Here is a collection of stupid traffic signs I've seen while driving around in Massachusetts. I believe these are examples that show Mass. drivers don't deserve the reputation of worst drivers, but they're just making the best of a bad situation. These signs are not particularly useful, and may prove dangerous to newcomers.
The following sign is one near me on Bedford Street in Burlington near the entrance to the Burlington branch of Northeastern University. It's been there since I moved here in 1997. At first glance, it looks like a sign that lost a bolt and flipped around. When you finally get to the curve and see that it bends to the left, you realize that some workman brought the incorrect sign, and (instead of returning with the correct sign) bolted it to the post upside-down figuring the arrow, at least, points in the correct direction.
Why would I even have to ask: "Is this sign upside-down, or is it indicating a bend to the left?"
The following sign can be seen off Exit 26 on I-95 heading towards Waltham. You know how long I had to think about what it means? "Bicycle Stop On Line For Green." I was thinking it was an exception to the rule that bicycles follow the same traffic signals that motor vehicles do. Then I figured out it was some local colloquial that means "bicycles wait on line for a green light." I would assume enough bicycles ran the red light to warrent the sign to reenforce the rule.
Where I come from, bicycles stop for RED lights, and go for GREEN lights.
Reader m.l.matthews points out that the sign is supposed to mean that bicyclists trigger a green light at the bike logo on the pavement, as described in this link. Isn't *that* obvious from the sign?!?!
The following sign can be seen on Route 3 heading towards Cambridge. It shows that you turn left to stay on Route 3, and turn right to head toward Belmont. Let's hope you realize that it's at a rotary, not an intersection, and you have to turn right no matter which way you want to eventually go! Funny thing is that this rotary was recently (2002) revamped, and the new sign was added. This just shows that there's no sensibility, even now, when adding signs that could help motorists.
Notice also the yield signs for traffic entering the rotary? It's redundant because traffic should always yield to traffic in rotaries. But, I discovered, some time before my time, traffic in rotaries had to yield to entering traffic, and that law was changed. Signs like this are to remind people of the new law, but it confuses newcomers (like me, when I first moved here) into thinking that these signs indicate an exception to the rule, so if I enter a rotary without such I sign, I don't have to yield, right?
So I turn left here into oncoming traffic to stay on Route 3?
Additional Link
