Stealing signs gives drivers wrong message

Expensive to replace: In extreme cases, a missing sign can kill motorists

Donalee Moulton Friday, November 29, 2002  National Post

Stealing street signs is a rite of passage for many young people, right up there with egging houses on Halloween and ringing neighbours' doorbells and hightailing it. Unfortunately, stealing street signs is a very costly -- and potentially deadly -- prank.

Young people in particular like to decorate dorm rooms, rec rooms and garages with signs stolen from their community. As with antique collectors, part of the allure of the artwork is in acquiring it. That allure is international.

According to Larry Quick, city traffic control foreman for the city of Manhattan, Kan., stop signs, yield signs and street signs are the most popular.

Stolen signs -- which cost communities hundreds of thousands of dollars a year, every year --must be replaced. The cost of replacing those signs is borne by taxpayers.

Nova Scotia's Minister of Transportation recently said it costs the province as much as $30,000 a year to replace stolen street signs. The city of San Diego, Calif., replaces an average of 300 stolen and damaged signs a month. The traditional green-and-white or blue-and-white street sign costs approximately $120 to replace. If left in place, these signs will last 15-20 years before fading.

It is difficult for police and other authorities to catch pranksters in the act. Signs are usually stolen late at night, often on streets that are off the beaten path. More signs are stolen at the beginning and end of the school year; summer is the slowest season for sign stealing.

Recovering stolen signs is difficult. Most stolen signs are found inadvertently by police who are in an apartment or dorm room and see a sign. Although these signs can be recovered, little can usually be done to catch the thief; many sign owners simply say they found the sign or that it was given to them.

Governments throughout North America are looking for ways to reduce the theft of signs. One approach common to most districts is to levy a fine -- usually several hundred dollars. That, however, first requires catching the offender.

Another approach is to make the signs more difficult to steal. Many cities are trying to foil would-be thieves by using vandal-proof nuts to bolt signs down. This works in some cases.

In many other cases, however, thieves prove to be as cagey as squirrels who can quickly and easily find their way around a squirrel-proof bird feeder.

A recent technique is holding an amnesty program. During the amnesty, which is usually promoted through the press, local schools and the police, people can return signs with no questions asked, no fines imposed and no information recorded. Nova Scotia recently completed its first province-wide amnesty program.

"I think the amnesty program raised awareness about the cost and value of road signs in Nova Scotia and the importance of not removing them. It achieved its purpose," says Ron Russell, the transportation minister.

Among the signs returned during the amnesty: Easy Street, Deer Crossing, Truck Turning, Hurtle Road and Slippery When Wet.

Cost is not the only issue when it comes to stolen street signs. Safety is also a major concern. When yield signs, stop signs and other directional signs are stolen, the likelihood of an accident increases. Five years ago in Florida, two men and a woman, all in their twenties, stole a stop sign from a local street corner. Several hours later, an unsuspecting driver rolled right on through the intersection and collided with an oncoming car. Three people -- all 18 years of age -- died in the accident.

The three individuals who stole the stop sign were located and charged. Each one was sentenced to 15 years in jail.