Maine’s Funny Highway Signs Going Away Because the Government is No Fun

Thanks a lot, federal government.

Ugh. It turns out that the Federal Highway Administration has no sense of humor. In the most mom-and-dad, corporate no-fun way, they are cracking down on funny safety messages on highway signs. It's not just for the Maine Department of Transportation, but that's all I care about.

This news is through the Bangor Daily News, which says it reports from the Wall Street Journal. The whole thing is about the fact that these signs are supposed to relay important information. But if there isn't anything pressing, a lot of states have fun with it. And I love looking for the humor. But then again, I like laughing and smiling, and it's not high on the federal government's to-do list.

FHA issued new guidelines in December in its 1,113-page Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices. It says, in part,

Messages with obscure or secondary meanings, such as those with popular culture references, unconventional sign legend syntax, or that are intended to be humorous, should not be used as they might be misunderstood or understood only by a limited segment of road users and require greater time to process and understand. Similarly, slogan-type messages and the display of statistical information should not be used.

Could they be more stuffy? Well, you can fuhgeddaboudit, New Jersey. This photo from Dan Alexander will be a thing of the past.

No more clever signs during holidays or hot summer days, nor any cleverness anywhere.

States, including Maine, have two years to lose their sense of humor.