For reasons lost in the mists of time - or possibly to impared memory function - the number ‘420’ is code for pot. As such, mile markers and other signs bearing that number have become targets for trophy-hunting cannabis enthusiasts.
To combat this expensive annoyance, the State of Idaho has turned to to strategic inaccuracy, labeling their at-risk mile-markers a tenth short to become less appealing to would-be thieves.
-- submitted from IRC
This discussion has been archived.
No new comments can be posted.
‘420’ Mile-markers Changed to ‘419.9’ to Avoid Theft by Stoners
|
Log In/Create an Account
| Top
| 35 comments
| Search Discussion
The Fine Print: The following comments are owned by whoever posted them. We are not responsible for them in any way.
(Score: 5, Funny) by ikanreed on Tuesday August 25 2015, @09:19PM
Now everyone will want to steal them for their oddity.
And stoners will just round up.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday August 25 2015, @09:26PM
whoa dude, that's just an incredible thought
(Score: 3, Funny) by nyder on Tuesday August 25 2015, @09:31PM
"4:19 and loading!"
"4:19.99999 and rounding!"
"What the fuck does that mean?"
"Hit the fucking weed you idiot. We are in Idaho, we do it the Idaho way"
"Fuck I miss being in a normal state."
(Score: 3, Interesting) by MichaelDavidCrawford on Tuesday August 25 2015, @09:38PM
During the work to replace the railroad tracks on the lower level of the Oakland Bay Bridge with one way to Oakland automoble lanes, with the previously two-way top deck now onw-way to San Francisco.
The Hump sign was placed at one end of the tunnel through Yerba Buena - "Good Herb" - Island.
It was not long at all before the California Department of Transportation just gave up on replacing it.
Yes I Have No Bananas. [gofundme.com]
(Score: 1, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday August 26 2015, @12:42AM
I'll just leave this here: Bong Recreational Area, Wisconsin [wi.gov]
(Score: 2, Funny) by MichaelDavidCrawford on Wednesday August 26 2015, @01:00AM
Best of Dildo
I always enjoyed it when the St. John's newscasters said "Today in Dildo..." with completely straight faces.
(ProTip: That same TV station is on cable in The Bahamas.)
Yes I Have No Bananas. [gofundme.com]
(Score: 2, Redundant) by MichaelDavidCrawford on Wednesday August 26 2015, @01:02AM
I always enjoyed it when the St. John's newscasters said "Today in Dildo..." with completely straight faces.
(ProTip: That same TV station is on cable in The Bahamas.)
FTFM
Yes I Have No Bananas. [gofundme.com]
(Score: 2) by Zz9zZ on Tuesday August 25 2015, @09:29PM
"We start at this sign and smoke this joint as we walk. By the time its done we're at 420 duuuuuude!!"
But seriously, it should work out. 419.9 is like $4.99, just annoying enough to want the whole number.
~Tilting at windmills~
(Score: 2, Interesting) by chrysosphinx on Tuesday August 25 2015, @09:37PM
I like the term "strategic inaccuracy", that alone wants to be reused wildly in many different contexts.
(Score: 2) by mhajicek on Tuesday August 25 2015, @11:28PM
GPS?
The spacelike surfaces of time foliations can have a cusp at the surface of discontinuity. - P. Hajicek
(Score: 2) by edIII on Wednesday August 26 2015, @01:56AM
Politics?
Technically, lunchtime is at any moment. It's just a wave function.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday August 25 2015, @09:44PM
There's just one milepost 420 in the state: US-95 runs North-South along western Idaho, so it manages to have nearly 500 miles. No other Idaho highway has the length. Am told it is similarly rare in other states (many don't have any 400+mile highways)
(Score: 2) by mendax on Tuesday August 25 2015, @11:25PM
We in California several many 400+ mile long highways, I-5 (which is a hair shy of 800 miles long), CA 99, US 101, and US 395 (although part of it runs into Nevada before re-entering California), but it's one of the few states that does not use such mileposts. The mileposts you do see are based on mileage the highway runs in the county, not the state. This should not surprise out-of-staters; we've only recently installed exit number signs on most freeways, and even then it was done at a leisurely pace, as part of a sign replacement project running years.
It's really quite a simple choice: Life, Death, or Los Angeles.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday August 26 2015, @03:19AM
That must be hell on commercial drivers. They rely heavily on both every place I have had business to know.
(Score: 2) by WillR on Wednesday August 26 2015, @08:25PM
(Score: 2) by mendax on Wednesday August 26 2015, @10:34PM
Well, that's a different story. And there is also a town called Rough and Ready. Sounds like a gay sex club.
It's really quite a simple choice: Life, Death, or Los Angeles.
(Score: 3, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday August 25 2015, @09:44PM
They should sell 420 mile markers at all the surrounding rest-stops/visitor centers.
Use part of the profits to pay for new 420 mile markers as needed. Spend enough to buy a 'tamper-proof' mile-marker that is over-sized and acts as an advertisement -- nothing is 100% tamper-proof but make it too big fit in the back of a car and too heavy for 2 guys to lift without getting a hernia and you'll eliminate nearly all of the thefts.
(Score: 2) by dyingtolive on Tuesday August 25 2015, @09:52PM
b-b-b-b-b-but that might CONDONE activity that's IMMORAL! (gasp)
Don't blame me, I voted for moose wang!
(Score: 2, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday August 25 2015, @10:34PM
Nah, give it a year and then raid the homes of everyone who bought one.
In all seriousness, that reminds me of the tax stamp program they have in my state. It is illegal to sell drugs; however, if you do sell drugs, it is an additional crime to not buy a tax stamp from the state treasury department. So you see these kids getting essentially double sentences for not buying a stamp as well. There have been calls to end the program as condoning the sale of drugs because the treasury said they didn't report people who bought one. Well, a legislator had an aide go and buy one. A few weeks later at 4 AM or some ridiculous time, the aide's house was raided by the SWAT team, who tore up carpet, put holes in walls, broke doors, had him handcuffed and sitting on the lawn the whole time; basically everything short of shooting his dog and setting the house on fire. Right after that happened, the republicans in the legislature suddenly stopped complaining about the program and I can't recall either side attacking it anymore. You'd think the democrats would be all over it as entrapment or unfair or something.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday August 25 2015, @11:05PM
Where's the +i WTF mod option when you need it ?
(Score: 2) by tathra on Wednesday August 26 2015, @03:38AM
the "drug stamp" programs were the first loophole used to get around the fact that prohibition is unconstitutional. the concept behind the loophole is that you can't possess the drug without the stamp, but you can't get the stamp without possessing the drug (so by trying to get a stamp, you're admitting to breaking the law, of possessing the drug without a stamp). the racist "war on drugs" has always been about ignoring and undermining the constitution, for more than 100 years now. its no wonder the constitution is just ignored wholesale today, after 100+ years of constant undermining.
(Score: 2) by urza9814 on Wednesday August 26 2015, @05:40PM
Yeah, but in this case it sounds like they don't require you to have the drug to get the tax stamp, so I don't think that would actually violate the previous ruling.
Plus part of that ruling revolved around the idea that the federal government does not have the constitutional right to ban drugs, and as you've said the tax stamps acted as a de facto ban because they simply didn't produce many (if any!) of the tax stamps, so they couldn't issue them when requested. In this case, it's a state government so they have fewer constitutional restrictions on what they can regulate, and the idea that the feds don't have a right to create drug legislation has already been overturned.
This certainly *should* be illegal, but unfortunately I don't think it actually is...
(Score: 2) by bob_super on Tuesday August 25 2015, @09:53PM
Meanwhile, markers for miles 13, 42, 69, 256, 777 remain...
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday August 25 2015, @10:00PM
I still giggle when I see the 3rd one.
(Score: 3, Funny) by tibman on Tuesday August 25 2015, @11:09PM
777 remains but has to be constantly fixed because everyone keeps writing on it.
SN won't survive on lurkers alone. Write comments.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday August 26 2015, @04:12PM
What about the marker for 666?
(Score: 1, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday August 25 2015, @09:55PM
http://answers.google.com/answers/threadview/id/19013.html [google.com]
(Score: 1, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday August 25 2015, @10:51PM
...they have a 419-scam [wikipedia.org] sign?
(Score: 2, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday August 25 2015, @11:38PM
Idaho replaces the 420 mile marker with a huge boulder that's simply too unfeasible to take. pay to have it engraved with "mile 420" in big letters to be seen from the road, and an explanation of why it's a boulder for the curious. Then if someone where to take it then we could say that they where a little boulder than the average stoner stealing 420 signs *rim shot* *crickets*
(Score: 2) by opinionated_science on Wednesday August 26 2015, @02:26AM
how about making it metric, and therefore not as valuable?
(Score: 5, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday August 26 2015, @03:28AM
Now stoners with Pentiums will swipe it.
(Score: 1) by meustrus on Wednesday August 26 2015, @06:19PM
Best joke in the article right here. Got to show my support this way 'cause you've already got +5.
If there isn't at least one reference or primary source, it's not +1 Informative. Maybe the underused +1 Interesting?
(Score: 2) by PizzaRollPlinkett on Wednesday August 26 2015, @11:00AM
One of the few real-life applications of a Cauchy sequence equivalence relationship I've ever seen.
(E-mail me if you want a pizza roll!)
(Score: 2) by scruffybeard on Wednesday August 26 2015, @12:35PM
Many highways in the Northeast are already marked every tenth of a mile (seems like a waste to me). I guess we will have to mark 420 as 419.99.
(Score: 2) by urza9814 on Wednesday August 26 2015, @05:46PM
I don't believe any states around here would have any 420 mile markers though. Even New York is less than 300 miles long...