Someone in Pittsfield Really Hates the “No Turn on Red” Signs

We get it. You're sitting at the intersection of Center and West Streets, waiting for the light to change, traffic is light, and there's not a soul in sight. That "No Turn on Red" sign feels personal. It feels wrong. It feels like an affront to everything you stand for as a driver. Or you're pulling out of Big Y and wanna make that right on red because you're tired and hungry. I've been there.

But spray painting over it? That's where we draw the line.

Someone in Pittsfield apparently reached their breaking point with the "No Turn on Red" signs at the busy intersection of Center and West Streets and decided a can of spray paint was the appropriate response. There are roughly five of those signs at that intersection, and at least some of them are fairly new. Didn't take long.

Here's the thing, though. Those signs aren't there to ruin your day. That intersection sees serious traffic volume, and the restrictions exist because turning on red there creates real danger - for pedestrians crossing, cyclists, and other drivers who have the right of way. When a sign gets painted over, drivers who don't know the intersection may not know the rule. That's not an inconvenience, that's a safety hazard.

Defacing a traffic sign is also a crime in Massachusetts, carrying potential fines and even jail time under state law.

So whoever did this, we understand the frustration. Truly. But maybe next time, channel that energy into an email to City Hall instead of reaching for the Rust-Oleum.

The signs will be washed and and the spray paint will be removed. The rule isn't going anywhere.