A Rundown On LA's Guerilla Street Signage

Have you guys been seeing more street signs than usual around town? Not real signs, but fake ones made by regular people that are meant to look real? If you answered "no," chances are you actually have seen them, you just never noticed because of their resemblance to real signs in your peripheral vision. If you answered "yes," congrats on paying attention.

In the last few months, city streets have seen a surge in illegitimate street signs and it's become difficult in some cases to tell which are real and which are impostors.  Here's a rundown on two of the major signage perps and their M.O's.

The first is someone who goes by the name of Trustocorp. His (her?) signs started popping up in December, and generally convey messages of rebellion, while others are just downright rude and have no purpose.

Trustocorp's handiwork

If I was a betting woman I'd say Trustocorp is a degenerate who needs to go find him/herself a job.

Other guerilla sign makers have a more beneficent agenda, namely, a team who calls itself the Department of D.I.Y. (cute, guys). Their signs are concerned with helping promote the safety of bikers sharing the road with drivers.

Signs by D.I.Y. you've likely passed many times

As noble as this may be, I think D.I.Y.'s is really a lost cause. It's scary enough driving around this town in a car, I can't even imagine how it must be on a bike.  Plus, LA drivers despise bikers and think they're selfish, so signs really have nothing to do with it. I see you, but I'm in a car and you're on a bike so you move over, you don't need the whole lane. Hey guy, it's a hybrid so our carbon footprint is even, get over yourself. Anyway, you've probably seen their signs everywhere, because they are.

In the end, the guerilla street signs are pretty dumb seeing as that L.A. drivers barely manage to heed the messages of real signs, but I guess one part of the objective, the part about gaining recognition, is satisfied.

[Photos via flickr and laist]