Tuesday, September 14, 2010

What you are about to see

Will shock you!
Is stupid.
Could be dangerous.

I picked up another gem of odd news from my favorite radio game show (what they have radio game shows in today’s mobile connected internet app world?) “Wait Wait Don’t Tell Me”.

Somebody was thinking “outside of the box”. While I consider brainstorming good, it doesn’t mean every half baked idea that pops into your head should be implemented.

An optical illusion of an little girl chasing a ball has been placed on the road in a school zone of West Vancouve, Canada. There are signs leading up to it saying "you're probably not expecting kids to run out on the road" to prepare drivers (ah, if they read the signs you could try a “slow” school zone sign).


(picture from this CNN story)

I’m all for school zones and slowing drivers around them. But distracting drivers by making them think they are about to run over a child is just plain stupid. Oh drivers will be braking, probably skidding and rear ending each other. And then you have the chance of swerving onto the curb (you know the place where the kids might be walking to school).

I don’t know if they have enough police but having a squad car parked and giving out tickets near the school zone by my house works well.

Take a look at this clip of the idea in action (there’s no sound well except maybe your own screams)

17 comments:

lisleman said...

I didn't even think of the creepy part. Rachael1013 commented that it would be upsetting for anyone who had been involved in a car accident. Maybe the designer behind was hooked on video games or something else.

secretagentwoman said...

That's both dangerous and creepy.

lisleman said...

thanks for sharing that funny story. I must admit as a mischievous kid, I along with some friends put a dummy in the street and hid in the bushes to see what would happen. We got a good laugh from an older woman who stopped her car.

Erika said...

I wonder if it caused any accidents?

I had a garage sale recently and put an almost life sized old doll out by our mail box welcoming people. The wind blew and knocked her over. I didn't notice until I scared an older woman to death when she yelled, "There is a child laying in the street!"

Since the lady is ok, I did kind of chuckle.

Kristin_The_Goat said...

Can you imagine driving up to this in the middle of the night? In the day you might be able to see that it's something painted on the road, but at night?! Sheesh, I'd have a heart attack.

lisleman said...

good point - of course it remains there 24/7.
But after recovering and before I started to move again. I would wonder what the hell is some kid doing out in the middle of the night.
Also (you got me thinking) it might be even more tragic for a DUI driver.

Rachael1013 said...

Wow, that seems like a supremely bad idea. Not to mention the fact that if anyone drives there that has actually been in a car accident involving a child it could be a horrible trigger.

lisleman said...

I didn't even think of that problem. I'm certain the people behind this didn't spend much time thinking about "what ifs".
thanks

Kristina P. said...

Whose dumbass idea was this?

savannah said...

let's hope it's already been painted over, sugar! xoxox

Bearmancartoons said...

looks like someone already splatted that kid before I got there.

lisleman said...

I see you understand my point. Flashing lights, signs, painted cross walks, and an occasional squad car will usually do the the trick. When I was a child, we lost the next door neighbor, a young girl to an accident with a car while she was walking home from school. They didn't have sidewalks put into that section of street yet. Making it safer for kids is a great idea, this one just doesn't work. I think we share the same opinion. thanks.

W.C. Camp said...

Honestly I am thinking of all the other cool images we could put on the road to mess with drivers. Soon it will be like driving in a 'Crazy Taxi' video game - is it REAL or is it MEMOREX! W.C.C.

Aledys Ver said...

Oh my!! Who came up with this brilliant idea? Sure, scare the hell out of the driver so that he/she either have a heart attack right there or swerve and ride into a pedestrian, a house, or another car instead... And to think that they got paid to come up with this!

lisleman said...

Agreed. It might have been that group - A Few Clowns Short of a Circus.

lisleman said...

I haven't played that game but I can imagine. Maybe there would be a market for zombie road pictures.

Guest said...

All school zones around here are 25 mph and since the regular side streets have 30 or 35 mph it isn't hard to slow down to 25 mph. I don't particularly care for the painted child on the street. Some schools have blinking traffic lights with large signs for when school is in session. Our precious little children deserve a safe place and the people driving by need to be responsible but who are we kidding.

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