'Down Slow/Mall Go' Road Markings

FunLover18

Why are road markings written bottom to top? For example

Down
Slow

I understand the logic behind it; that I'm traveling up (^) so the words appear in front of my eyes in the correct order (slow, down) but it's not like I'm reading a Star Wars crawl. My natural instinct is to read top to bottom and I usually always end up reading it as 'Down Slow'.

That's my tuppence

Carry on

smash

FunLover18 wrote: »

Why are road markings written bottom to top?

...

I understand the logic behind it;

Well no, guess it's thread closed. You answered your own question!

kneemos

I think in the UK they do it top to bottom,don't think it works bottom to top particularly when you can see all the words.

FunLover18

smash wrote: »

Well no, guess it's thread closed. You answered your own question!

I understand the logic but I don't think it works as I said. It's two words and our natural instinct is to read top to bottom. I just don't really see the point

pickarooney

This is what always come to my mind when I see that sign

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IY_bhVSGKEg

greenflash

Because someone saw it done that way on American roads and thought it would look cool here. The scale of the roads and the writing is much smaller here so it just looks stupid.

fineso.mom

I like the No Taking Over markings

MrCreosote

Anyone focussing on a spot 5m in front of the car, which is the only way those stupid signs read properly, is going to come a cropper pretty quickly.

Meangadh

Tbh there's no need for the "down" or the "go" in the first place, simply saying "SLOW" and "MALL" would be enough. Then with only one word, there wouldn't be any confusion. Sorted.

kevin65

Since when did Irish drivers pay any notice to road signage?

Maphisto

I use to like the Slow >> Slow >> Slower.

Don't seem to see those as much and tbh I miss them.

Nor thinking about it Accident Blackspot.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

fineso.mom wrote: »

I like the No Taking Over markings

Surely they read Taking Over No.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

Maphisto wrote: »

I use to like the Slow >> Slow >> Slower.

Don't seem to see those as much and tbh I miss them.

Nor thinking about it Accident Blackspot.

Slow slower dead slow are in abundance around here. I just don't know what speed is Slow and what is considered Slower. Why not just put a speed limit down instead?

Omackeral

Maphisto wrote: »

I use to like the Slow >> Slow >> Slower.

Don't seem to see those as much and tbh I miss them.

Nor thinking about it Accident Blackspot.

I think it was SLOW> SLOWER> DEAD SLOW. Well they had that out my way anyhow.

Another thing, Slow Down and Slow Up mean the same thing. Weird.

Tail Docker

Meangadh wrote: »

Tbh there's no need for the "down" or the "go" in the first place, simply saying "SLOW" and "MALL" would be enough. Then with only one word, there wouldn't be any confusion. Sorted.

Erm, possibly there would - I'd be flat out looking for the big cluster of shops with cooky cupcake outlets, a TK Maxx and cheap electrical items. And wondering where they hid the rest of the signs for it.

_Kaiser_

What annoys me about road signs is when they just disappear

For example.. I was heading to a fairly well known holiday park in Cork recently and came off the roundabout to see a nice brown sign telling me it was 16km away on this road. Grand!

But that was it! Despite several junctions and 2 villages there was no more indication whether I was still on the right track or should have maybe turned off somewhere!

Finally after being about ready to turn back when exiting the 3rd village I saw one of those old fashioned Irish signs pointing me on - up what was pretty much a laneway. Even then, if you weren't watching you'd easily miss the place as it's just "there" with no signs like "next right".

It's even worse when entering Gaeltact areas when the signs abruptly change to a language 99% of people don't understand! Might as well be in Russian!

AlekSmart

_Kaiser_ wrote: »

It's even worse when entering Gaeltact areas when the signs abruptly change to a language 99% of people don't understand! Might as well be in Russian!

Does'nt have to be Gaeltacht for this stuff to occur....

Some years back the Bus Lane markings were reinstated on the Stillorgan N11 stretch.....

The words BUS LANE apparently were inspected,considered, approved for the populace and then writ in LARGE letters on the Lane.

Then,in compliance with the Official Languages Act,the Irish translation was applied in equal typeface....LÁNA BUS....ok so far ?

Incredibly enough,the early warning system worked as designed,with an activist rather quickly appearing on RTE Radio with a serious point re the markings....well TWO serious points actually....

1. The ENGLISH version should have been secondary to the Irish.(as per Bunreacht na hÉireann apparently ?)
2. The Irish version should be BUS LÁNA...in that order.

Now,it seems a decision had to be taken at the highest levels as to the course of action (Telling the individual to F### Off was rapidly discounted).

In the event,the markings were subsequently burnt-off (anybody who has ever been close to this procedure will immediately suspect the Ozone Layers imminent collapse),and a brand new set of compliant markings relaid,to tumultuous applause from the milling throng.

Sure'n was'nt it a bit of oul extra work for somebody musha....;)

Maphisto

_Kaiser_ wrote: »

It's even worse when entering Gaeltact areas when the signs abruptly change to a language 99% of people don't understand! Might as well be in Russian!

Yep. An Fhairche for Clonbur, what chance has anyone got, (that didn't know where it was in the first place)?

I've never noticed anyone putting out a sign for Bed & Breakfast in just Irish :rolleyes:

Obliq

I used to laugh every time I drove over the DEAD SLOW sign on the road (can't remember where it was) and think how confusing to foreigners! That was until I found another one that was backwards and nearly crashed from laughing.

SLOW DEAD. Well they would be, wouldn't they?

fineso.mom

Amos Cool Cocktail wrote: »

Surely they read Taking Over No.

Ha, yeah you're right,,but that's what I read when I see it.

Obliq

Also, this:



We're great at road signs.

Meangadh

Or the "SLOW SCHOOL" signs and the joke about the school being one with children that would be, let's say, academically challenged.