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Be on the lookout for unusual road signs!

Spotted … in Indiana: You never know what signs you might see or what position they might be in.

Tom J Bechman 1, Editor, Indiana Prairie Farmer

March 25, 2021

2 Min Read
rural gravel road
SEEING SIDEWAYS? No, the camera angle isn’t off. The road is level — it’s these signs in Sullivan County that are out of whack with the world.Tom J Bechman

Narrow bridge signs that sit at almost 90-degree angles to the road really exist in Indiana. Obviously, this one settled sideways into the ground over time.

You need to be on the lookout because you never know what type of sign you might see along the road in Indiana. And you’d better pay attention. The sign might just save you a lot of grief.

One year ago, my wife and I were trying to find Jim and Jane Gillooly, who have a Washington, Ind., address but don’t live far from the Pike County line. Interstate 69 cuts through their farm. We were approaching from the south and following GPS guidance. It said, “turn right here … turn right here NOW!’’

So, Carla turned. Out of the corner of my eye, I thought I saw a sign that said, “GPS is wrong.” No, surely, I didn’t read it right — it was an actual highway sign — not a cardboard sign covered with crayon markings.

Pike County, Ind., No Truck Traffic sign
THIS SIGN IS NO JOKE! You may never see this sign anywhere else in the world, but it exists in Pike County. And you’d better heed its advice.

About five minutes later, we knew the sign was right, and GPS was wrong! We were getting nowhere. So, we abandoned GPS, got back to a state highway, regained our bearings and found the Gillooly farm.

I mentioned that episode in an article and lamented the fact that I didn’t get a picture of the sign — we couldn’t have found our way back there if we had tried that day! Recently, Max Carlisle, who lives in Pike County, not only confirmed I wasn’t nuts, he went to the trouble of photographing the signs and sending copies to me.

Things get a little skewed in his part of the world, Carlisle says. That’s why it took a Pike County Highway Department sign to tell people to ignore GPS in this case. And believe me, if you’re driving a big truck, you’d better take the sign’s advice!

Thanks, Max. If you see an unusual sign or anything else unusual while traveling on Indiana’s roadways, send it to [email protected], or call or text 317-431-8766. If we use it in “Spotted … in Indiana,” we will send you a gift card.

About the Author

Tom J Bechman 1

Editor, Indiana Prairie Farmer

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