Road sign

[St Bernard]

I'm always rather taken by the no overtaking roadsign which one can see by the side of roads in the Pyrenees under which is stated "sauf vehicules lentes"!

[Opalienne]

My favourite is an English one:   "soft verges".  I imagine it must have been responsible for any number of accidents caused by French drivers laughing uncontrollably! 

[Fantine<br><br><br><br>Susie]

I quite like the French one 'Boue' as if someone is just about to jump out of the bushes to scare you!

[Ron Avery]

Where exactly in France are the road signs that say "Tenez la gauche", they certainly don't seem to read the "Tenez la Droite" ones

[Christine Animal]

I like the ones warning you of telephones jumping out (like the deer).

Another word which makes the French laugh, but is not a road sign, is Pets.

[Ty Korrigan]

Two Breton paysans took a hunting vacation in the Rocky Mountains. They hired a car to go up into the hills to find some game to shoot. As they climbed the road became very narrow and tight until they saw a sign that said 'BEAR LEFT'

After some minutes consulting the phraze book...they went home.

[LaBucherie]

I liked one that said "Ford - unsuitable for motors".

Regards
David

[RayB]

[quote]I like the ones warning you of telephones jumping out (like the deer). Another word which makes the French laugh, but is not a road sign, is Pets.[/quote]

Our Bassett used to be good at it!

[Christine Animal]

Did you get him a "mobile" ?

[Chrissie]

I heard of an American girl on a coach trip across Australia who announced on the third day that there seemed to be an awful lot of small towns called "Truck Bay"........

Chrissie (81)

[Ron Avery]

Completely true. A boss of mine had a niece coming from N Ireland to the UK, the Ferry got diverted to Stranrar and so they were being transfered by coach to England.  Knowing that uncle would be worried about her and where she was, at the first service station they reached, she phoned to tell him what had happened.  He asked "where are you?"   She looked over her shoulder and told him " GRANADA,  I'm at Granada.!!"

[Davidball]

No word of a lie, but on my parents first trip to France to visit me, my Mum said 'there seem to be a lot of places called centre ville!'

[Iceni]

We were sitting in a very good hotel in Paris having a drink when a couple of very well dressed American ladies came in who were also staying there. They sat and one said to the other - I don't think much of Paris, all the buildings look the same...

The hotel was near the Louvre and if anything else in Paris looks like the glass pyramid I never saw it.

Our favourite places that we have yet to find are 'Toutes directions' and 'Autres directions'. We have seen the signs in every town and many a road but never arrived yet. Whenever I go on a long journey the sign I see most of is 'Deviation' - I always take my whip but I have never found that either.

English friends who have lived in France for quite a few years only found out last year that Hotel de ville was not a group of hotels rather like Novotel...

[Opalienne]

I also like 'trous en formation'.  I think of it as a kind of training school for holes in the road, from which they graduate to become real car wreckers......

[Patmobile]

This is true!  A very nice girl once remarked to my wife that there were a lot of villages called "Rappel".

I also like the story - probably not true - about the Belgian family

who kept setting off for a holiday in Britain and returning a few hours

later disappointed.  They explained that they were intending to

cross by ferry from Calais to Dover, but every time they started out

down the motorway they came to a sign that said PAS DE CALAIS, so they

came home.

Patrick

[MargaretD]

Yes, I like the one about Toutes Direction and Autres Direction.  In Troyes there is a lovely roundabout where two roads are not signposted and the third one is "Toute Direction" and the fourth on is also "Toute Direction".  The subtlety is that one has a blue background and the other a green backround. 

I stay with the two unnamed roads as one leads to the supermarket and the other leads to where my husband studies!

The real sad thing is I only realised when I was trying to write instructions for my dad to go to a good shoe shop.  He saw this as en excuse not to go!  I still worry about whether his feet are getting wet.

[The Riff-Raff Element]

I have often wondered - but always

neglect to ask when in the company of someone who might actually know -

what is the meaning of the sign that appears to show an exploding car?

I pass one local to us frequently, but have no idea whether I should be

looking out for landmines, checking my vehicle for explosives before

proceeding or am in imminant danger of missle attack. All of these seem

equally unlikely on the Fontenay ring road. Does anybody know?

[Ron Avery]

I think this been asked before, its not an exploding car,  its a lorry. The French definition is

"Désigne les véhicules transportant des marchandises explosives ou facilement inflammables, de nature et en quantité définies par l'arrêté du 1er juin 2001 relatif au transport des marchandises dangereuses par route, et signalés comme tels"

 So it is a aign that prevents the carriage of explosive and flammable materials usually with weight and time restrictions,  although on some parts of the Paris Ring road, where most of us would have seen the signs, these cargoes are banned

[The Riff-Raff Element]

Thank you! Another of the little mysteries that dog my life cleared up.

Is there a French equivalent of the Highway Code? Again, this is

something I so often think of looking for (whilst tidying the terrace

or similar out here in the sticks, miles from anything remotely

approaching a bookshop) and then completely forget about every time I

get to what passes for civilisation around here...[*-)]

I do like this new board - even being one of the  silly 

sausages  who prefer  Firefox , I am now able to change font, bold and italicize things and add silly icons. [&]  [:O]  [^]  [W]

[Christine Animal]

You could try Code de la Route Jond, if you do a search on that plenty come out

http://www.code-route-facile.com/

Have fun!   [8-|]

[Creusois]

I heard two American women talking about the Arc De Triomphe - one described it as great, but couldn't understand why the French built it in the middle of a roundabout![:S]

[RayB]

[quote user="Creusois"]

I heard two American women talking about the

Arc De Triomphe - one described it as great, but couldn't

understand why the French built it in the middle of a

roundabout![:S]

[/quote]

They really got upset when I took a shortcut and drove through it.

[moon]

I think there is a sign which show a car in a flash or whatever. I have seen them near the tunnels on the Paris ring road and on the tunnel into Rouen and was told it was barring cars powered by LPG.

Bob

 

[moon]

The first time my dad went to Germany he was travelling along the autobahn and couldnt get over all the signs for Ausfarht (sp) He thought it must be a big place.

Bob

 

[Jonzjob]

Is there a French equivalent of the Highway Code?

Yes, it's called "Code Rousseau  de la route" and it costs 15€ so not cheeep. You can also go to www.coderousseau.fr , not bin there myself but probably the same thing. Quite informative and worthwhile, apart from the price!

John