People have tried and many of them have failed while achieving a whole new level of frustration for their troubles. There is far more to it than people usually expect and when you’re talking about the safety of your child or your neighborhood, most people involved lose patience rather quickly. I’m sure that you’ve all seen the rallies; a cluster of residents holding up banners along the road to remind people to slow down, or watch for children, etc. This move is usually prompted by a near miss or actual accident and though there may be media coverage, that doesn’t translate in immediate action by the city or municipality responsible for road signage. Most people are under the assumption that a death equals the desired light or stop sign or decreased speed zone and though the number of instances at a particular location does play a part in the equation, there is much more to it than that. Clearly our towns and cities and villages can’t simply pop up random traffic signs and lights at every request. If you think about that for a second, you can see that the results would be a confusing heap of warnings every few feet.

The requirements for requesting a traffic sign or speed zone change may vary slightly depending on your municipality’s protocols; however, the basics remain similar throughout North America.

1-Your first step is to evaluate the actual need and be able to factually articulate why a sign is needed.

2-There are quite often online request forms available. If not, your city hall should be able to provide them.

3-Once you have made the official request, be prepared for a long wait.

There are several steps that need to be taken prior to a new sign addition, or old sign removal. Your municipality will study the area in question, including the number of “incidents” recorded for that location. They will also have the city’s engineering department look at the request and evaluate its necessity. Your individual municipality may have additional conditions, and whether a positive or negative result, this process can take months.

There is, unfortunately, no “quick fix” when looking to get a sign approved. However, if you remain patient and keep at it, you may just get exactly what you’re after.

Much to the delight of those who feel the same, there is a site out there that brings the laughs without the need for flashy bells and whistles or goofy captions. Signspotting.com is a grand collection of signs from around the world that will baffle, shock, and make you laugh out loud. The brain child of DougLansky– world traveller, amateur photographer, and former writer for the Chicago Tribune syndicate– signspotting .com allows submissions, offers prizes, and has a pretty cool community voting system. The signs themselves are ridiculously funny, but the actual site is also worth commenting on; easily navigated, well laid out, and a terrific “about” link that tells the story of how signspotting.com and the two subsequent books came to be. You can search via most recent submissions, most popular, or even through specific sign categories. The site makes me laugh. It just does. I love the accidental humor of it all. We all enjoy the unintentional gaffs of others and this site delivers an endless stream of exactly that. The weird, the wacky and the unbelievable, all wrapped up in one pretty little website that is waiting for you to find. You might want to close your office door though, unless of course you don’t mind your coworkers thinking that the manic giggles coming from your room mean that you’ve officially lost it. Below is just a small sampling of funny that you will find on the site:

Gas Sign

Smoking Sign

From Hanauma Bay

Billboards. Or more precisely, their lack of them. All four states have passed legislation banning the enormous and often unsightly advertisements in an effort to keep their main natural attractions in the forefront. Hawaii in particular has been very aggressive in its push to be billboard free, including a move to ban sign trucks or vehicles whose sole purpose is advertising. The donor funded organization Outdoor Circle has been the driving force behind keeping Hawaii beautiful and pushing for strict regulations with regard to any outdoor or green space. Formed in 1912 at the grassroots level, Outdoor Circle is so passionate about their cause that as recently as July of this year they took on the famed Oscar Meyer Wienermobile. While it toured Oahu, Outdoor Circle, much to the chagrin of Oscar Meyers, argued vehemently that the giant wiener on wheels was in clear violation of the Billboard vehicle law. Coincidentally, a spokesperson for the Wienermobile has stated no further plans to return to the state.

Opposition to the ban came from the usual suspects; religious groups crying freedom of speech and big business calling foul on their inability to advertise en mass via billboards. The surprise champions for the cause were Hawaii’s local shops and businesses. Though the least likely to use the pricey form of advertising, they applauded the ban on the grounds that it leveled the playing field between them and the big box and chain companies that had the benefit of huge marketing budgets.

As the rules are amended to keep up with the times, the arguments for and against will continue with a good portion being based solely on the idea of banning anything under the fear of a loss of freedom. Despite these arguments there will undoubtedly be more states considering some type of billboard or sign ban, though a country wide move would clearly be impossible. Can you imagine Las Vegas banning billboards? I think not. But as more states do begin to consider it – Rhode Island and Oregon have both banned the construction of new billboards – one has to ask; how much is too much? Are the rules and regulations that we live by becoming far too limiting? According to groups like Outdoor Circle, they are not nearly limiting enough when it comes to protecting our ever decreasing green spaces.

A chairman in Hawaii has noticed that they have had “about 200 yard signs and large banners defaced, destroyed, torn down or stolen from areas throughout the island.” And apparently, this has been a campaign tactic used in Hawaii for years. I don’t know whether or not this is an effective “campaign tactic,” if anything, I want to say it’s more annoying and immature than strategic business practice. Although some could argue those traits are the core of politics, so when you get down to it, these sign stealers are just following suit. Nah, I am not condoning this one bit. I think it’s juvenile and destructive. Not to mention these little yard signs cost money! In Fairbanks, someone had destroyed two custom made Barack Obama signs that cost $400 each to make. That is hefty. And the possibility of installing security cameras near the bigger signs to catch the culprits has been thrown around. It’s not just yard signs people are ruining, it’s everything, and many people are upset that it’s a breech on the first amendment. “It’s interfering with American rights – the freedom of speech,” says a Democrat that has been having his signs and banners destroyed all over the place. It is unpatriotic and un-American. Some people still have a nonchalant stance on the whole thing. Understanding that disappearing signs are a cost of doing business in any political campaign, and it just comes with the territory.

Basically, yard signs are a way for people to get their views out to the world. Signs are a way to publicly display your personal beliefs on who you think is right for this country. And give your neighbors a pretty good idea of what kind of cul-de-sac they are living on. But nothing is wrong with that, and people should be allowed to express their opinions the way they want to. Would you steal the shirt of someone’s back because you don’t believe the graphic on the front? Would you rip apart the hat on someone’s head because you don’t believe in what the message is? I don’t think you would. Because really, that would just be silly. Now what is the difference between what I just mentioned and destroying someone’s personal yard sign or a banner that merely reflects what kind of person they are and what they believe in? I don’t think there is one. I have heard the argument that putting up yard signs is just asking for trouble. Explain to me how that makes any sense! Everyone needs to stop being so darn angry and destructive. Let’s start teaching respect; for other people and self, and maybe then people will stop thinking it is ok to ruin property that isn’t yours.

Is it just the fact that it is political that people feel the need to act like crazy animals? Because if that is the case, get over it. No one in this world is EVER going to have the exact same opinions on something as someone else, I think it’s about time that we realized that and actually celebrated diversity. Welcomed different views and voted like crazy. Wouldn’t that be the day? Whether its yard signs, political signs, “it’s a boy!” signs, or business signs, leave the signs alone, they didn’t do anything to you.

I don’t necessarily have any problems with the number of yard signs that people want to throw up. 50 or five, doesn’t matter to me. However the argument that people will start to become numb to signs if there are too many I think has some merit. The message that is trying to be portrayed in a sign can lose its value if it’s thrown in your face day after day after day. On the flip side, if you just put up a few and they happen to be in more low traffic areas, they will not be effective at all. A lot of other factors play a role in the amount of signs you distribute, budget, for one. But what is the happy medium? Where do you stop, or better yet, do you stop?

The only signs I’ve seen around Denver are the Obama ‘08 signs. Whether there are tons of them, or they are just extremely strategically placed, I do not know. But I do know that every time I step outside Obama is fresh on my mind, with little to no competition from other signage. It could be that I’m just not looking for any other signs, but then again, who actually goes out in search of political signs? They just need to be there. And let’s be honest, I’m not seeing much of other candidates. Tsk Tsk. There are loads of people carrying signs, especially in Downtown Denver at the moment. In fact, the amount of handmade signs, banners and posters downtown is kind of overwhelming. Signs with every kind of debatable issue from election candidates to bird pornography, but candidate signs besides Obama it seems are few and far between. There have also been a surprisingly large number of Biden signs, which I honestly wasn’t expecting to see a lot of, and I’m not too sure why. “With two minutes remaining in vice-presidential nominee Joe Biden’s speech, they replaced red “Biden” signs with blue “Obama-Biden” signs, which delegates waved en masse when Obama made a surprise appearance onstage at the conclusion of Biden’s speech.” States an article from the Aspen Daily News. Also according to this article, “when delegates on the floor raise a sign at the wrong time, one of the yellow-vested sign monitors will sometimes motion them to keep it down.” Really?? If people want to raise their signs at awkward, inappropriate times, who are we to stop them? Raise those signs high, people!

I think we should start getting much more creative with political promotional products. Like the Obama action figure doll. Awesome. Start sticking dolls on bus benches, tree branches, stoops of buildings. It’s the same concept as a sign right? And much more creative. And you can stick them in much more hard to reach places. Or how about life sized cardboard cut outs of the candidates? Put them on street corners, in yards, and on sidewalks. They could even have thought bubbles with issues they stand for, or holding posters with messages or quotes on them. Now there is an idea! Not only would it produce the same effect as a political sign, but if for some reason you don’t know what the candidate looks like – bam! Now you do. And if you put up as many cardboard cutouts as you do signs, you’re not likely to forget the face, either. Not only that, but Obama ’08 signs can only be used once. Cardboard cutouts can last a lifetime.

Anyway, the fact is political yard signs can be as valuable to a campaign as the issues themselves, and if you decide to splatter the world with as many as you possibly can, I say go for it. And maybe it’s too late for this election, but next go a-round, let’s try to get more creative, folks!

If you live in the Boston area and need a sign made don’t be surprised if they put you on the back burner. They’re too busy making banners to show off in their stadiums. The Celtics championship I can get with. Kevin Garnett has been one of my favorite players for a long time, and it’s great to finally see him win a ring. Being a Denver Nuggets fan I predicted my team would do squat if and when they made the playoffs. Just another disappointing season.  The Red Sox, on the other hand, can take their World Series sweeps and shove it. Their 2007 championship crushed the hopes of my Colorado Rockies and their hopeful fans. I had waited 15 long years for them to make it to the World Series, only for them to be embarrassed. I was even rooting against the 2004 Sox when former Rockies legend Larry Walker was playing for the St. Louis Cardinals. I also think Albert Pujols is one of the baddest mashers in baseball. As far as the Patriots go, Bill Belicheat and the rest of them will get theirs.

Hey Boston, when you decide to let other teams raise some banners please consult me before handing over the torch. I have a couple cities in mind that could use a parade.