Have you seen those MnDOT road message signs, like the ones along southbound Highway-52 near 19th St. or the Salem Road exit, or on eastbound Highway-14 heading into Rochester? They don't usually display messages unless there's a current traffic matter ahead. And even if they do, they're not as quirky as these signs in Iowa.

IowaDOT
Iowa Dept. of Transportation
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According to this story in the Des Moines Register, each Monday for the past year or so, the Iowa Department of Transportation has been featuring snarky messages on its road signs, all designed to get driver's attention-- and to drive safely.

The story says, "Such roadway quips have become a certifiable trend, with more states relying on humor to grab drivers’ eyeballs. Iowa is among perhaps a dozen states, DOT officials said, that now broadcast these sorts of messages."

The story includes some pretty funny messages that have been used statewide in Iowa as part of the 'Message Monday' campaign, like "Get your head out of your apps, drive safely” (actor George Takei of “Star Trek” fame loved that one) and “May the 4th be with you, text I will not” (repeat in your best Yoda voice)."

The story says other states have been picking up on the trend, too-- like Massachusetts, who put up the Boston accent-themed, "Use ya blinkah" message recently.

It seems like a good idea to me. We're bombarded by so many messages each day-- from our phone, to our email, to Facebook-- that a message really has to stand out to be noticed. And some of these definitely did, some even inducing me to laugh out loud. It'd be kind of cool to read something like that as I'm tooling down Highway-52. Are you listening MnDOT?

 

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