A Los Angeles artist created a fake road sign so convincing and useful that it fooled motorists, but it ended up staying in place for years.
The need for fake signs arose from a confusing section of the 110 Freeway that runs through the LA Basin from Long Beach to Pasadena.
The highway intersects with several major highways, including I-5, but those expecting to exit 110 North onto 1-5 North often missed the intersection.
The exit itself is a small tunnel hidden off to the side, but back in 2001 there were no signs so it was incredibly easy to miss.
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The original sign confused many drivers
Step Up artist and sign maker Richard Ankrom decided to perform a “guerrilla act of public service” to help countless motorists.
Ankrom first came up with the idea of becoming one of the many disgruntled drivers he would continue to help.
Richard Ankrom
“I lived in Orange County and I got lost because it wasn’t signed properly,” he told ABC7.
“That’s when it hit me, ‘I’m good at signage, so I can do this.’
Ankrom then carefully and skillfully began creating its own emblem, which included the “Interstate 5” shield emblem, but importantly added the word “North.”
To make it look authentic, he spent about three months researching colors, shapes, and fonts, resulting in a piece that looks almost identical to one created by the California Department of Transportation.
It was left alone for years without anyone suspecting anything.
Mr. Ankrom simply wears a high-visibility jacket and helmet as he positions himself at his job, so passing motorists will simply assume he is a transporter. Smart, right?
Richard Ankrom
And the homemade north road sign looked so realistic once installed that it stayed in place for years, helping potentially millions of motorists.
This is because, despite the huge amount of traffic on the highway, no one suspected anything and believed that the DIY work was legitimate.
In fact, the truth did not come out until months later, when Ankrom leaked it to the press.
And he seemed to have done a pretty decent job, and the Department of Transportation didn’t remove it until 2009.
The California Department of Transportation eventually replaced it with its own. It’s very similar to what Ankrom made.
