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I spent a lot of time in Vermont many years ago. I'd been there a little while, blissfully unaware, before someone told me "yeah, they banned billboards here in
by logjammin 7y ago
I spent a lot of time in Vermont many years ago. I'd been there a little while, blissfully unaware, before someone told me "yeah, they banned billboards here in the sixties - you didn't notice?" I hadn't consciously noticed, no, but I'd spent my time there until that comment driving around stunned at how beautiful the place was. Now I knew the reason for that (well, partial reason - billboards or not, it's a pretty part of the world, especially in summer and fall).
I've thought a lot about that billboard ban ever since, and I'm convinced it enabled a measure of calm in me.
I'm not sure how much I buy the study talked about in the OP's article - spurious correlation strikes me as a possibility - but the intuition about advertising is spot-on, I think. It'd cool if our societies had more ad-free spaces.
- glitchc 7y agoWhoa, I never realized that. I live north of the border and drive through Vermont every so often to visit family. Now that you mention it, there are zero billboards on the highways.
- logjammin 7y agoHell yeah! Cool to be able to share that eureka moment with others who know the area. Spread the word.
- interestica 7y agoYou've made me want to visit Vermont.
- sylk 7y agoThey have a remote workers program.
- andyjsong 7y agoThis is why I take 280 instead of 101 when traveling to and from SF to South Bay even though it's slightly longer.
- brenden2 7y agoI've always preferred taking 280 over 101, because of the view and perception of being in nature. I never thought about the billboards, but now that you mention it that must also be part of the reason it's more enjoyable.
- creeble 7y agoDriving 280 in 1983 was one of the most significant events in getting me to want to move here from Chicago. I don't think it was the lack of billboards. But if there were billboards, it sure would feel different.
- r00fus 7y agoI've always considered it the "rich man's freeway". No semis allowed, no billboards, lots of either open-space preserves or mansions in the scenery.
- jedberg 7y agoThe distance is a few miles longer but the average speed is higher so it ends up being the same time, just much more pleasant because of the lack of billboards and wider lanes.
- tvanantwerp 7y agoI've never understood how billboards are acceptable. A giant sign that screams "Look at me, not the road!" seems like a bad idea.
- musingsole 7y agoParticularly when areas have laws about cellphone use while driving.
- asdff 7y agoespecially ironic when the billboard is an advert about not texting while driving.
- rrrrrrrrrrrryan 7y agoBanned in most of Orange County, California as well. It's an immediate, drastic change driving south on The 5 from LA.