"This is Alabama, we speak English"

[Tmutarakhan]

...................................................................and?

It turns out that it means the traffic light will go to flashing green when the opposing light hasn't gone red yet (that's what makes it an "advance green") and you can go if you have checked that there isn't any more traffic the other way. Canadians are used to it, American tourists get in wrecks at such intersections.

[Blouman Empire]

...................................................................and?

It turns out that it means the traffic light will go to flashing green when the opposing light hasn't gone red yet (that's what makes it an "advance green") and you can go if you have checked that there isn't any more traffic the other way. Canadians are used to it, American tourists get in wrecks at such intersections.

Which is similar to Americans in countries with roundabouts.

And people in America who have to contend with a 4 way stop sign intersection

[Natapoc]

...................................................................and?

It turns out that it means the traffic light will go to flashing green when the opposing light hasn't gone red yet (that's what makes it an "advance green") and you can go if you have checked that there isn't any more traffic the other way. Canadians are used to it, American tourists get in wrecks at such intersections.

You should ALWAYS look and see if it is safe first no matter what color the light is.

[Risottia]

From a historical perspective, Spanish has a longer history in the US than English.
...
In terms of continuity and longevity in the United States, the Spanish language is second only to Native American languages that were spoken for centuries prior to colonization.

What about French? Taking the Alabama example, French beats Spanish iirc.

[Risottia]

The vikings were not (successful at least) colonists.

Arguably, neither are the Spanish or Portuguese at this point in time.

All of the Americas south of the US-Mexico border would disagree, I think.
And both the British and the French Empires are no more. (Well, the French Empire still got something, although their overseas territories and regions are considered part of France proper and not colonies).

[Tekania]

JuNii's example before suggests that it might be the signs which are retarded too.

Drivers should be able to recognize a sign which says "NO ENTRY".

It might not be so terribly different to put up a sign saying "DO NOT ENTER" ... but how is it necessary?

How far should signs go in using different wording? Even a good English speaker could object to a sign saying "EXIT available, ENTER by entrance" and have a good case to sue whoever put that sign up if they entered there and were involved in an accident. Even on private property.

NO ENTRY and DO NOT ENTER are primarily symbolic signs.

[Tekania]

...................................................................and?

It turns out that it means the traffic light will go to flashing green when the opposing light hasn't gone red yet (that's what makes it an "advance green") and you can go if you have checked that there isn't any more traffic the other way. Canadians are used to it, American tourists get in wrecks at such intersections.

Yes, we have a rule here which is to yield on a left-turn green... As I said before, it's really more that on average US drivers are fucking retarded.

[Gift-of-god]

.....But CM's analogy with Latin and the Romans does apply to your point I think. Why should "success" of a colony be measured by persistence of the invader's language? When the colonialists are gone, the language belongs to who uses it regardless of where it came from.

I do not think the success of a colony should be measured by linguistic stamina. I was merely pointing out that the discussion of this thread is centered around language, and that from that perspective (i.e. historical use of language), the colony was successful.

[DaWoad]

...................................................................and?

It turns out that it means the traffic light will go to flashing green when the opposing light hasn't gone red yet (that's what makes it an "advance green") and you can go if you have checked that there isn't any more traffic the other way. Canadians are used to it, American tourists get in wrecks at such intersections.

er . .. no. Actually an advanced green is the flashing light that means all other lights are red allowing one to make a left hand turn or advance across the intersection (in canada anyway source: I'm a licensed Canadian drive).

[Dyakovo]

...................................................................and?

It turns out that it means the traffic light will go to flashing green when the opposing light hasn't gone red yet (that's what makes it an "advance green") and you can go if you have checked that there isn't any more traffic the other way. Canadians are used to it, American tourists get in wrecks at such intersections.

er . .. no. Actually an advanced green is the flashing light that means all other lights are red allowing one to make a left hand turn or advance across the intersection (in canada anyway source: I'm a licensed Canadian drive).

Not much of a source, I've seen nothing to indicate that Canadian drivers are on average any better about knowing/following the rules of the road than American drivers are...

[DaWoad]

...................................................................and?

It turns out that it means the traffic light will go to flashing green when the opposing light hasn't gone red yet (that's what makes it an "advance green") and you can go if you have checked that there isn't any more traffic the other way. Canadians are used to it, American tourists get in wrecks at such intersections.

er . .. no. Actually an advanced green is the flashing light that means all other lights are red allowing one to make a left hand turn or advance across the intersection (in canada anyway source: I'm a licensed Canadian drive).

Not much of a source, I've seen nothing to indicate that Canadian drivers are on average any better about knowing/following the rules of the road than American drivers are...

lol XD

[Tmutarakhan]

...................................................................and?

It turns out that it means the traffic light will go to flashing green when the opposing light hasn't gone red yet (that's what makes it an "advance green") and you can go if you have checked that there isn't any more traffic the other way. Canadians are used to it, American tourists get in wrecks at such intersections.

er . .. no. Actually an advanced green is the flashing light that means all other lights are red allowing one to make a left hand turn or advance across the intersection (in canada anyway source: I'm a licensed Canadian drive).

When all other lights are red, that's just a regular green light. All the other lights are supposed to be red when yours is green. But in Canada that isn't always so, and that's when your green light flashes.

[DaWoad]

...................................................................and?

It turns out that it means the traffic light will go to flashing green when the opposing light hasn't gone red yet (that's what makes it an "advance green") and you can go if you have checked that there isn't any more traffic the other way. Canadians are used to it, American tourists get in wrecks at such intersections.

er . .. no. Actually an advanced green is the flashing light that means all other lights are red allowing one to make a left hand turn or advance across the intersection (in canada anyway source: I'm a licensed Canadian drive).

When all other lights are red, that's just a regular green light. All the other lights are supposed to be red when yours is green. But in Canada that isn't always so, and that's when your green light flashes.

no. Normally when you have a green light so do the people across the intersection from you. Advanced green is your green and no one else's

[Dyakovo]

...................................................................and?

It turns out that it means the traffic light will go to flashing green when the opposing light hasn't gone red yet (that's what makes it an "advance green") and you can go if you have checked that there isn't any more traffic the other way. Canadians are used to it, American tourists get in wrecks at such intersections.

er . .. no. Actually an advanced green is the flashing light that means all other lights are red allowing one to make a left hand turn or advance across the intersection (in canada anyway source: I'm a licensed Canadian drive).

When all other lights are red, that's just a regular green light. All the other lights are supposed to be red when yours is green. But in Canada that isn't always so, and that's when your green light flashes.

no. Normally when you have a green light so do the people across the intersection from you. Advanced green is your green and no one else's

If it's (primarily) for making left-hand turns (which is how I'm understanding it) why not just have a green arrow?

[Tekania]

...................................................................and?

It turns out that it means the traffic light will go to flashing green when the opposing light hasn't gone red yet (that's what makes it an "advance green") and you can go if you have checked that there isn't any more traffic the other way. Canadians are used to it, American tourists get in wrecks at such intersections.

er . .. no. Actually an advanced green is the flashing light that means all other lights are red allowing one to make a left hand turn or advance across the intersection (in canada anyway source: I'm a licensed Canadian drive).

When all other lights are red, that's just a regular green light. All the other lights are supposed to be red when yours is green. But in Canada that isn't always so, and that's when your green light flashes.

no. Normally when you have a green light so do the people across the intersection from you. Advanced green is your green and no one else's

It's basically your version of what we have here:


When it's a green arrow the opping lane is red and you're free to go, when you have just the solid green you yeild till clear.

[NERVUN]

Pretty hard to mistake the meaning there.

Really?

so you're driving down the road in some foreign country that doesn't have a sign in a language you can read. you see this.

at your destination.
what do you do...
1) turn around and go home.
2) look for another way to your destination.
3) ignore the sign and proceed.
4) stop and try to figure it out.

after all, it's pretty hard to mistake the meaning... right?

Yes, because THAT sign is so like the one I posted.
How about what I DO when I run into a sign I don't know on the road, look a head *shock and horror*. Slow down. You know, because usually orange signs are caution signs.

But, you know, I think we're losing the forest for the trees. Let me put it this way, the question by the gov. candidate is about getting rid of multiple language tests. As far as I am aware of, just about all states offer driving tests in multiple languages, so that means *shock and horror again* we've already got non-English speakers on the road. Tell me, JuNii, just how many accidents are caused by the inability to read and understand English?

Do you honestly think it says "Detour"? well, guess what. you're wrong. it doesn't. Personally? a guy ran into my car and the cops had to call in an interpreter. apparently he didn't understand the "DO NOT ENTER" sign that was posted at the parking lot entrance.

Terrific, now why don't you actually respond to what I wrote?

I did respond to what you wrote.

No, you didn't.

Try again. How many accidents are caused by non-English speakers not understanding the signs?

read again. I gave one example.

HOW many, JuNii. HOW many. Not how many have happened to YOU.

[NERVUN]

and while NERVUN never stated what the sign said, he commented on how the sign looked.

Yes, because THAT sign is so like the one I posted.
How about what I DO when I run into a sign I don't know on the road, look a head *shock and horror*. Slow down. You know, because usually orange signs are caution signs.

that's why my comment is "Do you *think* it said "detour". because he commented on how the sign looked "like the one [he] posted" and took those actions based on the color of the sign... and btw... I've seen blue stop signs here. so color isn't a surefire way also.

No, I was making a sarcastic comment about how your sign (Text only, and a lot of it) could be considered the equivlent of the one I posted (A single word and a direction arrow). Especially as detour signs are usually put in the middle of the road that's closed.

In Japan, they're blue and white, I never remember the kanji for them, but, funnily enough, seeing it in the middle of the road, next to a large X sign, I get the point without having to consult the dictionary.

[DaWoad]

...................................................................and?

It turns out that it means the traffic light will go to flashing green when the opposing light hasn't gone red yet (that's what makes it an "advance green") and you can go if you have checked that there isn't any more traffic the other way. Canadians are used to it, American tourists get in wrecks at such intersections.

er . .. no. Actually an advanced green is the flashing light that means all other lights are red allowing one to make a left hand turn or advance across the intersection (in canada anyway source: I'm a licensed Canadian drive).

When all other lights are red, that's just a regular green light. All the other lights are supposed to be red when yours is green. But in Canada that isn't always so, and that's when your green light flashes.

no. Normally when you have a green light so do the people across the intersection from you. Advanced green is your green and no one else's

It's basically your version of what we have here:


When it's a green arrow the opping lane is red and you're free to go, when you have just the solid green you yeild till clear.

yep thats the one.

[DaWoad]

...................................................................and?

It turns out that it means the traffic light will go to flashing green when the opposing light hasn't gone red yet (that's what makes it an "advance green") and you can go if you have checked that there isn't any more traffic the other way. Canadians are used to it, American tourists get in wrecks at such intersections.

er . .. no. Actually an advanced green is the flashing light that means all other lights are red allowing one to make a left hand turn or advance across the intersection (in canada anyway source: I'm a licensed Canadian drive).

When all other lights are red, that's just a regular green light. All the other lights are supposed to be red when yours is green. But in Canada that isn't always so, and that's when your green light flashes.

no. Normally when you have a green light so do the people across the intersection from you. Advanced green is your green and no one else's

If it's (primarily) for making left-hand turns (which is how I'm understanding it) why not just have a green arrow?

thats what they are being changed to (and most of the new ones are.) I would imagine that it as cheaper to simply have a flashing light than add another light or something?

[Dyakovo]

...................................................................and?

It turns out that it means the traffic light will go to flashing green when the opposing light hasn't gone red yet (that's what makes it an "advance green") and you can go if you have checked that there isn't any more traffic the other way. Canadians are used to it, American tourists get in wrecks at such intersections.

er . .. no. Actually an advanced green is the flashing light that means all other lights are red allowing one to make a left hand turn or advance across the intersection (in canada anyway source: I'm a licensed Canadian drive).

When all other lights are red, that's just a regular green light. All the other lights are supposed to be red when yours is green. But in Canada that isn't always so, and that's when your green light flashes.

no. Normally when you have a green light so do the people across the intersection from you. Advanced green is your green and no one else's

If it's (primarily) for making left-hand turns (which is how I'm understanding it) why not just have a green arrow?

thats what they are being changed to (and most of the new ones are.) I would imagine that it as cheaper to simply have a flashing light than add another light or something?

Yeah, probably.