Neither of the signs in the pictures below refer to anything more than where sometimes a trickle of water comes under the trail. Both are dry - one a minor drainage ditch, the other has a brand new huge dam about 3 miles up this dry gulch, limiting any flow that might get there. Been riding the trail 12 years and NEVER any water on top of the trail or bridge.

I talked with the trail crew installing the signs. They were apologetic, but said the town lawyer had been involved. I wonder about the cost of the signs - designing, ordering, figuring out where to place them, paying for the sign and post, assembling the sign, digging the holes and pounding the signs in, etc.

Wouldn't you think that someone might know not to enter the flooded trail if, in the 100,000:1 chance, it was ever "flooded?"

Grr!!

(seen on my ride/swim this am - 1.5 hours riding - starting at 35F, and 40 minutes of swimming. Saw a herd of 15 deer and then later on 7 deer. Maybe they need a sign "Do not enter when deer are crossing trail"??)

CYA.....(sez the lawyer)
Bud

Can you say some lawyer doing the CYA act and charging big bucks to the city?

Oldster: obviously great minds thinking alike.

This is because of frivolous law suites. It's not the lawyers, it's the judge or jury who listens to them !
Or, it could've been a shovel ready project,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

I think the answer to your question doesn't seem like an answer but here it is -- stupid people are proud and everywhere. I live in Central Texas and we have numerous times during the year where flash flooding is not only likely but happens all too frequently. We also have numerous low water crossings that look deceptively safe. Our state spends a nice sum on advertising to warn people, if you see water in the road, turn around. Yet our state spends a nice tidy sum year in and year out to rescue the stupid. They ignore TV and radio spots, and newspaper stories and warnings. They ignore signs posted right in front of them. They even ignore barriers put across the roadway where the water is clearly rushing across the street. One lady was recently arrested for child endangerment for going around the barriers then needing rescuing with a young child in the car. Her excuse was, "I didn't think it was dangerous."

I'm sure the signs in your area seem worthless and hopefully they are but never underestimate the stupid and their ability to ignore everything safe, sane and logical when even the most unlikely thing happens.

Based on videos I've seen, I'd have to answer, "NO". To borrow a line from Einstein (I think...), "Two things are infinite: the universe, and human stupidity. And I'm not so sure about the universe."

SP
Bend, OR

I'm trying to think of a way to blame engineers for this and thereby exonerate the poor blameless attorneys. I do think there is often a level of petty administrator in many agencies that habitually takes simple legal advice to extremes. CYA is all they really know.

If the person is that stupid, they would ignore the sign, later claiming they did not see it.

But, really, these signs are in areas of almost an impossibility of flooding.

If the odds are greater than zero that it can happen then its usually best to CYA.

I mean, really, in what world does coffee need a warning label that it's hot? That's right, the world we live in.

Every time they make something idiot proof, some idiot proves 'em wrong..

ifify

What you need is the revenue to your local council to be cut by 20%. This is happening in the UK and all sorts of Superfluous people in local government are losing their jobs. Then they will not have to justify their highly paid position by doing stupid things like this---As they will not have a position.

But whilst on ditches occasionally overflowing-This ditch is by the side of a Mup in our area. After the snow melt in January it looked similar to these pics.



Last week the ditch was bone dry and 6ft deep.

We don't need no signs to tell us the trail is flooded-- The wet backside will tell us that.

from out recent AZ trip...self explanatory, don't enter, too late! Wish we had pic of water
R&J

I was in Tuscon a few weeks back, talked to a local about this - he told me they passed a law where those who ignore the signs and need resuce are now financially responsible for their own rescue. People need to be responsible when they ignore the warnings.

Between the time that they repave a highway in Missouri and the time when they get around to restriping it, they post "No center stripe signs".

1. I can tell just by looking whether or not a center stripe is present.
2. How much harder can it be to paint a center stripe than to erect "No center stripe" signs.