By Stuart Adelberg
Americans like signs. Apparently, we all need to be told what to do and someone determined that signs are a good way to do that. It seems like there are signs everywhere you look. And yet, one thing we like more than having signs direct our behavior is ignoring them!!
This unfortunate realization makes me feel sorry for people in the sign making business. Can you imagine devoting all your time to designing, creating and hanging signs, when knowing that 95% of the people who pass by will either look right through them, misunderstand them, or simply choose not to pay attention?
The person responsible for those 55 MPH signs on the highway must know that very few drivers heed this rule. Try driving at 55MPH on I95 and see how far you get before a massive truck attaches itself to the trunk of your car. I think the reason they make the 40 MPH minimum speed sign is to help the sign makers feel better. It is a safe bet that most drivers on the road are obeying that one! I get a kick out of the “No Stopping” signs on the highway, particularly when the traffic is standing still. Can’t these people read?
I am generally someone who tries to follow rules and often wonder when I am supposed to take posted signs literally. For example, last week I saw a sign that said 2 Hour Parking Only. I was planning to park for less than an hour – so I looked for a better spot. This morning Wendell (my beagle) and I encountered a sign at a corner that said “Elderly” under the picture of a person crossing the street. Since I don’t think Wendell or I yet fit that description, we walked to another corner.
As a walker, I have learned to take all signs with a grain of salt. For example, I have learned not to trust the lit up “No Turn on Red” or “Yield to Pedestrian” signs. Since I regularly encounter drivers who aggressively ignore these instructions, I wonder if it would be more effective to use disturbingly graphic pictures to stress the importance of these rules. I offer myself up as a model to pose on the hood of a car for new signs if it would be helpful since I am convinced that it is just a matter of time before Wendell and I end up as hood ornaments.
We are well into the season when the streets are littered with signs alerting us to upcoming community events. I like to support local efforts and pay attention to these signs, but I have noticed lately that some of the signs now include those boxes with QR Codes. What exactly is a driver supposed to do with that? One day I am going to stick my hand with my phone out of my sunroof while driving by and see if I can get the QR code to work. Of course, I may get a ticket for holding my phone while driving, which we have been instructed not to do many times – of course, with a sign!!
Though I enjoy an attractive sign as much as anyone, I pine nostalgically for simpler times when we all knew what to do without the need for big, printed reminders invading our space. My suggestion is that each town create one big sign at the border that says, “Welcome. Do the Right Thing!” Of course, we’d all have to agree on what that is – but that’s a subject for another column. . . or maybe a sign!
Stuart Adelberg has had a long history of leadership and involvement in the nonprofit arts and human services communities throughout Fairfield County. Never known to be shy with his opinions, he loves having the opportunity through the Greenwich Sentinel to share his thoughts!
