? You saw a sign 5 miles ago saying the turn was in 5 miles. That's enough. Besides, how lost can you get on an island?
• Red lights, especially after dusk, are merely a suggestion to consider stopping. Keep going if you want, we don't want you to be carjacked.
• The shoulders are valid lanes to use on the freeway. When exiting the freeway from the right most lane, please be sure to look over your right shoulder and make sure no one is there.
• If you see someone you know, the side of the freeway is a great place to stop and chat, even picnic if you'd like. Just pull off in the grass and hang out. We all do it.
• That officer behind you with his red lights flashing? Carry on. That's just a courtesy to let you know he's there. No one wants to be accused of entrapment. If they want you to pull over, they'll pull up alongside you and gesture to the side of the road. And of course if you're female, you can just laugh at the red lights & instructions to pull over, ignore them, and keep going. You don't have to pull over. Ever. They just want to flirt.

 

[TEG]

I was once in a taxi in Paris and behind us, in heavy traffic, for many miles, was a car with siren blaring and a magnetic flasher light on the roof.
I asked the cab driver "Aren't you going to pull over?" and he said "Everyone in this town knows a politician that can get them an emergency flasher... You learn to ignore them." Sad for the person someday stuck in an ambulance trying to get through traffic.