by KYLIE HORNBECK
As a driver, I sometimes feel bombarded by road signs, and yet I often marvel at them as well.
I am a good citizen, or so I believe, but I must admit there are a few street signs I have failed to heed on certain occasions. I have run a stop sign. I’ve pressed my foot down a little too hard on the gas pedal…several times. I’ve parked in a “No Parking Zone.” I’ve parked in a crosswalk. I’ve even gone the wrong way on a “One Way” street, and yes, I have driven past a “Do Not Enter” sign.
However, I have not hit a road worker. I have shared the road with bicyclists. I’ve slowed down in school zones. I’ve buckled my seat belt.
I’ve become accustomed to seeing street signs daily. I’ve become used to facing the constant decisions to obey or disobey the road signs around me. I’ve noticed all sorts of signs in all parts of Kansas City and across Missouri, but I have recently developed a sort of obsession with road signs, not an obsession of following them, rather of observing them. I am always on the lookout for new and interesting road signs. This obsession developed on a trip I took from Kansas City to Springfield, Missouri, during which I came across a sign I will never forget, a sign that for some reason, I just cannot get out of my head:
Classic.
Since the trip, I have been on the constant lookout for unusual signs on roads, city streets, highways and interstates.
This quest for discovering new signs is indefinite, unending, never ceasing, always enjoyable. I encourage other drivers to share my passion for sign-spotting. Not only does it encourage driver awareness on the road, but it also increases the pleasure of driving. It adds a bit of flare to an ordinary drive to work or family road trip.
