They say the road to hell is paved with good intensions and this photo pretty much sums up that sentiment.  Safety was the mall-master’s good intension here as they try to protect pedestrians coming and going into the front entrance of a busy department store.  However, it doesn’t work on so many levels and that’s what Really Burns My Butt . While I waited for my wife to return with coffee and breakfast from a Starbucks, I was on car sitting duty since it was loaded with suitcases, dirty laundry, left over booze and food for our weekend retreat, so I watched this intersection for inspiration and entertainment.  In the 20 minutes I watched, NOT one car stopped at this poor wallflower of a stop sign.  Not one.  When people were crossing they would stop for them, but not at the stop sign which makes it more of an adornment then a warning sign.

 

Why does it fail on so many levels?  Just because you plopped down a stop sign don’t start patting yourself on the back for a job well done.  It is not the end of your problem since all you’ve accomplished is to have given pedestrians a false sense of security.  The Stop sign needs a little back up to make it effective in doing its job.  A-There is no yellow stripping on the ground to indicate a crosswalk. That would help greatly to highlight it to an oncoming driver.

 

 

 

 

Yes they did a nice job painting the curb yellow – B but that doesn’t really help at all.  What also doesn’t help is the large red ball, right next to the high red stop sign which draws the drivers eye away from the stop sign.

 

 

 

 

 

Placing a speed bump or two, C – will make sure cars do slow down when approaching the stop sign.  One more speed bump  in the crosswalk area would also help keep traffic to a lower speed.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lastly, the stop sign itself D – is just to high up off the ground to really be seen by on coming drivers.  There is also no other signage at all.  No slow, speed limit or pedestrian crossing signs at all.    

 

 

Overall it’s apparent that the mall operator is doing things on the cheap.  If they were seriously concerned about safety, this would be a totally different picture.  When ever you’re in a mall, strip mall or parking garage always be aware of your surroundings and don’t take anything for granted.  Safety is just as much in your control as theirs.