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Street sign theft is when street signs are stolen, often to be used as decorations. Although the theft often seems arbitrary, unusual or amusing signs tend to be stolen more frequently. This offence is often committed by students. Sometimes considered to be a prank by the perpetrators, the theft is often expensive and inconvenient, and sometimes dangerous.
Popular culture can act as a catalyst to street sign theft. Popular bands The Beatles and Lynyrd Skynyrd have inadvertently perpetuated street sign theft as their songs and albums include real place names including Penny Lane, Abbey Road, and Brickyard Road. Television or radio productions named after addresses or streets will usually increase the theft of those signs. Jeff Foxworthy has alluded to street sign theft being a family hobby as a "sign one might be a redneck".
In law
In one notable United States case, the thieves were found guilty of manslaughter for stealing a stop sign, and thereby causing a deadly collision. This was popularized in the novel Driver's Ed by Caroline B. Cooney.
Specific and/or common examples
Popular culture examples
- Penny Lane and Abbey Road, caused by the Beatles (See above). In addition, Penny Lane in Liverpool is directly opposite halls of residence used by first years at the University of Liverpool; presumably due to constant theft, the road sign at one end is painted on, while at the other end it is positioned high up on the side of a house.
- Brickyard Road, Clay County, Florida (See above). Fans repeatedly stole the road sign because lead singer Ronnie Van Zant was living there before his death in 1977 and his brother, Johnny Van Zant, released an album and single called Brickyard Road in 1990.
- The county eventually erected a concrete pillar with the street name painted on it, as opposed to a traditional road sign.
- Nirvana Avenue, Melbourne, Australia generally suffers the same fate because of the association with the band called Nirvana.
- Beer Road, on the outskirts of Orange, Australia. Due to the street sign being constantly stolen, the local council has resorted to attaching name stickers to armco guard railings at the start of the road.
TV shows
Other culture and language
- Any highway or road numbered 420 is a prime target for theft because of its cannabis connotations.
- The same holds true for 666. U.S. Highway 666 was renamed to 491 in 2003 due to pressure by New Mexico governor Bill Richardson over "infamy brought by the inopportune naming of the road the 6th branch of Highway 66." An enthusiast cites Department of Transportation officials which pointed to sign theft. Skeptics, including National Geographic, believe that the religious right were the driving force behind the change.
- New Jersey suffered a similar problem: the state changed its Route 69 to Route 31 in 1967 because of theft, due to the sexual meaning of the number 69.
- Shades Of Death Road in Liberty Township, New Jersey, is desirable for a number of tales about the road and the name itself. Local vigilantes took matters into their own hands and put various lubricants on the pole holding the sign to make it impossible to climb. The other street signs along the road, in two other townships, are metal poles with the names of both intersecting streets in vertical type, harder to read but less attractive to thieves.
- Fucking, Austria is also a popular target for street sign thieves, and its border sign is the most stolen street sign in Austria.
- Because of the sexual connotation of its name, the town of Intercourse, Pennsylvania is a frequent victim of sign theft.
- The same applies for the French town of Condom.
- Swedish Moose warning signs are often stolen by German tourists fascinated by the animal (See Moose article section for more information).
- Quincy, Massachusetts is another location of increasing street sign theft. Signs have been spotted being uprooted from the ground then stolen. There is no known motive, however, for the thefts of signs in Quincy apart from possible the TV Series of the same name.
- Lost, Scotland Following publicity in tourist guidebooks, due to its unusual name, Lost has suffered from regular theft of street signs bearing its name
- Interstate 69 signs are frequently stolen from the stretch of road leading in and out of Indianapolis, Indiana.
Gallery of examples
See also
External links
"Street sign theft"