One day, on our way to the archeological site of Uxmal, we passed large glossy black and white signs every 50-100 meters. First the basic instructions.
OBEY THE SIGNS
DO NOT MALTREAT THE SIGNS
DO NOT DESTROY THE SIGNS!
And after 50 kilometers, we saw a gracious remark:
THANK YOU FOR RESPECTING THE SIGNS
Once drivers know that the signs are not to be maltreated, the signage moves to a higher level of instruction.
AT LESS SPEED MORE SAFETY
DO NOT THROW TRASH
DO NOT DRIVE TIRED
CHOOSE YOUR LANE OPPORTUNELY
DO NOT PASS ON THE YELLOW LINE
(There are many solid yellow lines in the rolling hills of southwest Yucatan. The entire Yucatan is not flat, as we had supposed.)
THE SEAT BELT SAVES LIVES USE IT
These and other cautions are repeated over and over. That’s probably wise since apparently it takes a minimum of seven repetitions for a message to make an impression on our brains.
But our favorite sign of all was --
DRIVE CAREFULLY YOUR FAMILY AWAITS YOU
This message shifts drivers out of our narrow individual world to the reality of the larger social network and the people who love and depend on us.
Finally, during our 1000-kilometer trip through the interior of the Yucatan Peninsula, we saw virtually no advertising billboards. Wouldn't US highways be safer if we had fewer distracting ads and more reminders to drive carefully because our family awaits us? That's a sign I would never grow tired of seeing.
But our favorite sign of all was --
DRIVE CAREFULLY YOUR FAMILY AWAITS YOU
This message shifts drivers out of our narrow individual world to the reality of the larger social network and the people who love and depend on us.
Finally, during our 1000-kilometer trip through the interior of the Yucatan Peninsula, we saw virtually no advertising billboards. Wouldn't US highways be safer if we had fewer distracting ads and more reminders to drive carefully because our family awaits us? That's a sign I would never grow tired of seeing.
Nancy
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