History Main / RulesOfTheRoad

* One of the ''CannonballRun'' films showed a racer sticking numbers to a speed limit sign, changing it from 55 mph to 155 mph

* [[http://replay.web.archive.org/20081023211322/http://www.roadfan.com/dtclev.html#dm Dead Man's Curve]], on I-90 in Cleveland, Ohio. Several large signs showing a sharp 90-degree-turn arrow, and signs all but screaming for you to slow down to 35...leading up to one of the sharpest curves on an Interstate highway.

* ''TheMuppetMovie'' has a map that says that there's a fork in the road. Sure, the road branches into two, but there's also a GIANT fork in the road! (which is apparently a real landmark)

* ''PeeWeesBigAdventure'' has a series of signs of upcoming curves, each increasingly twisty and ridiculous. Followed by falling rocks.

* The [[http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/a/af/Jealous_Gods_cover.jpg album art]] for Music/PoetsOfTheFall's ''Jealous Gods,'' who's CentralTheme is JerkassGods, is a battered yellow road sign with a black lightning bolt against a clear blue sky, warning of a potential BoltOfDivineRetribution from out of the blue.

* In the obligatory ''WesternAnimation/WackyRaces''-styled episode of ''TheWuzzles'', one of Crock's myriad (backfiring) attempts to cheat involves doctoring an ordinary "Speed Limit 55 MPH" sign to read "Speed Limit ''155'' MPH". Rhinokey sees the sign and dutifully obeys it, but when Crock and his goons try to follow, traffic cop Eagle Beagle gives them a ticket for ''driving too slow''.

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* ''RockosModernLife'' did this with "Cheese Crossing" and "Slow Children Playing" signs.

* The 'Tank Crossing' sign below was shown once in an episode of ''HomeImprovement''. For some reason, it was on the tank's road and not the cart path it crossed.

* In the obligatory ''WackyRaces''-styled episode of ''TheWuzzles'', one of Crock's myriad (backfiring) attempts to cheat involves doctoring an ordinary "Speed Limit 55 MPH" sign to read "Speed Limit ''155'' MPH". Rhinokey sees the sign and dutifully obeys it, but when Crock and his goons try to follow, traffic cop Eagle Beagle gives them a ticket for ''driving too slow''.

* ''SpongebobSquarepants'' once featured a characteristically bizarre version in which the signs announced "killer clams", "cheese graters" and, horror of horrors, [[EdutainmentShow "EDUCATIONAL TELEVISION"]].
* In ''WackyRaces'', many of the times DickDastardlyStopsToCheat, it involves him flipping a directional sign so the arrow points in the other direction. Or he yanks a real road sign out of the ground so the others will miss the turn, or changes a 35 mph speed limit sign to read 85 mph. This one is oft imitated in other cartoons where there's WackyRacing.

* In the opening credits of ''IAMWeasel'', Weasel's driving a convertible with a hot blonde. But he passes a road sign that reads "LOGO". He leaps out of the car in the direction the sign indicates, and jumps into the logo for the show.

In a rare aversion people who are either GenreSavvy or extremely horror-movie tier violent will disregard or kill the TooDumbToLive people who are enforcing idiotically vandalised signs. Often leads to jokes regarding the "Slow Children Playing" sign.

-->---''Film/BatmanBegins''

-->'''Alfred Pennyworth:''' When you told me your grand plan for saving Gotham, the only thing that stopped me from calling the men in white coats was when you said that it wasn't about thrill-seeking.\\

* The WebOriginal ''ThereSheIs'' by [=SamBakZa=] has a No Cat and Bunny romance road sign. This is enforced by prejudicial cats and bunnies all over the city.

* Back in the 1980s, the State Highway department office in San Antonio, Texas, posted exact-figure speed limit signs on several freeway exits about town. Instead of being rounded to the nearest multiple of 5 mph, they'd say "18" or "17" or what have you. The phenomenon atracted a lot of attention statewide, as well as a few national outlets. Sadly, whoever it was that posted the signs was replaced with a multiple-of-5 guy and the exact signss were taken down years ago

* One ''ComicStrip/TheFarSide'' cartoon had a woman looking at a road sign and warning her driver about "cattle dancing." This activity is depicted on the sign and immediately visible on the road.

* The next-to-final dungeon in ''{{Persona 4}}'' has "Shadow Crossing" signs strewn all over it, and you had better believe there are a ton of them.

* This was a favorite gag of TexAvery. If a character passed a "Fork ahead" sign, he would then bump into a giant fork sticking out of the ground. A "Hairpin turn" sign would indicate that the road would look ''exactly'' like a hairpin. And when characters stop at a school crossing, what should cross the road but a schoolhouse on two legs.

* ''DennisTheMenaceUK'': Dennis and his gang attempt to drive a line-marking machine which goes haywire and leaves white lines everywhere on the road. Cars naturally attempt to follow the line and end up driving on the footpath, through the park, etc.

* The Brits have [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Tank-Crossing.jpg tank crossings]].
* Similarly, the [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Magic_Roundabout_Schild_db.jpg magic roundabout]]. It is a massive roundabout made of six overlapping roundabouts. What you see is what you get.

''In fiction, road signs mean '''''exactly''''' what they say.''

If the speed limit sign says 250, you had better be doing 250. If a yellow caution sign warns of an impenetrable snarl of an intersection, a 360-degree vertical loop, or a moose, guess what you're about to see?

http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/electricsign_1164.jpg
[[caption-width:280:It really couldn't be any clearer.]]

* "Alligator Alley" (State Road 84 in Florida) has several signs warning drivers to WATCH FOR ALLIGATORS. and brother, you'd better damned well be watching for alligators. The road is four lanes with little to no shoulder that cross through the middle of the Everglades, and alligators can regularly be found sunning themselves in the middle of the road. [[/folder]]

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* [[LooneyTunes Wile E. Coyote]] would frequently attempt to utilize these in his pursuit of the Road Runner. Unfortunately for him, Road Runners can't read.

[[folder:RealLife]]

----

If the speed limit sign says 250, you had better be doing 250. If a yellow caution sign warns of an impenetrable snarl of an intersection, a 360-degree vertical loop, or a moose, guess what you're about to see?

Further, any law-enforcement along the road will measure your performance according to the road signs (no matter how ludicrous, and even if they've been recently vandalized) and praise or punish you accordingly.

Often a version of a VisualPun. See also [[CantYouReadTheSign Can't You Read The Sign]].

** They were driving a Lamborghini. So yeah...

* In ''Gokujou {{Parodius}}'' (''Ultimate Parodius''), the highway-esque stage features plenty of yellow caution signs, mostly to indicate how the enemies are going to move. At one point, there is a caution sign for falling rocks, followed by falling rocks. Then there is a caution sign for moose, followed by falling moose. Then there is a caution sign with an exclamation point, followed by falling exclamation points...

* ''RockosModernLife'' did this with "Cheese Crossing" and "Slow Children Playing" signs.

* Signs that warn of speed bumps often simply read BUMP, or sometimes HUMP AHEAD.

* And signs which read "Do not back up. SEVERE TIRE DAMAGE". They are not kidding.
* Speed limits in general - it is considered good etiquette to drive as close to the speed limit as conditions allow.

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