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Eye pictograms on British kerbs

 To help foreigners cross London streets more safely, replace potentially cryptic 'look left' and 'look right' warnings painted on many kerbs with simple pictograms of an eye, in profile, facing the way one should look to see oncoming traffic.
 
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Many foreign visitors to London know how careful one must be to adjust to the left-lane driving system, especially when jet- lagged. In a commendable effort to help, the locals have stenciled 'Look left' and 'Look right' notices on kerbtops at many appropriate spots.

But many foreigners don't even read their own languages, much less English...and even those who do can have trouble keeping antonym pairs like 'left' and 'right' (each of which also happens to be ambiguous in meaning in English) straight in their heads, especially at crucial moments like crossing a busy street.

So, to make things as simple as possible, London should replace those wordy notices with quickly grasped pictograms of a human eye, in side profile, gazing in the appropriate direction.

—n-pearson, Jun 18 2003

Pedestrian Treatments http://www.wsdot.wa...UrbanTreatments.pdf
A variety of attempts to keep stupid people from colliding with each other. [Amos Kito, Oct 17 2004]

The eyes have it http://www.sunnyday...s/hieroglyphics.gif
It's not complicated... sort of. [k_sra, Oct 17 2004]

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       of course, half way across the street, it is useful to change the direction of your gaze. perhaps there should be professional hand-holding street-crossing patrols.
—po, Jun 18 2003
   

       I suggest parallel, diagonal railings just before the crosswalk to guide pedestrians 45 degrees to the right, so they better see oncoming traffic.
—FarmerJohn, Jun 18 2003
   

       Wow. People really need this written on the kerbs to know to do this?
—waugsqueke, Jun 18 2003
   

       It'd be helpful in L.A. - seems peds never look.
—thumbwax, Jun 18 2003
   

       They attack the problem from the other direction there. They have signs of a family madly running across the freeway to remind cars to watch for such occurances.
—Worldgineer, Jun 18 2003
   

       // They have signs of a family madly running across the freeway //   

       Ahhhh, Death Race 2000 ..... what a movie that was.
—8th of 7, Jun 18 2003
   

       This is a good idea. Removal of language in signeage is always a bonus, too. Perhaps implement it reverse in those countries that drive on the wrong side of the road.   

       Not sure why this should only be implemented in Lahndahn, though.
—my face your, Jun 18 2003
   

       What they need to install at crosswalks are series of those carnival fun house floor circles that rotate in different directions succesively as you walk over them. That way pedestrians will be spun both ways, allowing them to see oncoming traffic from both directions.
—snarfyguy, Jun 18 2003
   

       Well, jutta, such a perceived 'eyerrow' would, after all, point in the direction traffic is moving; if the person doesn't know that it means 'look' in one direction, why should they assume it means 'look' in the other?   

       At any rate, I bet a well-stylized eye in profile would be quite clear to most humans (heck, maybe even dogs...;-). It could save paint over the wordy notices too...
—n-pearson, Jun 18 2003
   

       Maybe a little drawing of a car running over a pedestrian, with the car coming from the correct direction.
—Worldgineer, Jun 18 2003
   

       [World] That reminds me of a box of matches I once had, I may even still have....On the back of the box, is the funniest picture you have ever seen of a stick man on fire. If I can find it I will scan it and link.
—silverstormer, Jun 18 2003
   

       Why have these at all? Words or pictures... I don't get it. Was there a problem with people walking out in front of cars that needed to be addressed?
—waugsqueke, Jun 18 2003
   

       [Amos Kito] The prices in that Pedestrian Treatment link are way too high. For example a "Refuge Island" for $15,000? In my area they use old 55galon drums fill them with rocks and top of with concrete. People are happy to get rid of the drums and the rocks in their yards. Cost (incl. orange paint) about $200. Doesn't look as nice, but two in a row can stop a tank.
—kbecker, Jun 18 2003
   

       Is the [link] above what you had in mind?
—k_sra, Jun 20 2003
   

       I once asked a friend from England what they did when they drove from England to another country. I didn't even think about the obvious.   

       Also I just read the Pedestrian Treatments link. Holy crap I can't believe $70,000 for a flashing yellow light. I'm in the wrong business.
—shazam, Jun 20 2003
   

       Why not just repent of your backward road customs altogether. The entire auto industry would kiss you. Perhaps a regime change...
—RayfordSteele, Jun 20 2003
   

       there was some talk about changing to driving on the the other side a while back. it was proposed to try it with the buses and taxis first to see how it went.
—po, Jun 20 2003
   

       If the brits would start driving their vehicles in reverse they could still drive on the same side of the street. However when someone from another country showed up they would drive their vehicles normally and all would be good. Eventually when the british got used to it they could start driving the other direction. Also you would need to turn all the traffic signs around but that could probably be done on a sunday when no one is doing anything. The traffic signs would have to be printed both normally and just below that the mirror image of the sign would be printed so it would be normal to the people driving in reverse looking through their rear view mirror. Also the british would be prohibited from driving at night because they would not have headlights.
—shazam, Jun 20 2003
   

       On some streets in Salt Lake City, Utah they have signs painted on the street that say <--LOOK--> with little eyes drawn in the double "o"s. So its sorta baked, but that's just here in the states. BTW I know it says British kerbs. But this is a good idea and could be useful in all cities that have tourists who don't speak the language.
—PollyNo9, Jun 20 2003
   

       [shazam]   

       {{{{applause}}}}   

       now thats a novelty for you isn't it?
—po, Jun 20 2003
   

       I have seen in Dublin, a little eye with an arrow. Not exactly baked, but close enough. Here is a (crappy) diagram: <----- (o)
—modular, Jun 20 2003
   

       you are right that is a crappy diagram :) here's mine Ð. It's just as crappy but i'm proud.
—shazam, Jun 20 2003
   

       The problem I have with the "Look left" signs is I always see the one on the other side of the road first, and since I can read the words "Look", "Left" and "Right" upside down I inadvertantly always look in the wrong direction and get hit by cars, trucks and ambulances. Unless of course they say "Look Left" on both sides of the street in which case I think "Oh, I'm reading that upside down, I should be looking right on this side" and then get hit by cars, trucks and ambulances.
—theleopard, Aug 17 2007
   

       I do that too - I don't know what made me so adept at reading upside-down. I used to drive a lot in California where freeways ramps have "Wrong Way" painted on them - I would always hesitate when driving over one of these, checking I had just read it upside-down.
—hippo, Aug 17 2007
   

       Do you work with a calculator alot?
—theleopard, Aug 17 2007
   

       No, so 5318008 to you!
—hippo, Aug 17 2007
   

       Ah, go to 1134.   

       And take these pesky non 7-seg '4's with you.
—theleopard, Aug 17 2007
   


 

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