Line painting and road marking may seem like a complicated job but it doesn’t have to be. Whether you’re marking up car parking bays, paint lines alongside or across the carriageway, or paint road markings for box junctions or bus stops, it should be a straightforward task for skilled highway maintenance operatives.
Of course, Murphy’s Law says that anything that can go wrong will go wrong – which is what the examples below illustrate beautifully. Brought to you by Dakota Murphey, independent content writer that specialises in safety barriers and road maintenance.
Two wrongs don’t make a right
It may have only been intended as a temporary fix until the asphalt has fully cured, but the American operatives responsible for these zany zigzag double yellow lines are showing a certain artistic flair.
Image Source: http://khon2.com/2013/04/15/mililani-drivers-puzzled-by-crooked-center-line/
Meanwhile, in Russia
Russian drivers may not have the best reputation in the world, and perhaps now we know why. Surely not even the Russian Highway Code will be able to explain this hotchpotch of road markings…
Then again, in South Africa
It’s all a bit hit and miss on this major suburban thoroughfare in Kensington, Johannesburg. And just when you thought you were back on the straight and narrow, it goes all pear shaped at the end…
Don’t stop for any old sh*t
When you’re painting lines, you should always have at least one eye on the road; you never know what’s coming up. Looks like someone’s messed up on the job, and here’s a clue: it’s not the horse’s fault…
Image Source: https://www.thesun.co.uk/motors/2771421/12-epic-road-marking-fails/
Let’s keep it together
One side of the double yellow lines is perfectly executed – but what happened to the other one? Did someone have a hangover and couldn’t keep on a straight line? Or did they just get distracted by the scenery?
Image Source: http://www.pophangover.com/9305/top-10-road-marking-fails/
Spelling embarrassment
Oh dear, where to start? Perplexed motorists in Suffolk were asked to SLOM – wait, what? Slalom? Oh – SLOW down!! Just goes to show that this can spell disaster when you’re not paying attention…
Image Source: https://farm5.static.flickr.com/4024/4646406994_a7d0c0d5ff_b.jpg
Image Source: http://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/543587/Drivers-Motorists-Spelling-Mistakes-Road-Signs-You-Only-Had-One-Job
Fastest line painter in the West
Here’s a man who truly loves his job! See this Italian highway maintenance worker racing along on his petrol powered road marking machine while he repaints the white road marking with the utmost precision, and dropping cones here and there. Belissimo!
Marked for all eternity
Some road painters are so committed to the job, they won’t stop for anything or anyone – alive or dead. That is, we’re assuming the poor creature was already dead before the road marking lorry came along…
Image Source: https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/36/a1/dd/36a1dd117c88eb3c3b25424ef859968d.jpg
The good, the bad and the ugly
Highway maintenance is something we all take for granted. But let’s not forget that human error is the deciding factor between a job well done and an epic fail. Here’s an entertaining summary of what can go wrong.
