# LEAVE SPOTSYLVANIA COUNTY and other oddities you've noticed while travelling **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [April 3, 2012, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/leave-spotsylvania-county-and-other-oddities-youve-noticed-while-travelling/617741 "2012-04-03T22:26:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Punoqllads](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/d2c977/32.png) [@Punoqllads](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Punoqllads)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2012, 11:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/leave-spotsylvania-county-and-other-oddities-youve-noticed-while-travelling/617741/21 "2012-04-04T23:38:31Z")
Duck! ---
**Author:** ![user\_hostile](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/user_hostile/32/474_2.png) [@user\_hostile](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/user_hostile)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2012, 11:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/leave-spotsylvania-county-and-other-oddities-youve-noticed-while-travelling/617741/22 "2012-04-04T23:44:59Z")
> [@TriPolar](#): > > On one road that passes through the village of Esmond RI there are signs that say “Now entering Esmond” and “Now leaving Esmond” only about 100 yards apart. It’s almost like the old joke where it would say “Now entering Esmond” on both sides of the sign. I now recall an example of this along California Route 166 which lies between Santa Maria and it’s terminus near Bakersfield. Part of the rout follows along the Maricopa River which was used originally to demarcated the county line between San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara counties. When they straighten the road out years ago, the serpentine bends of the line remained, leading to a trifecta of county sign markers (SB, then SLO, then SB) separated only by a hundred yards or so. Eventually, the markers vanished. Most likely residing in someone’s garage or den, and will only see the light of day at some future flea market. > [@Punoqllads](#): > > I believe you’re describing a [Jughandle](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jughandle). Definitely less debonair than “French T”, alas. That’s it. Thanks for the link. Definitely less debonair–it almost sounds pornographic. ---
**Author:** ![An\_Gadai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@An\_Gadai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Gadai)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2012, 11:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/leave-spotsylvania-county-and-other-oddities-youve-noticed-while-travelling/617741/23 "2012-04-04T23:47:18Z")
Northern Irish speed limits are printed in M/PH while those in the Republic Of Ireland are in KM/PH. However, it is not indicated to the driver that the measurements have changed. You just have to know. It’s also not really that clearly indicated, for say a tourist, when they’ve entered or left either jurisdiction. This wouldn’t matter as much elsewhere in Europe but the currency also changes when you cross this border. Another oddity, more for someone not from around here is that in the Republic Of Ireland direction signs typically have the Irish version of the placename above the English, and in some parts of the country you’ll only see the Irish version whereas north of the border all the offical signs are in English. ---
**Author:** ![Lord\_Feldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lord_feldon/32/341_2.png) [@Lord\_Feldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Feldon)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2012, 12:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/leave-spotsylvania-county-and-other-oddities-youve-noticed-while-travelling/617741/24 "2012-04-05T00:00:42Z")
> [@Ethilrist](#): > > When I see a sign saying “Low Flying Aircraft”, I’m never quite sure exactly what I’m supposed to do about it. WAG: You’re supposed to refrain from reporting a plane crash just because you saw a plane flying low. ---
**Author:** ![johnpost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f17d59/32.png) [@johnpost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnpost)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2012, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/leave-spotsylvania-county-and-other-oddities-youve-noticed-while-travelling/617741/25 "2012-04-05T00:21:41Z")
> [@Ethilrist](#): > > When I see a sign saying “Low Flying Aircraft”, I’m never quite sure exactly what I’m supposed to do about it. if you see a plane flying low you’re not supposed to take your hands off the wheel and scream, “we are all going to die”. ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2012, 12:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/leave-spotsylvania-county-and-other-oddities-youve-noticed-while-travelling/617741/26 "2012-04-05T00:24:36Z")
Shit. Now you tell me. ---
**Author:** ![cwthree](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9de0a6/32.png) [@cwthree](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cwthree)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2012, 1:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/leave-spotsylvania-county-and-other-oddities-youve-noticed-while-travelling/617741/27 "2012-04-05T01:55:45Z")
> [@rachelellogram](#): > > Wisconsin’s road naming scheme is similarly bollocksed-up. Not only do they have lettered highways, but they have so many that they ran out of letters and had to institute a double-letter policy (so like Highway X, Y, Z, AA, AB, etc). At that point, just give names to your freaking roads, Cheeseheads\*! Double letters? You clearly haven’t spent enough time in southeast Wisconsin, where they’ve gone to triple letters for some of the minor rural highways and county roads (PPP, I’m thinking of you!). The “County Road n” naming scheme also leads to confusion and sadness, because each county can have its own County Road A (B, C, etc.). My parents once spent a good hour or more lost in the wilds of the county \*next to \*Door County because they were on County Road A (or whatever letter), just like the directions said, but their hotel was nowhere to be found because they were on the \*wrong \*County Road A. ---
**Author:** ![Diceman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Diceman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diceman)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2012, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/leave-spotsylvania-county-and-other-oddities-youve-noticed-while-travelling/617741/28 "2012-04-05T16:56:36Z")
> [@rachelellogram](#): > > Wisconsin’s road naming scheme is similarly bollocksed-up. Not only do they have lettered highways, but they have so many that they ran out of letters and had to institute a double-letter policy (so like Highway X, Y, Z, AA, AB, etc). At that point, just give names to your freaking roads, Cheeseheads\*! > > \*I love cheese, and I like Wisconsin well enough, but I \*don’t \*love your nomenclature. I’ve seen this scheme in Michigan’s Upper Penninsula. About 90% of the UP is composed of vast stretches of Absolutely Nothing, and while driving near Marquette a few years ago, I saw road signs for County Road JP, and County Road MN, and suchlike. ---
**Author:** ![Morbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morbo/32/389_2.png) [@Morbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morbo)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2012, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/leave-spotsylvania-county-and-other-oddities-youve-noticed-while-travelling/617741/29 "2012-04-05T19:08:40Z")
Near my grandparents’ place in North Central Arkansas there are a few places where the highway goes over a river, but there’s no bridge per se b/c the river isn’t ever that high. Regardless, there’s highway signs that read “Road unsafe when underwater.” Also when I was first living in Northern California, I had never seen the word Canyon abbreviated before, so I thought there were a bunch of Welsh or Scottish places everywhere - “Laurel Cyn”, “San Miguel Cyn,” etc. ---
**Author:** ![JohnGalt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johngalt/32/184_2.png) [@JohnGalt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnGalt)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2012, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/leave-spotsylvania-county-and-other-oddities-youve-noticed-while-travelling/617741/30 "2012-04-05T19:13:01Z")
In Minnesota there are highways with the sign “Towards Zero Deaths Section” (and its cousin, “Towards Zero Death Section”). Gee, certainly I hope so. There’s a whole state agency with that name. Unfortunately, I can’t find an image to share. ---
**Author:** ![Diceman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Diceman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diceman)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2012, 11:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/leave-spotsylvania-county-and-other-oddities-youve-noticed-while-travelling/617741/31 "2012-04-06T11:54:30Z")
I can’t believe I’m about to say this, but… “Zero Death Section” would be an awesome band name! ---
**Author:** ![Brewah](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/53a042/32.png) [@Brewah](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Brewah)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2012, 2:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/leave-spotsylvania-county-and-other-oddities-youve-noticed-while-travelling/617741/32 "2012-04-06T14:15:31Z")
> [@Ichbin\_Dubist](#): > > I’ve noticed a few small towns in Massachusetts have signs right outside the business district saying “THICKLY SETTLED.” That’s oddly fussy for a sign, and anyway I’m sure most people notice the subtle difference between farmland and numerous buildings 10 feet from the road without the sign. In the same state, there was a sign down the street from the house I grew up in saying “SLOW CHILDREN” I still use that excuse on bad days. ---
**Author:** ![Pops1963](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/9de053/32.png) [@Pops1963](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pops1963)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2012, 1:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/leave-spotsylvania-county-and-other-oddities-youve-noticed-while-travelling/617741/33 "2012-04-09T01:56:25Z")
Oklahoma has county road 1234 whatever. State highways however are 70 70a 70b 70e etc. Try and get a straight answer from a customer where they are(I am on highway 70. Which one ?) The biggest thing I have noticed is that there is no rhyme or reason to the numbers(even numbers east west odd are north south) Its like they are afraid of using up all the numbers so we will just add letters to the end. Ohh I almost forgot the CR east west 1234 really? east and west ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2012, 2:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/leave-spotsylvania-county-and-other-oddities-youve-noticed-while-travelling/617741/34 "2012-04-09T02:03:07Z")
I’m in Indonesia at the moment. Couple of days ago I saw a billboard advertising ‘Elephant cement: strong and fiber’. Except Indonesian for cement is ‘semen’. ---
**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:** [April 9, 2012, 2:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/leave-spotsylvania-county-and-other-oddities-youve-noticed-while-travelling/617741/35 "2012-04-09T02:09:23Z")
> [@rachelellogram](#): > > Wisconsin’s road naming scheme is similarly bollocksed-up. Not only do they have lettered highways, but they have so many that they ran out of letters and had to institute a double-letter policy (so like Highway X, Y, Z, AA, AB, etc). At that point, just give names to your freaking roads, Cheeseheads\*! Some counties, at least ours, are assigning sensible letter combinations to new routes instead of the randomness (A, V, T) in the past. Whitefish Dunes road is now WD, Sand Bay is SB, and Don’t Know is DK. > [@cwthree](#): > > The “County Road n” naming scheme also leads to confusion and sadness, because each county can have its own County Road A (B, C, etc.). My parents once spent a good hour or more lost in the wilds of the county \*next to \*Door County because they were on County Road A (or whatever letter), just like the directions said, but their hotel was nowhere to be found because they were on the \*wrong \*County Road A. You said it. When I give directions to some places, I have to carefully remind people that County TT and County T, even though they are adjacent, are NOT THE SAME FUCKING ROAD. ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2012, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/leave-spotsylvania-county-and-other-oddities-youve-noticed-while-travelling/617741/36 "2012-04-09T19:11:19Z")
Oregon. Biggest oddity I can think of. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/leave-spotsylvania-county-and-other-oddities-youve-noticed-while-travelling/617741.md?page=1)