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What's My Lane?Personality: Oh, what people put on, do to or do in their cars!
Updated 2005-04-09 (At long last!)
The images shown here are original, unaltered photographs taken in generally public places. All comments are strictly the personal opinion of the photographer. No photographs or comments are misleading, or known to be false.
Southbound on Boston's Route 128 - 2005-04-07A few exits before the commuter rail station is this sign, telling drivers that the "T" station is at exit 14. It is actually at exit 13; one exit farther in this direction.
You'd think someone would notice this one?
Center Street at Commonwealth Ave., Newton, MA - 2004-08-23No... not yet!
This first of two signs tells drivers they must turn right... onto this side street, evidently.
St. James St., Newton Corner (Newton), MA - 2004-09-19Which to believe?
The double yellow lane markings or the "one-way" sign?
Warren Street at Cambridge St., Brighton MA - circa, 1988Which to believe?
The double yellow lane markings or the "Do Not Enter" sign?
I called the DPW on this one... and fast!
Totten Pond Road, Waltham, MA -2004-08-26I've never before, and never have since seen a sign like this.
I didn't know what it meant or how to tell if I was doing it.
Brighton Ave., Allston (Boston), MA -2004-11-05Is there a reason why this sign is still here... after FIVE YEARS?
Center Street at Commonwealth Ave., Newton, MA - 2004-09-23Wouldn't that be "Entering" right?
Near Whidden Memorial Hospital, Everettt, MA - 2004-11-10If you try to follow the signs to this Hospital, you may DIE first!
Not only are there crucial signs missing along the way, but this one points in the wrong direction altogether. It has for a number of years, actually.
WHDH-TV Channel 7 (NBC) "Local" news - 2005-01-29Nobody from Channel 7 responded to my inquiry, so I don't know where this huge, brilliant electrified spelling error was photographed by their Boston Area news team.
This is only my photograph of the TV screen.
Vanderbilt Hospital, Nashville, TN - 2002-09-04Due to construction, I nearly blew through this intersection (EVEN THOUGH this wasn't the first time I had driven on this road).
I was busy checking that there weren't any pedestrians at the crosswalk, when I spotted the stop sign (hiding behind the temporary structure on the sidewalk) just in time.
Parking Garage, Vanderbilt Hospital, Nashville, TN - 2002-09-02Rule of thumb:
If your car looks and/or handles more like a boat, it isn't a compact.
(True, however, the 'compact only' parking spots in this garage seemed to be just as spacious as those that were not restricted.)
A Faux Gated Community of Nashville, TN - 2002-09-02Color-coordinated stop signs. How nice!
How DANGEROUS! - They're the wrong color (GREEN means GO!), the wrong size (small), too low, and they aren't even reflective: They practically disappear at night.
Brighton/Brookline, MA - 2002-09-09Massachusetts is full of such 'Roadway Free-for-Alls' as I call them. This occurs when two lanes (or more!) mysteriously merge into one without advance notice (i.e., without a 'Merge Left' or 'Merge Right' or 'Yield' sign of any kind). This frequent absence of not only forewarning but also instructions results in mayhem, as drivers in both lanes figure out what to do. Usually, both drivers act as if the other driver is supposed to yield.
Above, this less common sign instructs motorists to 'Form (a) Single Lane,' but leaves it up to the drivers to negotiate who yields and who doesn't -- EACH AND EVERY TIME!
Just to let the world know: In cases like this, I stay in the left lane and follow the yellow line. That way, I know it isn't MY lane that's disappearing, so it's up to the driver in the right lane to yield or SIGNAL that they wish to join my lane.
Chestnut Hill Ave., Brookline, MA - 2004-10-11Yes... same intersection and "Form Single Lane" sign.
I don't know how long this intersection has looked like it does now, and if it has changed since the first photo in 2002.
What's particularly bizarre here is that at least the way it is now, there is no need for this sign, because there is no more merging of two lanes into one. The right lane is a "Right Turn Only" lane.
Residential Neighborhood, Watertown, MA - 2002-07-22Sure, I understand what this sign is intended to mean, but it sure looks like you're supposed to watch out for POOLS crossing the street.
I wonder why the town figured it would be best to indicate on this sign WHY people are crossing the street, instead of just to be cautious for people crossing the street for any reason in general.
Tobin Bridge (outbound), Charlestown, MA - 2002-04-29I don't know what took me so long to finally photograph this sign, which has been there since before 1987, when I moved to Boston.
It was explained to me back then that this sign was installed "because there used to be toll booths on the outbound lanes." When this was the case, I don't know. Today, the tolls remain only on the inbound lanes. I have no idea when this sign was put there, but do you think it can finally be removed, after more than a decade of providing irrelevant information? Duh!
There are no flying cows ahead, either. But do you see a sign that warns motorists to look out for these nonexistent bovine? No.
Matt, an internet visitor, wrote to add:As you travel North across the Tobin Bridge, near the bottom (Chelsea side) on the right is a small white sign (or was last I looked for it) "Speed Limit 15" just before the exit.
White should designate the speed limit for the right-of-way. Normally speed limits for exits are yellow signs.
The next speed limit sign is several hundred yards beyond. When I was in college the next sign was all the way in Revere, about 2 miles away.
Some cop could have made commissioner on that speed trap! (2002-09-17)
Reedsdale St. at Brighton Ave., Allston, MA - 2002-03-06Let's put these signs back at right angles, so we can tell which is which, okay?
Reedsdale St., Allston, MA - 2002-03-06Conflicting indications: Yellow ("no parking") curb, but with a 2-hour parking permitted sign. Which to believe???
Boston University Parking Lot, 775 Commonwealth Ave., Boston, MA - 2001-11-04YOU figure it out. I couldn't be certain if I could park here or not, even when someone else there said I could. There was no attendant there on the Sunday I tried.
Fenway area, Boston, MA - 2001-09-27Another sign needlessly written in the wrong order. Kinda makes it sound like there are mad disabled people crossing the street here.
Near Fenway Park, Boston, MA - 2001-09-27This one's useless unless you have a Red Sox schedule stuck to your dashboard.
Oh... Am I the only Bostonian that doesn't? Sorry.
Brighton Ave., Allston (Boston), MA -2004-10-07Yes, of course I did know there were the World Series baseball games going on that week. How could one not know?
However, not only was this sign nowhere near the baseball field, Fenway Park, but the game was not even being played in Boston.
And at what time? The sign doesn't say that.
I'm told that these signs were placed here to prevent cars from being overturned by roudy fans, should the Red Sox win.
Wow.
...and what would happen if they lost?
My original home town, Edinboro, PA - 2001-07-30Imagine my shock at seeing this sign, and then trying to figure out what it really meant.
Galen St., Watertown, MA - 2001-06-18Aaaaaarrrrgh! -- What the hell is this supposed to mean? These are clearly parking spaces, so why is there a "No Parking" sign pointing toward them?!?
Shaw's Supermarket (Formerly Star Market), Mt. Auburn St., Cambridge, MA - 2000-11-14This parking lot is incredibly botched. For starters, there are contradictory traffic arrows that direct vehicles toward each other. This sign also directs traffic to the right of the island, while the arrows direct traffic to either side.
There are two exits next to each other with their own problems. Although clearly marked "do not enter" on the other side, motorists continue to enter through one of these two exits. The real entrance is around the corner. Furthermore, for some reason, motorists continue to make left turns onto the main street from the right side of this exit, and right turns from the left side of this exit.
Sure, more signs might not help, but still the traffic patterns and markings here could be improved. This would decrease confusion and reduce the 'anarchy' caused by motorists interpreting vague directions incorrectly or ignoring them altogether.
Route 16, Cambridge, MA - 2000-11-12Perhaps yielding to traffic signs would also be advisable?
(Former) WordsWorth Abridged, Harvard Square, Cambridge, MA - 2000-19-19For when you absolutely must mix drinking and driving?
Here's a dumb idea that should have died on the drawing table.
McDonald's, The Fenway, Boston/Brookline, MA - 2000-11-15McDonald's deceptively lures cars in exactly the opposite of the correct direction with this sign. When I wanted to make a drive-through ("thru") order, I found myself facing oncoming drive-through traffic, instead of getting in line at the speaker.
AAAAAAAAHHHHH! What Gives Here!?
![]() Route 2, Near Alewife Circle, Cambridge - 1999-07-24 |
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![]() Boston - 1999-02-24 ![]() Boston - 1999-02-19 ![]() Manhattan, NYC - 1999-04-14 |
It figures that what should be an international standard isn't even agreed upon in one city. I'll add more example photos, but the point here is that those signs atop taxis from city to city or company to company aren't consistent, or even used. It's simple: If the light is on, the taxi should be for hire. If it's not on, the person on the street should be able to tell it's off duty. You can tell there's a taxi heading toward you long before you can tell if there's anyone in the back seat, and save yourself some goofy waving around for nothing. But usually these signs aren't even used. Other times, the signs are diametrically different. That is, sometimes the sign says "Off Duty" (I presume they are not for hire if the sign is on, which seems strange). Sometimes the sign says "Off Duty" on one side and "For Hire" on the other. Either way, why would anyone want to advertise that they are not available, as opposed to drawing attention to themselves if they're looking for a fare? No, it's not the law in Massachusetts, but it's a good idea... |
![]() Porter Square, Cambridge, MA - 2001-06-01 |
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A constant irritation! Pedestrian walk signals that are not synchronized with traffic signals. |
![]() "Combat Zone," Boston, MA - August, 1990 |
Audi says that the "Radio will not work if removed from car" Obviously, this thief didn't see this sign before breaking the window... or they were after something else that would work if removed from the car... or maybe if only the radio did work if removed from the car, the car would still be there? |
![]() Four Seasons Hotel, Back Bay, Boston - 1999-03-13 |
Guests' cars parks (displayed?) on the sidewalk... but are they tempting fate?.... File this under "unclear on the concept." |
What's My Lane?Personality: Oh, what people put on, do to or do in their cars!
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