History Main / RoadSignReversal

* In the series finale of ''Series/GrangeHill'', a boy does this with the arrow of a sign saying something like "Year 7s this way".

* In ''Outta This Kingdom'' Zircon flips the sign leading to [=McDuckus=] Cheetus so it points to the Cold Lands instead.

* Subverted in the ''WesternAnimation/CourageTheCowardlyDog'' episode "Cajun Granny Stew", where he does this to try trick a Fox (who has kidnapped Muriel) into driving into some rocks. The Fox doesn't buy it, and runs over the sign and Courage (who wisely decided to stand directly behind the sign). [[DoubleSubversion Subverted again]] when the Fox immediately falls off a cliff.

* The Duke employs this in an episode of ''WesternAnimation/{{Gawayn}}'' in order to send the questers off into the wrong direction.

* The very first trick Macha and Bodhb try to pull on Pidge in ''Literature/TheHoundsOfTheMorrigan''. It's much eerier than the usual examples, because, of course, they have magic.

* ''WesternAnimation/BlazeAndTheMonsterMachines'': Crusher pulls off this trick in. "Race to Eagle Rock" and "Deep Sea Grand Prix". Blaze falls for it both times, but it's the latter that he actually realizes he went the wrong way.

* ''WesternAnimation/{{Superfriends}}'' 1973-74 episode "The Fantastic Frerps". This is how King Plasto diverts a shipment of raw plastic from the real GREPS building to his imitation.

* Listed as one of the things Stitch is programmed to do in ''Disney/LiloAndStitch'', along with backing up sewers and stealing everyone's left shoe.

* Occurs in the first episode of ''WesternAnimation/OneHundredAndOneDalmatiansTheSeries'' to lure Cruella away from the three main puppies she's chasing after in her car.

* In "Parade Problem" on ''WesternAnimation/EllaTheElephant'', one of these kicks off the problem described in the title. An unwitting seagull reverses a sign, causing a delivery van with frozen bananas to go the wrong way.
* In "You're My Hero" from ''WesternAnimation/MackAndMoxy'', the villain Shellfish Sheldon switches a sign with two directions, one that leads to the "town square" and the other to "very deep pit," causing the heroes to end up in the very deep pit, leading to a lesson about calling 911. This is probably the closest Sheldon actually comes to succeeding on the show, as he actually manages to get the "Great Helpee," but the heroes manage to get it back from him before it hatches. Then Sheldon has to call 911 because he ended up in the very deep pit.
* In "It's Wrong to Cheat" from ''WesternAnimation/{{Bali}}'', after Bali's friend Tito suggests cheating on a game during Bali's birthday party, Bali has an ImagineSpot in which he's in a boat race and he his friends initially lose to another racer who cheats by doing this, but then ends up losing after an on-camera review of the race shows his cheating. Back at Bali's, Bali tells Tito that he only wants to win if they play fairly. And they do.
* Totally subverted in ''Series/DieSendungMitDerMaus''. An arrow in the mountains points to...wherever, we'll never know, the slope is far to steep for the free-climbing mouse and elephant. The mouse solves it pragmatically by turning the arrow around to point to the earth and make an impromptu picnic.
* ''WesternAnimation/TheNewAdventuresOfSuperman'': In "The Prankster", Superman switches a pair of signs to cause the Prankster to drive his scooter into a river.
* In "Down on the Farm" from the 2007 revamp of the 2003 ''WesternAnimation/StrawberryShortcake'', Purple Pie Man reverses the arrows on the signs that Strawberry Shortcake made the country fair to save Caramel Corn's farm. However, Huckleberry Pie spots it and they reverse the arrows in time to hold the fair.
* ''WesternAnimation/DangerMouse'': In "The Invasion of Colonel K", Baron Greenback switches the signs inside Colonel K's body (ItMakesJustAsMuchSenseInContext) so that DM and Penfold end up travelling to the lungs rather than the brain.

* ''WesternAnimation/WileECoyoteAndTheRoadRunner'': Wile E. Coyote tries this a few times with the Road Runner and a detour sign. The gag being that the way the Road Runner goes turns safe, while Wile E.'s way turns out to be the one with the road out... cue whistling sound...
* One of Dick Dastardly's favourite dirty tricks in the ''WesternAnimation/WackyRaces''. Not surprising since, as has been mentioned elsewhere, ''Wacky Races'' (ahem) borrowed a lot of ''Road Runner'' gags.
* In an episode of the ''WesternAnimation/VivaPinata'' cartoon, the heroes flip a road sign to get the bad guy off their trail and send him towards a volcano. Of course, as he's driving [[LowSpeedChase a really slow forklift]], it takes him 50 years to actually reach the volcano.
* This is one of the dirty tricks the three bullies in ''WesternAnimation/RaceForYourLifeCharlieBrown'' pull during the raft race.
* ''Franchise/ScoobyDoo'':
** Done to lure the Mystery Machine into a trap in ''WesternAnimation/ScoobyDooAndTheLochNessMonster''.
** Dracula does this to send Shaggy and Scooby into the tar pits in ''WesternAnimation/ScoobyDooAndTheReluctantWerewolf''.
* Happens in an episode of ''Scooby's All-Star WesternAnimation/LaffALympics''. The cheaters mistakenly switch the signs back, resulting in disgust from their teammates (although they DO get a 50 point bonus for "chivalry" because the judges think they did it to help their opponents).

* In the ''WesternAnimation/RobotChicken'' spoof of ''Film/TheCannonballRun'', Sherriff Roscoe P. Coltrane does this to trick, "them Duke Boys," possibly as an homage to the actual show, ''Series/TheDukesOfHazzard''.

* ''WesternAnimation/RockyAndBullwinkle'':
** Used by Boris Badenov in one of the openings (see it towards the end of [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=65t-OzhlmvE this video]]). However, instead of rotating the entire arrow he's able to remove the arrowhead from one end and attach it to the other instead.
** And, during the [[{{Phlebotinum}} Upsidaisium]] arc, Boris and Natasha decide to switch the sign pointing to a 900-foot cliff with the one pointing to the mountain to which they (and the heroes) are going. The catch is that they come up with this plan independently, and cancel each other's efforts out. Boris and Natasha fall down the cliff (nonfatally), while Rocky and Bullwinkle continue on without noticing at all.
* In an episode of ''WesternAnimation/TheBusyWorldOfRichardScarry'', an inadequately supported sign flips and sends people looking for a stall selling corn into the middle of a cornfield, causing them to become LostInTheMaize.
* ''WesternAnimation/{{Superfriends}}'' 1973-74 episode "The Fantastic Frerps". This is how King Plasto diverts a shipment of raw plastic from the real GREPS building to his imitation.
* In the ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'' episode "Fall Weather Friends," Rainbow Dash flips the sign marking the path for the Running of the Leaves, sending Applejack off the track. She hastily flips it back when she hears Twilight Sparkle coming, to keep from being caught.

%%* Happens in ''WesternAnimation/DoctorSnuggles''.
* In the first episode of ''WesternAnimation/AroundTheWorldInEightyDays'', Fix does this to prevent Fog and Passepartout from reaching Buckingham Palace.

* A non-racing version occurs in one episode of ''WesternAnimation/StrawberryShortcake's Berry Bitty Adventures''. While trying to deliver a package, Strawberry encounters a sign that tells her the way to go, only for a breeze to flip the markers, knocking off the one she needs.
* In an episode of ''WesternAnimation/DangerRangers'' about pedestrian safety, a kid does this during a race in a failed attempt at cheating.
* In ''WesternAnimation/LittleRedRidingRabbit'', the wolf does this to send Red on the long way to Grandma's house.
* ''WesternAnimation/InspectorGadget'': In "Monster Lake", Dr. Claw swaps a road sign to send the Gadgetmobile plunging off a cliff.
* ''WesternAnimation/TazMania'': In "Road to Tazmania", a spy does this to send Hugh, Drew and Taz to the Spy Mart.

* In the first episode of ''WesternAnimation/CampLakebottom'', Jordan does this to send the bus carrying [=McGee=], Gretchen and Squirt to Camp Lakebottom instead of Camp Sunnysmiles.
* ''[[ComicStrip/DennisTheMenaceUK Dennis the Menace and Gnasher]]'': Dennis does this to temporarily confuse the Greytowers Prep triathlete (who is already cheating). It delays him long enough for Gnasher to disable his bike.
* The Duke employs this in an episode of ''WesternAnimation/{{Gawayn}}'' in order to send the questers off into the wrong direction.
-->'''Rex:''' That is the lamest plan ever! You're gonna get them lost?! How exciting...

* ''Anime/YuGiOh''. The Marik-brainwashed Bandit Keith has set up arrows to lure Yugi into a trap. Yami Bakura flips the arrows around so Yugi's friends can't follow.

* Bashin and Striker do this in ep. 11 of ''Anime/BattleSpiritsShonenToppaBashin'' to try and lure My Sunshine to the Battle Spirits Center.

* Reggie does this to Richie on a ski trail in one ''ComicBook/RichieRich'' comic. The twist is that the wind has already blown the arrows around, so Reggie actually sends Richie down the right trail and himself down the dangerous slope.

* ''Film/TheLoveBug'':
** In the first movie of the series, some road sign spoofing sends all the following racers into a mine.
** ''Film/HerbieGoesToMonteCarlo''. The misdirecting arrow sends our heroes onto a very narrow cliff edge and almost causes them to die via avalanche.

* PlayedForLaughs in ''Film/JurassicPark'' when Nedry was attempting to leave the island, but in his haste, drove over the road sign showing the way to the docks. Nedry spins it like a roulette wheel and follows where it lands.

* Done by the Red Feathers in ''Film/TroopBeverlyHills''.
* In ''Film/QuickChange'', the three bank robbers must get to Kennedy Airport as soon as possible. They inadvertently exit the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway and traverse an unfamiliar Brooklyn neighborhood where the road signs are being replaced by city workers. When they ask which way the original signs were pointing, the workers respond by showing them the arrow spinning freely on the plate, saying they have no idea either. This scene is even funnier if one has ever tried to get back onto the BQE.

* ''Film/TwoThousandManiacs'' gets its plot going with a fake diversion sign.
* Something similar in intention is done by a British villager in the beginning of Disney's ''Film/BedknobsAndBroomsticks''. He's painting out the signposts in order to confuse any possible invading Nazis.

* In ''Film/AceOfAces'', a Bavarian celebrational cart pulled by oxen inadvertently causes a road sign reversal just as protagonist Jo Cavalier is driving a Jewish family, the Rosenblums, down South, directly leading them to Hitler's house in Berchtesgaden instead of the Austrian border.
* Czechs are shown reversing street signs in an effort to confuse the Soviets in ''Film/Czechoslovakia1968''.

* In the third series of ''Literature/DeltoraQuest'' the main characters are caught out by one of these.
* ''Literature/AlexRider'':
** In ''Stormbreaker'', a new sign is posted on the footpath to Port Tallon to send Alex into an ambush.
** In ''Skeleton Key'', General Sarov rigs a second set of runway lights, which causes a plane to crash into a swamp while attempting to take off.

* The 2007 ''Series/ToTheManorBorn'' 25th Anniversary special.
* In ''Series/HomeAndAway'', a guy on the race turns the arrow around and his competitor (who is already going the wrong way) just follows it.
* Gang members do this in ''Series/TheWire''. It's not played for laughs ''at all'' because [[spoiler:it confuses a group of cops and prevents them from coming to the aid of one of their own when she gets shot]].
* In the series finale of ''Series/GrangeHill'', a boy does this with the arrow of a sign saying something like "Year 7s this way".
* ''Series/DoctorWho'': The Master does this to delay the Doctor's journey to the town of Devil's End in "The Daemons".

* Ethel does it in the ''Series/LucyDesiComedyHour'' episode "Lucy Hunts Uranium." When everyone gets into a madcap race back to town to claim the money for the uranium they've discovered, Ethel moves a detour sign to throw off the Ricardos.
* [[AlmightyJanitor The Janitor]] does this to JD during [[ItMakesSenseInContext his birthday triathlon]] in ''Series/{{Scrubs}}''. JD ends up biking uncontrollably down a near-vertical hill.
* In the ''Series/MIHigh'' episode "The Others", Blane foils the government agents testing the team by swapping the signs pointing to the library and the cafeteria.
* The wind blowing a road sign around is how Miranda and Skye Sailendra end up in the remote town of Barren Barren in the first episode of ''Series/SnakeTales''.
* In the 1960s live-action ''Series/DennisTheMenace'', Dennis mistakenly believes the street sign at the corner is reversed, so he turns it, whereupon a swimming pool company goes to the wrong house and basically destroys Mr. Wilson's backyard.

* This is an important plot point in an episode of ''[[Series/SquareOneTV Mathnet]]''. George Frankly had two invitations to a mystery weekend at The Qualms, a quaint inn in the woods, where he would essentially be roleplaying as SherlockHolmes. While making their way there, he and partner Pat Tuesday fail to notice that the wind blew the sign in a different direction until later. [[spoiler:The butler informs them that they're not at the inn they thought they were, meaning that the kidnappings they thought were part of the roleplay are in fact real.]]
* The 'removing road signs to confuse invading troops' version happens in ''Series/AllCreaturesGreatAndSmall''. A local tells the soldier who is removing a sign that, if he wants to confuse the Germans, he should leave that particular sign up as it has been pointing the wrong way for years.

* Robbie Rotten does this in "Little Pink Riding Hood" on ''Series/LazyTown'' to trick Stephanie into getting lost in a forest.
* This is one of the pranks De Plaaggeest plays on ''Series/BassieEnAdriaan''. Because of it, the two accidentally set up their tent on a soccer field rather than the camping place they were looking for.
* ''Series/{{JAG}}'': A sign marking an entrance into the Free Fire Zone in "Desert Son" has been knocked down, which nearly gets Harm and Meg killed.
* ''Series/FrontierCircus'': In "Winter Quarters", horse thieves move one of Tony's trail markers to send the circus up the wrong trail and strand them on top of a mountain.
* On ''Series/KenanAndKel'', Kel accidentally knocks down the arrow in a restaurant pointing to the bathrooms and puts it back up the wrong way, causing everyone who was looking for the bathroom to end up [[LockedInAFreezer getting trapped in the restaurant's walk-in freezer]] instead.
* ''Series/{{CSI}}'': A variation in "Anatomy of a Lye". A man deliberately alters the trail map his fiancee is using so she will not beat his time on a particular trail run. However, his alteration causes her to be trapped in the mountains during a flash flood and she drowns.

* ''Series/HankZipzer'': In "Open Day", [[DeanBitterman Mr. Joy]] is attempting to shut down the music department. As part of this, he exiles Mr. Rock and Emily to the music room for the duration of Open Day; ostensibly so they can explain the music curriculum to visiting parents. He then takes down all of the signs pointing to the music room to ensure that no parents find their way there.

* In ''Film/AceOfAces'', a Bavarian celebrational cart pulled by oxen inadvertently causes a Road Sign Reversal just as Jo is driving the Rosenblums down South, directly leading them to Hitler's house in Berchtesgaden instead of the Austrian border.

The racecourse or other path is marked off by arrows. Either a villain or a prankster mucks things up by flipping the sign so the arrows point the other way. Can also include incidents where someone who, with honest intentions, by mistake thinks the sign is wrong and "[[NiceJobBreakingItHero fixes]]" it, whereupon HilarityEnsues.

* Done to spring a trap in "[[Literature/NightmaresAndDreamscapes Dolan's Cadillac]]", by Creator/StephenKing.

* In ''Film/AceOAces'', a Bavarian celebrational cart pulled by oxen inadvertently causes a Road Sign Reversal just as Jo is driving the Rosenblums down South, directly leading them to Hitler's house in Berchtesgaden instead of the Austrian border.

** Also during WWII, in the battle of the bulge, the Germans devised Operation Greif, intended to confuse Allied troop movements by doing things like reversing road signs, placing phony minefield warnings, and giving wrong verbal directions to any Allied units they encountered.

* In the ''Manga/RanmaOneHalf'' anime, Ranma and Genma travel back in time, switching the arrows pointing to Jusenkyo so their past selves will go the wrong way. Happōsai sabotages the attempt by reversing them again. It wouldn't have worked anyway, because [[spoiler:the whole thing takes place inside Ranma's dream]].