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Street sign theft
Car Show
Street sign theft
A sticker on the back of this Illinois street sign is intended to deter theft.
Street sign theft is when
street
signs are stolen, often to be used as decorations. Although the theft often
seems arbitrary, unusual or amusing signs tend to be stolen more frequently.
Sometimes considered to be a
prank by the
perpetrators, the theft is often expensive and inconvenient, and sometimes
dangerous.
Popular culture can act as a catalyst to street sign theft. Popular bands
The Beatles and Lynyrd Skynyrd have inadvertently perpetuated street sign theft
as their songs and albums include real place names including Penny Lane, Abbey
Road, and Brickyard Road. Television or radio productions named after addresses
or streets will usually increase the theft of those signs. Jeff Foxworthy has
alluded to street sign theft being a family hobby as a "sign one might be a
redneck".
In law
In one notable United States case, the thieves were found guilty of
manslaughter for stealing a
stop sign,
and thereby causing a deadly
collision. This was popularized in the novel Driver's Ed by Caroline B. Cooney.
Specific and/or common examples
Popular culture examples
- Penny Lane and Abbey Road, caused by the Beatles (See above). In
addition, Penny Lane in Liverpool is directly opposite halls of residence
used by first years at the University of Liverpool; presumably due to
constant theft, the road sign at one end is painted on, while at the other
end it is positioned high up on the side of a house.
-
Brickyard Road, Clay County, Florida (See above). Fans repeatedly stole the
road sign because lead singer Ronnie Van Zant was living there before his
death in 1977 and his brother, Johnny Van Zant, released an album and single
called Brickyard Road in 1990.
- The county eventually erected a
concrete pillar with the street name painted on it, as opposed to a
traditional road sign.
-
Nirvana Avenue, Melbourne, Australia generally suffers the same fate because
of the association with the band called Nirvana.
- Beer Road, on the outskirts of
Orange, Australia. Due to the street sign being constantly stolen, the
local council has resorted to attaching name stickers to armco guard
railings at the start of the road.
TV shows
Coronation Street
Jump Street
Wisteria Lane
Shortland Street
Other culture and language
- Any highway or road numbered
420 is a prime target for theft because of its cannabis connotations.
- The same holds true for 666. U.S. Highway 666 was renamed to 491 in 2003
due to pressure by New Mexico governor Bill Richardson over "infamy brought
by the inopportune naming of the road [as the 6th branch of Highway 66." An
enthusiast cites Department of Transportation officials which pointed to
sign theft. Skeptics, including National Geographic, believe that the religious right were the
driving force behind the change.
- New Jersey suffered a similar problem: the state changed its Route 69 to
Route 31 in 1967 because of theft, due to the sexual meaning of the number
69.
-
Shades Of Death Road in Liberty Township, New Jersey, is desirable for a
number of tales about the road and the name itself. Local vigilantes took
matters into their own hands and put various lubricants on the pole holding the sign to make it impossible to climb.
The other street signs along the road, in two other townships, are metal
poles with the names of both intersecting streets in vertical type, harder
to read but less attractive to thieves.
-
Fucking, Austria is also a popular target for street sign thieves, and its
border sign is the most stolen street sign in Austria.
- Because of the sexual connotation of its name, the town of
Intercourse, Pennsylvania is a frequent victim of sign theft.
- Swedish Moose warning signs are often stolen by German tourists
fascinated by the animal..
Gallery of examples
Swedish moose warning sign, a popular German tourist souvenir
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The
Fucking, Austria street sign
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Shades of Death road on a steel
I-beam
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External links
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