A couple of threads down I responded about the problem of poor signage, and the results of finding events and places. I indicated my home town was as bad as any. One of the formost problems as I see it is when the first settlers came to this land they should have adopted a policy of no more than 8 letter words for place names. These 26 letter place names really add to the cost of signage. Then you have the problem of locals without a strangers perspective deciding signage, what and where. Take for example my hometown, Middle Musquodoboit, Nova Scotia. Four communities on the Musquodoboit River; being Upper, Middle, Lower and Harbour. No problem when first settlers travelled the river going north-south. Then they built highway 224 going from Shubenacadie in the west through Middle and Upper Musq. and on to Sheet Harbour in the east. Then they built a a highway from Truro NS to join 224 between Shubenacadie and M. Musq. ( see I'm getting tired of these long names already) Problem is this intersection and local signage people. Signs tell you Shubenacadie is right and Upper Musq. and Sheet Harbour are left. No mention of M. Musq. Then they built a series of highways north from U. Musq. to New Glasgow NS. It was never any problem telling someone how to get to New Glasgow from the Musq's. You just told them, every time you come to a T in the road go right. Problem was tell folks how to come other way as M. Musq. was not mentioned there either. I remember giving directions one night to an elderly inlaw couple from NY who were currently in New Glasgow. You guessed it they missed the turn off at one of those T's, ended up in Truro NS, then proceeded to M.Musq from Truro. At midnight they again phoned us from Shubenacadie, 6 hours later. It should have taken them about an hour. Poor signage. North America is full of these kinds of blunders. Oh, if they had just used 4 letter words to name these places.
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