Tag: sign

Recycled street-sign furniture is uncomfortably cool

Boris Bally transit chairs

Boris Bally Transit Chairs – Click above for high-res image gallery

Industrial designer and artist Boris Bally has taken the urban decay aesthetic to a new level, crafting tables and chairs from worn-out street signs. Bally cranks out everything from high-backed dining-table chairs, to coffee tables, to armchairs.

Bally has been working with metal in one sense or another since he was just 13 years old. Rumor even has it that he cut his teeth in metalworking by building himself throwing stars and brass knuckles.

By using recycled materials, Bally isn’t only doing the environment a good turn, he’s ensuring uniqueness in each piece of furniture. Bally leaves the source material’s patina alone-and makes sure it’s visible. Such individualism comes at a price, naturally; chairs start at $1,100 and tables range from $900 to $4500. Have a closer look in the gallery below.

Recycled street-sign furniture is uncomfortably cool originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 29 May 2011 18:06:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: Texas man becomes human speed-trap warning sign

Filed under: Etc., Government/Legal, Safety

speed trap

Running into a speed trap is a gut-wrenching feeling. Regardless of whether you are going two or 20 mph over the limit, you always have to glance in your mirror to make sure Johnny Law isn’t on your tail. In that spirit, a Lakeway, Texas resident is fed up with the traps in his town and has decided to fight back against them all by his lonesome. Lance Mitchell, co-founder of the website SpeedTrapAhead.org, is taking to the streets and warning other motorists about nearby speed traps.

If he’s out on the road and spots a police officer in a speed trap, Mitchell will backtrack to a spot ahead of the trap, then don a bright orange “Speed Trap Ahead” t-shirt in order to alert other motorists of the waiting radar run around the bend. While the Austin American-Statesman notes that it’s illegal to warn others of an enforcement action, it is not illegal to warn others when the enforcement pertains to matters of the traffic code. In fact, Mitchell believes he is doing the same work as the officers initiating the speed traps but also saving everyone money in the process. People slow down when they see him thus avoiding a ticket and a raise in insurance premiums.

Needless to say, the Lakeway Police Department doesn’t exactly agree with Lance Mitchell’s methods. It’s fined him, jailed him and eventually the two went to court. Mitchell won and then turned around and sued the town and a few of its police officers. A confidential settlement was reached and the unemployed Mitchell can now breathe easy for a few months thanks to the cash infusion. We’re guessing that it also gives him some more free time to wear his orange t-shirt…

[Source: Austin American-Statesman | Image: Corbis]

Report: Texas man becomes human speed-trap warning sign originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 27 Dec 2010 15:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: Wrong Way sign merely a suggestion in China

Filed under: China, Etc., Safety, Videos

Wrong Way Chinese Taxi with Kelly Hu

Chinese Taxi Driver prefers alternate route – Click above to watch video after the jump

If you miss an exit on the highway, the best thing to do is simply wait for the next one and double back. You will eventually get where you are going and the only down side is a few wasted minutes. In China, at least one taxi driver prefers a more efficient way to get to his intended destination… the U-turn. Apparently, the freeways of Tianjin are the Wild West of aggressive driving.

An excited American records footage from the back seat of this potential crash-cab. It should be noted that the female voice on the video is apparently none other than actress Kelly Hu, which means this could have quickly gone from horrible accident to tragedy faster than you can say Hawaii 5-O(h) no!

Make an illegal u-turn across the jump to view the clip.

[Source: YouTube]

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Video: Wrong Way sign merely a suggestion in China originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 09 Dec 2010 19:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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