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| California HW1, XII.1998; pict. A. Guët | Alladin Wyoming, VII.1998; pict. Baeten & De Dier | Black Hills South Dakota, VII.1998; pict. Baeten & De Dier | Mt Rainier Washington, IX.2001; pict. S. Visser |
| Nederlands | Path: Home / Country list / Falling Rock Signs in depth / in the United States |
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| California HW1, XII.1998; pict. A. Guët | Alladin Wyoming, VII.1998; pict. Baeten & De Dier | Black Hills South Dakota, VII.1998; pict. Baeten & De Dier | Mt Rainier Washington, IX.2001; pict. S. Visser |
As I told you in Hawaii: better clean your lenses before
you hit the road in the US. One group of warnings comes as text only.
It's reassuring to see how rocks in mainland US seem much better
under control. They come alone. The warning mentions a single ROCK.
Our find from Hawaii says ROCKS. They come in flocks if
you may believe the panels.
The Mt Rainier sign is most interesting. ROCK became plural and the text is enhanced with an elaborate picture. We recognize many (plural indeed) boulders and a car. Even the licence plate and rear lights are featured. Rock-signs with vehicles are typical for several Latin-American countries (f.e. Chile, Argentina, Mexico) where sometimes even the driver is shown.
Glacier NP, Montana, VII.1998; pict. Baeten & De Dier |
California, IX.2001; pict. S. Visser |
It's probably the most complete design in its kind. But this panel shows one extra, and amazing, detail.
One of the rocks hits the car.
The next finds gradually evolve towards the second group with rocks only. We witness how first the text and the lights, then the licence plate and eventually also the car disappear. Entirely pictorial warning signs have the major advantage that people not able to read (or understand) the local language still can grab the meaning of the sign. Our samples show also a major drawback. The series of pictures below suggests that roadworkers together with the text lost an essential reference point. Our people on the field on several occasions run into rock-signs mounted upside down. Find other wrongly fixed signs in: South Africa, Belgium and Indonesia. |
