# Indecipherable Signage **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [June 7, 2013, 1:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/indecipherable-signage/660380 "2013-06-07T13:46:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Morgyn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morgyn/32/3041_2.png) [@Morgyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morgyn)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2013, 2:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/indecipherable-signage/660380/21 "2013-06-10T02:39:53Z")
Two of my favourites were **Brownie Distribution Center** (there was a Girl Scout symbol there), and **Use Stairs Between Floors Only** , on the door to a stairwell. The first one tickled my funny bone (“Can I get a dozen with icing, to go? Whaddya mean, they’re not that kind of brownie?”), the second is still a kinda WTF? ---
**Author:** ![Don\_t\_Panic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/don_t_panic/32/398_2.png) [@Don\_t\_Panic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Don_t_Panic)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2013, 2:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/indecipherable-signage/660380/22 "2013-06-10T02:46:48Z")
> [@Napier](#): > > And it’s a secret? It’s one of those tests that they give you during wartime to prove that you’re a real Canadian and not a spy. ---
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2013, 2:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/indecipherable-signage/660380/23 "2013-06-10T02:54:39Z")
> [@bibliophage](#): > > Near Frederick MD, at a place where two lanes become one, is a sign that says “Alternate Merge.” The first five times I went through there I interpreted _alternate_ as an adjective and couldn’t figure out what it meant. Finally I realized it was a verb: right-lane guy must merge, then left-lane guy must merge, alternating. That’s what I thought ordinary merging was. How else can you merge? What would be a NON-alternating merge? Two at once? Speed up and squeeze in two cars ahead? ---
**Author:** ![kjbrasda](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/74df32/32.png) [@kjbrasda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kjbrasda)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2013, 3:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/indecipherable-signage/660380/24 "2013-06-10T03:38:53Z")
I suppose you could have one lane always yield to the other, but that would tend to back traffic up in that lane. ---
**Author:** ![Sahirrnee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sahirrnee/32/13937_2.png) [@Sahirrnee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sahirrnee)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2013, 11:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/indecipherable-signage/660380/25 "2013-06-10T11:51:47Z")
> [@bibliophage](#): > > Near Frederick MD, at a place where two lanes become one, is a sign that says “Alternate Merge.” The first five times I went through there I interpreted _alternate_ as an adjective and couldn’t figure out what it meant. Finally I realized it was a verb: right-lane guy must merge, then left-lane guy must merge, alternating. There’s one of those in (I think) Elkridge. Underneath is another sign that says ‘TAKE TURNS’. ---
**Author:** ![hogarth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hogarth/32/1773_2.png) [@hogarth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hogarth)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2013, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/indecipherable-signage/660380/26 "2013-06-10T15:28:29Z")
> [@Martian Bigfoot](#): > > A “Kiss & Ride” area is for dropping people off at the station. The driver kisses the commuter goodbye. I have to admit that I get a bit confused when people ask where the Kiss & Ride is at our local station. There’s an area with signs saying “Passenger Drop-Off”: is that the Kiss & Ride? Or is there another secret drop-off area that I’m not aware of? I always get a bit neurotic at the idea of giving people bad directions. ---
**Author:** ![Napier](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ce73a5/32.png) [@Napier](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Napier)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2013, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/indecipherable-signage/660380/27 "2013-06-10T21:08:23Z")
> [@Musicat](#): > > That’s what I thought ordinary merging was. How else can you merge? What would be a NON-alternating merge? Two at once? Speed up and squeeze in two cars ahead? Actually I think you are not describing “alternate merge”. I think three cars from one lane are supposed to go, then three from the other, alternating in groups of three. It’s supposed to be more efficient and reduce delays. This is a dim memory of Pennsylvania law I’m working from. ---
**Author:** ![Napier](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ce73a5/32.png) [@Napier](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Napier)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2013, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/indecipherable-signage/660380/28 "2013-06-10T21:14:36Z")
> [@Napier](#): > > Actually I think you are not describing “alternate merge”… I just looked around for a description of this three car alternation and don’t see it out there, so it looks like I’m mistaken. Carry on. ---
**Author:** ![TBG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@TBG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TBG)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2013, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/indecipherable-signage/660380/29 "2013-06-10T22:52:22Z")
> [@Mr\_Nobody](#): > > The “Kiss and Ride” thing threw me for a second, but TBG may I ask where you live that red arrows are unusual? I thought it would be pretty clear, don’t turn in the direction of the arrow while it’s red. Once it’s off and either a green arrow or full green light comes on, you’re good to go. They’re pretty new to Michigan. At first, as another poster said, I thought it meant stop, then if traffic is clear proceed with your turn, same as what used to be a flashing red at these intersections. Otherwise, a solid red means stop, why complicate it by adding an arrow instead of continuing to use a solid red??? Didn’t help that the first time I came across one was at the exit of a mall parking lot, onto a divided road where you could only turn anyway, not go straight (or turn left for that matter). Before these started randomly showing up a couple years ago, all I’d ever seen with an arrow was a green arrow, which means, you can go, but only if you’re turning. ---
**Author:** ![GaryM](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garym/32/241_2.png) [@GaryM](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GaryM)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2013, 2:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/indecipherable-signage/660380/30 "2013-06-12T02:13:30Z")
There’s some installed at an intersection in my town, OK, it’s basically the only lights in town. 🙂 The right turn arrow’s red if there’s oncoming traffic with a green left turn arrow. If their left turn arrow’s red, then the right turn arrow’s green. However, many folks wait until it’s green and slow everything down. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/indecipherable-signage/660380.md?page=1)