multi language street signs - in the 21st century
do the British Isles still need street signs? I raise this question for a few reasons. I can’t recall the last time I relied on a street sign. My car’s display tells me my current street, my sat nav directs me to my destination, and my phone’s map does the same. With public transport moving toward paperless ticketing, carrying a phone is practically essential. In Northern Ireland, dual-language street signs are a contentious issue, often serving as territorial markers and tools of intimidation rather than practical aids.The residents of a street are the least likely to need a sign to identify their own address. If additional languages are deemed necessary on street signs, shouldn’t they reflect the needs of delivery drivers—Chinese for takeaway services, or Polish and Lithuanian for parcel couriers? Why not eliminate street signs entirely or, when they’re needed, allow corporate sponsorship to fund them?