![['Workers and equipment from Concord Paving were on the Trans-Canada highway Monday night to start the province’s first night-time paving project.']](https://saltwire.imgix.net/tel-web-260917-nightroad14-kg.jpg?cs=srgb&fit=crop&h=568&w=847&dpr=1&auto=enhance%2Ccompress%2Cformat)
They’re at it again — crying wolf with their highway construction signage. Sunday afternoon, I drove from the from the Trans-Canada Highway to Bay Roberts and back on the Veterans Memorial Highway. Going North, all was fine. Coming back south I was faced with the “Construction Ahead, Slow to 50 kilometres per hour or you’ll get fined $1,500” signs.
So, I did as I was told. I tootled on and on and on but there was nothing there. There wasn’t even a sign to tell me that the nothing had come to an end.
The people behind me got pissed at my rectitude and passed me where they shouldn’t because Sunday signs usually don’t mean nothin’. “Usually” is the operative word here. I’ve seen work on the weekend. I’ve even almost run into it at 8 p.m. because the signs warning me of it were 15 kilometres back. So when can you really rely on the signs being unreliable?
I called the RCMP and got lots of sympathy but there is nothing they can do. They told me one contractor leaves his signs up if there is some equipment left by the side of the road. True enough, there was an asphalt roller three to five meters from the driving surface, but this is no cause for concern. Guard rails are much closer than that. Berry pickers, trout anglers and bunny assassins park closer than that and we don’t have to halve our speed for them on pain of a speeding ticket.
Am I miffed? You could say that in polite company. Believe it or not, my main point here is that this unnecessary crying wolf is a real danger to the construction workers the signs are meant to protect.
I think contractors who misuse the signs should get a spanking, too.
Bob Hyslop,
Clarenville
