More than Where to Go: Distinctive Road Signs

They tell us where we are and where to go. What more could we want from standard street and roadside directional signs? Ubiquitous in our car culture, we pass one after another even on   short drives. Taken for granted, they’re truly noticed and appreciated them only when one is missing or we’ve lost our way. Like anyone else, I rely on them wherever I go. I don’t doubt their   value. But what really grabs my attention is a sign out of the ordinary.

Almost universally made of reflective, adhesive vinyl pasted over aluminum, standard street and directional signs are perfectly utilitarian, relatively easy to read and understand. There are slight variations in typography, color, or the presence of government seals, but the monotony of off-white lettering on a green background is the rule. Yet every once in a while, I pass signs that buck the lookalike trend. Whether they supplement or substitute for regulation signs, they convey much more about a place than names and distances. Distinctive signs may speak to creativity, history, a sense of humor, or a special notion of place. To sight one is to feel you’re in a singular community.