Nederlands Path: Home / Country list / Children in depth / Children's crossing in Finland

Children's crossing in Finland
One of the comforting benefits of roadsign collecting is that —because of roadsigns are country specific— you can't get lost once you know your signs. But this kind is found in e.g. Iran, South Africa, Iceland (where we explain the so called U.K.-group of roadsigns) and many other countries.

The widespread use makes this type of roadsigns almost useless. We find them on many places in the northern hemisphere and also well south of the equator. We therefore need additional information to calculate a position.
Some short hints from the team fieldguide.
If you find this sign and then you are in
• it's raining and workmen are desperately trying to put up an umbrella Great Britain
• pumice stone is chafing your ears Iceland
• the horizon is littered with piramids Egypt
• workers do not wear wellingtons and hyenas are crossing your path Southern Africa
1996
 
This sign —found in front of Jeesiönranta junior high school - Jeesiönrannan yläaste— is very different.
The children don't hold hands. They are running, not walking. The boy is tallest and carries a bookbag.

We have more or less similar signs from e.g. Iran, The Netherlands and Italy but none is exactly the same.

Two countries however do display matching roadsigns: Switzerland and Syria.
Sodankylä (Finnish Lapland);
2001; pict. V. Väisänen
 
Vuotso - Sodankylä (Lapland);
14.VII.2001; pict. V. Väisänen		 Venla Väisänen wrote me:  
  It is located in front of the Vuotso elementary school.
The sign includes words PYSÄHDY (stop) and VARO (look out). Also a small inscription TALJA can be read. Talja was a traffic security oriented organization until the 1980's. The sign probably dates from the 1960's.

This roadsign is interesting in several aspects.
+ First we have the amazing detail in the drawing:
the car with driver, the clothing, the shadows.
Compare with the equally detailed Katmandu children.

  
+ Then see how the children walk away from us.
They do most often walk in the plane of the sign.
Find a second (less obvious) case in Ireland

+ The girl keeps the boy from stepping on the road. She puts her hand on his shoulder. This is typical behaviour for children of the UK-group.

   + The general approach is very peculiar.
Signs usually are designed from the car's viewpoint. They warn for objects or people that could be in the way.
This sign shows the dangerous situation: the possible victims and the target of the message.
Visit Ireland for a discussion in depth.
Path: Home / Country list / Children in depth / Children in Finland  e-mail:  
More roadsigns from Finland: Men at work