Topic: Waste of money, (our money)

[ACE]

Driving down the M40 yesterday I noticed a huge sign saying RIVER CHERWELL later on the river must have meandered a bit and another huge sign said RIVER CHERWELL. These are not small signs but huge great in your face affairs, I take it there are two more on the other side of the motorway. They must have cost a pretty penny to make and a few man hours to put up. But what is the point. You are driving on a motorway so stopping to view is out off the question. A momentary loss of concentration could cause a huge accident if you happen to try and glance at said rivers.

Now we as tax payers have paid for these follies so please somebody give me a valid reason why they are there. Johhny Foreigner would not give a flying F. about knowing there was a river there. I certainly am not bothered, if I wanted to visit the river I think I would have planned my trip beforehand and visited it away from the droning noise of a motorway. Just a waste of money to my mind.

[cornykev]

Grumpys back.    ;D ;D ;D

[pigeonseed]

I have often asked myself the same question, when seeing signs for things which don't appear to need signposting.

In fact, is it a shame that we feel the need to label things, as if they didn't exist unless they were signposted?

Maybe there is a reason, we just don't know what it is!

[PurpleHeather]

Driving a long way on a motorway can get boring and induce sleep. So these signs can also serve to keep a driver alert.

There are two sides to every coin and I for one rather like to know 'where I am' whilst travelling and what is near by.

Not only motorists use motorway signs to discover where they are sky travellers some times need to know and motorway signs are a great help.

If you telephoned the emergency services to report an accident adding that you had just passed a certain sign helps them to discover where to send rescue vehicles too.

[saddad]

I like crossing the Trent... it makes me feel I'm almost home...  :-X

[ACE]

Good reasons for some people, but aircraft must use larger objects than road signs to pinpoint their location. If you are that tired you need a road sign to keep awake, you should not be driving, take a break! There are numbered markers all along the motorways that are excellent markers for the emergency services, a lot more useful then the river cherwell signs that there are two of.

If you like to know what is nearby, is the only valid reason, but a still an expensive cost to the rest of us.

I like crossing the Trent... it makes me feel I'm almost home...  :-X

But you must know it is the  Trent without a sign. I have the same feeling with the solent, but it ain't sign posted anywhere.

[betula]

I always cheer up when I  see the John Lewis signs......I know heaven is close  ;D

[Emagggie]

Have you seen the sign for Basildon? Now that is a waste of money. :o
http://www.metro.co.uk/news/819681-basildon-gets-hollywood-sign-essex-style

[galina]

I agree with PurpleHeather.  And in the days before in-car navigation aids, it helped the map reading passenger no end to know which side of the river the car had got to.

Also tells you a bit more than you would get otherwise from just thundering down the motorway.  I love these signs.

[dtw]

Are there any trees planted in front of them?

If not, the local council is slacking.

[BarriedaleNick]

I once saw a sign in Portsmouth directing me to the IoW ferries...
How dare the council waste money on such a frivalous sign..
I was so furious as I went past the sign that I almost ran an old lady over outside the Co-op.. could have been Morrisons - don't know - didnt have time to read the sign.
I mean I know where the ferries go from and Jonny F (anyone north of Hilsea) doesn't give a d**n where the ferries go from because they dont want to use them...I know that for a fact!

And get this - as I was leaving Pompey there was I sign telling me I was on the A3M!!  The lunacy of it - Madness..

Next they'll be putting up directions to towns and villages and signs telling us how fast we are allowed to drive on certain sections of road.  It's health and safety gone mad!

[pigeonseed]

 ;D ;D ;D

I work for a university, and instead of having a dirty great big sign saying what it is, they have a tasteful logo across the plate glass front and a carved stone inside the doorway. No one knows there's a university there.

You can be too subtle  ::)

If they could somehow get hold of one of those spare Cherwell signs and paint over it...