Nov 21 2008
Tsunami Sign?
For those of you who know me you know that I enjoy the “oddities” in life to include people, places and things. While walking home from the beach the other day, I crossed the great highway on Taraval street and while walking about half way up the street encountered this sign on a pole. I found it interesting and a little odd. First because it is located right across the street from ocean beach. Second, the arrow is pointing up the pole. I had to laugh with that one. Should we all climb the pole? :) And, if there were a tsunami warning would people living in that immediate area need to be warned by a sign so high on a pole that they wouldn’t even see it not to run towards the ocean? I think we would all know that running towards the beach during a tsunami warning would be a death wish. I had seen the same sign months ago not far away around 46th and Noriega. I think the last time there was a tsunami warning in San Francisco was in 1906 which was triggered by the Earthquake. It’s just a little strange so I had to comment on the oddity of the sign.
I know you’re questioning the sign for some humor, but it’s really quite simple. It’s a sign meant for TRAFFIC. I know it’s tempting to put it in your on pedestrian perspective, but it’s meant for cars. The arrow straight up is meant to be interpreted as straight ahead. Traveling parallel to the coastline may seem counter-intuitive, so traffic engineers put up those signs to prevent cars from wasting their time by immediately turning inland.
Living in Earthquake country, you should know that earthquakes do have Tsunami’s associated with them. If a large quake hit off the coast (there are areas mid ocean that do have quakes - even a big enough quake in Japan could send one our way) a Tsunami could hit the SF coastline. People in their cars may be tempted to drive directly away from the ocean, but it may not be the best route. That sign is a marker along the best route out of the potential splash area.
Thank you Bill.