Slightly's Road Sign Appreciation Society

To most non-society members road signs may appear to be purely functional, they enable pedestrians and vehicular traffic to proceed with their journey by providing directional advisory information and road lay-out guidance.

However to an elite international collective known as the RSAS, the bold, yet subtle beauty of the road sign inspires endless dedication, fascination and delight. Our organisation works tirelessly to bring about international awareness of the road sign and strives to preserve each nations unique heritage of road signs.

This sign caused mass excitement in Korea recently when it was taken to mean "Beware of Flying Saucers Landing On Your Car". However it disappointing reads as "No overtaking lorries".

MEN AT WORK SIGNAGE ACROSS THE GLOBE

One of the most endlessly exhilarating aspects of international signage is the way that countries influences one another. For example this "Men at Work" sign first appeared in Swinging Sixties Britain in 1967 and is still used today. It’s a rather ostententatious little number now synonymous with hippie ideals such as being stoned continuously for a decade and being able to shag whoever you like even if you have a proper girl-friend.

Here you can see how it has influenced other countries.

The Chinese version of this sign is clearly an almost carbon copy of the original British. The familiar work-man bending downwards to his right to pick up what appears to be a parasol. The only changes apparent are the removal of the workman’s neck and feet. This is to represent the punishment dished out to work men who were just to slow for the Chinese authorities. First they removed their feet, then if they were still too slow they removed their neck.

In the early 1970’s South African officials also took the original British design and added their own national twist. Being South Africa they couldn’t have representation of non-whites, even on signage and so the figure becomes a white man. Of course in modern day South Africa 99.7% of highway maintenance men are non-whites.

The alternative to the British design is this wonderfully detailed Danish design.

Here you can see how it’s international lineage spreads as far as...

Spain : and Turkey:

SUBSCRIBE TO "SIGNERS MONTHLY" FOR JUST $98 A YEAR AND RECEIVE A FREE REPLICA OF THE CLASSIC 1949-72 AUSTRIAN "NO U-TURN" SIGN.

Uppy downy sign!!!

This months issue includes… Report on the club trip to see the new computerized alterable maximum speed signs at junction 12 on the m29 a nostalgic look at the old British classics like "Give Way to Gentlemen" and "Peasant crossing ahead" An interview in which a man who gets to control traffic at road works with a sign which says "stop" on one side and "go" on the other, tells us why he feels so privileged to do what he does.

Roundy roundy sign!!!

Road sign game http://www.elve.net/game/home.htm