Bolts located by dolts.
Yes — if you’re looking for it, you’re not behind the wheel, you’re only doing 20 mph, and you’re using binoculars. Otherwise, you’re likely to miss it. Especially if you’re behind the wheel, chatting on your smart phone, and tooling along at the speed limit.
Take a look at the photographs below. At the intersection of Highway 93 and Greenwood, where I made the shot below, a newcomer to Whitefish would have no idea what that little sign was for, provided he could even see it (if he’s using the inside lane and a big truck is to his right, he won’t see it).
Why did Whitefish choose so small a sign? Outdoor advertising agencies and the Montana Department of Transportation know how big signs and letters must be to be read easily in a speed zone. Was this expertise never sought? Was it rejected? Or was doing the sign halfway right an attempt to observe the half-assed law prohibiting handheld phones but permitting hands off phones?
Whitefish ought to fix this. Take down the sign. Repeal the law; replace it with a prohibition of cell phones and two-way radios while driving, and a campaign against distracted driving. Then, put up a new sign — a big sign that can be read 500 feet away.
A larger image won't be much help, but you're welcome to look at it.
