If you are hoping for nice Children's Crossing Signs then
don't go to any country in South America. Ecuador,
Argentina,
Bolivia,
Chile, etc., they all
share the same couple of templates and they all plant similar warning signs.
However, out of this sea of mediocrity there is a design which stands out: the sign
which was found in Mindo (1) and at a few other places in this country, but not elsewhere on the continent:
it is an endemic to Ecuador and Galápagos!
1- Mindo, 27.ii.2010; pict. S. Feys
2- Coca - Río Tiguino (Napo prov.), i.2002;
pict. De Knijf & Demolder
3- Cosanga, 24.ii.2010; pict. S. Feys
The design radiates the sweet innocence we remember from earlier times when
road signs were drawn with attention to detail.
Apart from being an endemic it is also the only sign on the continent where it is the
girl who is in command. Signs with this peculiarity belong to the U.K.–group of signs
and are common in countries which shared part of their history with Great Britain.
In this case, however, it may signal a connection with
Australia
(were we have found the exact same drawing), or
New Zealand
(where a mirrored sign was found).
The remaining finds show degrees of sketchiness which hurt the eyes:
clothing disappears, heads are blown up or rising into the air, the upper extremities are severed
from the rest of the body. Some people will certainly applaud the loss of gender characteristics,
but I think it is a shame that diversity is declining so much. The Anthropocene not only affects biodiversity,
it also affects road signs, perhaps even more radically.
4- Chimborazo prov., xii.2001;
pict. De Knijf & Demolder
5- Quito, xii.1997; pict. Baeten & De Dier
6- Chimborazo prov., xii.2001;
pict. De Knijf & Demolder
Think about them. Drive with caution
, says the fancy road sign (8).
It has all the hallmarks of well-intentioned work of the local community.
Good roadsigns are understood in the blink of an eye: this one carries far too much text and a drawing
which distracts the driver.
Notice the speed limit. Twenty km/h is at the low end of the range (min 15 – max 80 –
see overview in Australia).
Children crossing
(9) is again not an official road sign and it is interesting
because the crosswalk — a zebra crossing — is shown. Currently only
one other occurrence of this feature is reported on the whole continent (
Brazil)
and worldwide only five countries more: four in Asia (e.g.
South Korea), one in Africa
(
Madagaskar).
The children are import straight from Europe: they belong to the Mediterranean Group of Signs (explained
in Malta).
7- Cosanga, 23.ii.2010; pict. S. Feys
8- Quito, 11.v.2004; pict. J. Breine
9- Otavalo, 01.v.2004; pict. J. Breine
