posted
There's a family in the area who has up to six foster children. Sometimes there are little ones and some have mental and physical problems. They live along the grid, just outside of town. Vehicles zoom by at dangerous speeds (speed limit is 40km/h, but no one pays attention) and she's always worried about them. I guess a fence is out of the budget, so I made her this 18x24 sign a while ago. People still drive by fast. We talked today and she was wondering if we could put up a bigger one on the other corner of the property. We were trying to think of something that would actually make people think and drive carefully. Does anybody have a good idea? Or maybe you have done a sign that really worked well for such a situation? So far I have only come up with things like "slow down, idiot, or we'll shoot out your tires",and "Landmines! Use road at your own risk"
posted
Lotti, A child can be hurt or even killed by a SLOW vehicle, and when that DOES happen, I will guarantee there will a budget for a fence. You said she's always worried about them, wouldn't a fence take away the worry?
I think you can have flashing lights with all the bells and whistles, they are just not gonna slow down so what is the alternate route....a fence. If my child were there, i would demand a fence!
The blame should not go on the sign.
-------------------- Mike Meyer Sign Painter 189 1st Ave n P.O. Box 3 Mazeppa, Mn 55956
We are not selling, we are staying here in Mazeppa....we cannot re-create what we have here....not in another lifetime! SO Here we are!!!!!!!
posted
Lotti, the "rule-of-thumb" says no more than 5 words/elements on a sign. That is the limit a human brain accepts at a glance.
Your original sign is good ... just make it more simple so it registers more quickly.
Leave just the boy and the ball at 50% of the sign. Then BOLD ... "SLOW DOWN!" and maybe "KID'S ZONE" or "CHILDREN PLAYING" as a smaller bottom line underneath.
posted
When our kids play out front of our house, I put out 2 traffic cones about a car's width from the curb. It slows most people down except the real a$$holes. My kids have been know to yell at the cars "SLOW DOWN" but I try to keep them from doing that fearing repraisals.
Signs I've thought to put up ARE "FAMILIES AHEAD - PLEASE SLOW DOWN" or "DON'T KILL OUR KIDS - SLOW DOWN
Also, there are a few streets around that have the posted speed limit and under that - FINES - 36 MPH $ 86.00 - 41 MPH $ 106.00 - 46 MPH $ 130.00 - and on up. Seems to work on those roads.
posted
Way back when I was not much more than a kid myself, I painted this sign for the entrance to town. Amazingly it seemed to work wonders for a while. There were so many little kids running around town and the playground was on main street. I think that the locals just needed a reminder. I think it's over twenty five years old in this picture. Nice lettering huh?
-------------------- “Did you ever stop to think, and forget to start again?” -Winnie the Pooh & A.A. Milne
Kelly Thorson Kel-T-Grafix 801 Main St. Holdfast, SK S0G 2H0 ktg@sasktel.net Posts: 5496 | From: Penzance, Saskatchewan | Registered: May 2002
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posted
Mike, I agree with you all the way, but try dealing with social services and you'll know why there is no fence yet. Once someone gets killed they might find it in their budget in a hurry, but until then they haven't even seen the necessity for the little sign. After all, the foster parents are supposed to watch over them and they do, but any parent knows how quickly kids can get out of your sight.
posted
Warn the drivers there are speed bumps coming up, I have made alot of watch for children signs and they haven't helped. Most drivers don't seem to care these days.
posted
Many years ago my grandmother used to keep foster kids, lots of foster kids, and her chain link fences kept them protected. I don't know how it is where you are, but some friends of ours keep foster kids and the state actually pays them a pretty handsome allowance for each child. A chain link fence seems like a pretty cheap price to pay for the life of a child.
[ May 05, 2008, 05:43 PM: Message edited by: Wayne Webb ]
-------------------- Wayne Webb Webb Signworks Chipley, FL 850.638.9329 wayne@webbsignworks.com Posts: 7404 | From: Chipley,Florida,United States | Registered: Oct 1999
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posted
I don't suppose Lotti's customer would be so impressed if she was told to forget the signs and build a fence???????
It's usually unthoughtful not uncaring that causes people to drive carelessly. Anything you can do to remind them regularly will help, unfortunately once we see something a few times it just becomes part of the background. Perhaps something changeable could be incorporated, like a panel with a bright background and slide in silhouettes for each child there. People are nosey and if they realize what it means they'll be watching to see how many kids are there. That kind of thing sticks with you, and they may begin to think in terms of kids in the vicinity.
I also think that if the sign can have somewhat of a shock factor it will be more effective and memorable. Maybe silhouettes of kids running towards the road. I've always wondered about the use of kids playing with a ball for a warning sign. I understand it's intention, but to process the information that a child is playing with a ball and if the ball goes on the road the child may chase it and could be stuck by a vehicle seems like it requires too much attention, which is usually what is lacking in the first place.
-------------------- “Did you ever stop to think, and forget to start again?” -Winnie the Pooh & A.A. Milne
Kelly Thorson Kel-T-Grafix 801 Main St. Holdfast, SK S0G 2H0 ktg@sasktel.net Posts: 5496 | From: Penzance, Saskatchewan | Registered: May 2002
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posted
That's amazing, Kelly! 25 years ago and you painted it when you were just 5 years old!
P
-------------------- Pierre St.Marie Stmariegraphics Kalispell,Mt www.stmariegraphics.com ------------------ Plan on knowing everything before I die and time's running out! Posts: 4223 | From: Kalispell,Mt 59903 | Registered: Mar 2000
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posted
I did a file search but I can't find the one we did for a rural school out here. Too long ago, i suppose. Anyway, it was a 4'x6' that said "LIFE OR DEATH" THEIRS! ( We lamintad a wide fromat print photo of the kids beneath it) "SLOW DOWN!!
It did seem to work. Most thought it was the personal picture of the kids that did it.
P
-------------------- Pierre St.Marie Stmariegraphics Kalispell,Mt www.stmariegraphics.com ------------------ Plan on knowing everything before I die and time's running out! Posts: 4223 | From: Kalispell,Mt 59903 | Registered: Mar 2000
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posted
Here's the sign we have at the end of our driveway... it not only slows down people driving in but also has created a fair amount of interest and subsequent business for us.
Those who were at the Splash Letterhead meet in Nanaimo (Susan Banasky's meet) will remember this piece as I sculpted it there as a demo. As Donna well remembers the trip was very fun with this piece standing in the back of the truck on the way back home.
Still watching for the chickens (and kids too!) in Yarrow...
-grampa dan
[ May 05, 2008, 08:36 PM: Message edited by: Dan Sawatzky ]
-------------------- Dan Sawatzky Imagination Corporation Yarrow, British Columbia dan@imaginationcorporation.com http://www.imaginationcorporation.com
Being a grampa is one of the the most wonderful things in the world!!! Posts: 8738 | From: Yarrow, B.C. Canada | Registered: Nov 1998
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-------------------- Jimmy Chatham Chatham Signs 468 stark st Commerce, Ga 30529 Posts: 1766 | From: Commerce, GA, USA | Registered: Nov 1998
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quote:Originally posted by Kelly Thorson: I don't suppose Lotti's customer would be so impressed if she was told to forget the signs and build a fence???????
It's usually unthoughtful not uncaring that causes people to drive carelessly. Anything you can do to remind them regularly will help, unfortunately once we see something a few times it just becomes part of the background. Perhaps something changeable could be incorporated, like a panel with a bright background and slide in silhouettes for each child there. People are nosey and if they realize what it means they'll be watching to see how many kids are there. That kind of thing sticks with you, and they may begin to think in terms of kids in the vicinity.
I also think that if the sign can have somewhat of a shock factor it will be more effective and memorable. Maybe silhouettes of kids running towards the road. I've always wondered about the use of kids playing with a ball for a warning sign. I understand it's intention, but to process the information that a child is playing with a ball and if the ball goes on the road the child may chase it and could be stuck by a vehicle seems like it requires too much attention, which is usually what is lacking in the first place.
I'm not saying signs won't help. They just won't slow everyone down. I would put up a sign and a fence.
-------------------- Wayne Webb Webb Signworks Chipley, FL 850.638.9329 wayne@webbsignworks.com Posts: 7404 | From: Chipley,Florida,United States | Registered: Oct 1999
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posted
Reminds me of a story I heard years ago about a farmer that had a highway running past his place. Seems that people would leave the town city limits, and would end up speeding when they got to his place.
He called the sheriff to complain, and the department came out and put up signs. They told the farmer to give it a week or two, and people would start slowing down. Farmer called the sheriff back a couple of weeks later and said it wasn't working, could he put up his own sign.
The sheriff said it would be ok, but decided he better go check it out a day or two later. The farmers sign simply read "Nudist Colony Ahead"
-------------------- Mark Kottwitz Kottwitz Graphics Ridgely, MD www.SeeMySignWork.com -------------------------- Imagination is more important than knowledge. -- Albert Einstein Posts: 746 | From: Ridgely, MD | Registered: Oct 2000
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posted
Kelly, not sure on the regulations in your neck of the woods, even though the powers that be won't put up a fence, they will be there quick to offer a fine for an un-authorized traffic sign.
-------------------- Bob Noyes Digital Graffiti 310 Main St NE Mapleton, MN 56065 Posts: 130 | From: Mapleton, MN | Registered: Nov 2007
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posted
A sad fact of life in New Jersey is that only when at least five people have been killed at a location, then they consider a traffic light. Bill
-------------------- Bill Riedel Riedel Sign Co., Inc. 15 Warren Street Little Ferry, N.J. 07643 billsr@riedelsignco.com Posts: 2953 | From: Little Ferry, New Jersey, USA | Registered: Feb 1999
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![[I Don t Know]](graemlins/dunno.gif)
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That may in fact be the only thing that would work.![[Rolling On The Floor]](graemlins/rolf.gif)
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