Submitted by Federal_Dingo_4495 t3_z72y8m in Maine
How much tax money goes to the author of the state highways signs? Appreciate their encouragement for me to keep my stuffing on the inside by buckling up. Steady reminder to mash potatoes not cars as well. Only here.
Absolutely. Unfortunately, they should leave that one active. Constant left lane horders. They tend to dissipate north Augusta.
.... people start to dissipate North of Augusta lol
Hence the house there. Lol
Understood! Lol
Easy on the throttle….gobble gobble
Left to pass gas, right to be polite.
I did a story a couple years ago about New Hampshire's control center for those signs. They said they would not follow Maine's keep-it-light model, much to my dismay.
Live free or try!! NH has always been a bit serious! Was raised there and love it. Our DOT signs read more like, Drink and Drive =Death
But make sure to pick up your liquor on the highway!
I grab cases of Allen’s for my neighbors up there!
“Live Free or Die” on the license plates, stamped out by prisoners . . .
Man never thought about it like that before, harsh!
My favorite one was “Seatbelts Keep your stuffing on the inside”
I was on the turnpike yesterday and got to enjoy the signs. "Gobble, gobble, easy on the throttle!" "Keep your stuffing on the inside, Buckle up!"
I just want to say thank you to whoever makes these, I look forward to them when I'm on 95
“The only thing baked should be your Turkey”
Smoke your Turkey. Don’t be a jerky.
Actually, I read New Jersey can't have these signs anymore. They have some really good ones--"Slow Down, This Ain't Thunder Road", "Get Your Head Out of Your App"...stuff like that. So it isn't just Maine.
I just hope they aren't outlawed in Maine, either. They're pretty amusing.
we just had a campaign that said driving drunk = OUI!
(operating under the influence)
In a state with a significant portion that speaks french at home.
I remember one from around Easter “Chicks dig peeps who drive safe”
That one was dumb
"Speeding to the beach? Oh shell no."
I think I saw that by Congdons once! 😂
On a trip last weekend up north with spouse, can attest that when you keep it light, most people will repeat it on the trip. In my husbands case multiple times....heavy sigh...every car that passed us on the left he would exclaim loudly. Mash potatoes!!!. This is burned into my minds eye FOREVER. Thanks DOT sign person.
I can guarantee you not enough. The job is useful, so I’m sure it’s underpaid
Mashing Potatoes... is that Willy Korgan's cover band?
Feast your eyes on the road too! I love it here.
Does anyone else remember the Maine Highway Safety Commission signs that used to stand in the Turnpike median? Are your tires safe? I think the last sign with their name on it was the one in Augusta that showed what the lanes were supposed to be used for.
Saw this sign!
I think the “please don’t use engine brakes in this area, thank you!” yellow diamond signs with the italics are the funniest. Why are our signs so polite
My out of state friends have told me that there’s a meme about this
I swear there was one about keeping your eyes glued to the road, or peeled on the road. I saw all these signs on the way home from New Hampshire Friday haha
Something like "Feast your eyes on the road" as I recall.
Thanks for the memories DOT!
Yes!!! I believe that's it
I 🤣😂 when I saw the signs but right away made up my own that werent appropriate.
He actually only makes 230 k for this
I’m pretty sure Mills writes all of these.
Dora, Peter, or Janet?
Intent was a light hearted post. I am not mad about sign programming. I find it entertaining.
Starting your post with asking about how much tax money goes to the author of the signs heavily implies you think it's a waste of tax dollars. That's why people think you're mad.
They can have my tax dollars. And understood.
This happens in almost every state & it saves a life or two it is worth it. How much of a curmudgeon do you have to be to be mad about programming a safety sign during the busy travel periods. Wow…
I am not mad. Not sure how anyone is perceiving it this way. I think it is great. Nothing wrong with being light hearted. Give it a whirl. I will edit post to state obvious if you read the thread. (Fun and light hearted post). Read the rest.
You are tilting at windmills I'm afraid. I'm sure it is a minor aspect of one state employee's job to do that shit. Might even just be someone trying to have some fun. Ease off my friend, if you wanna get mad, there are a lotta better targets out there
Who is mad? It’s fun.
It seems like a 15$ an hour teenager is trolling us.
I think they make more than that these days. I think I made 6.25 in presque isle at that age!
Feels like those signs violate MUTCD – Official Ruling No. 2(09)-174 (I) – Uses of and Nonstandard Syntax on Changeable Message Signs (https://mutcd.fhwa.dot.gov/resources/interpretations/2_09_174.htm).
NJDOT was recently told to stop putting silly messages on their changeable signs, surprised Maine hasn’t been told the same (https://www.nj.com/news/2022/11/feds-make-dot-nix-funny-safety-signs-on-nj-highways.html?outputType=amp)
I bet you're fun at parties.
🤓🤓🤓🤓🤓
Also, and this is mentioned in the DOT ruling, I actually don’t read those signs any more because they are almost always useless. And when people stop reading the useless signs they also miss when the sign actually says something useful (which is very rare but presumably that is the reason for the sign)
The art of levity is lost on some. oh well.
When I drive between Portland and Bangor and see that same 2 saying multiple times in each direction it gets real old real quick. Multiply that by doing that drive multiple times per month and they very quickly become uninteresting
Well at night it’s almost impossible not to notice these signs. I think it’s human nature just to see what they say
Better the sign alongside of me than a moose in front of me.
The only possible culprit in the ruling would be the 3rd, reading “Convey a clear, simple meaning. Clear and simple messages are easy to read and comprehend with only short glances away from the roadway, resulting in minimal visual and cognitive distraction from the driving task. The use of witticisms, colloquialisms, and popular culture references that target or are comprehended only by a limited segment of the population is not consistent with a clear, simple meaning for all. Instead, these messages rely on hidden meanings or targeted cultural knowledge to understand the message. Similarly, the use of newly coined terms (neologisms), words combining the meanings of two words or blending of sounds (portmanteaus), metadata tags ("hashtags"), electronic shorthand ("Internet slang"), and other forms that do not use conventional syntax do not convey a clear, simple meaning to many road users.”
If anything, the witty sayings on the Maine CMS system fulfills all of those requirements. Quick read, no slang, easy to understand and translate into roadway directions. They are also, besides in your case, something that is eagerly anticipated by drivers and passengers, rather than ignored. An example of an ignored sign is “Yield” or “65 mph”. You should stop ignoring the changeable signs. They are there for a reason, and your judgment of their efficacy is not a condemnation of them, but rather, of you.
Go back to shaking your cane, boomer. You can't tell me you haven't laughed at least one of the signs just because it tells a funny joke hidden inside of a safety message.
Would you rather have "gobble gobble, easy on the throttle", or "speeding is against the law, don't do it"?
hjboots t1_iy4qgxz wrote
Everyone has seen the "CAMP IN THE WOODS, NOT THE LEFT LANE" one too, right?
Right??