Most people would assume that the holes in this road sign are the work of rural idiots who do their target practice along lightly-traveled back roads. (The corollary assumption is that the shooters are too cheap or lazy to buy their own targets.) Not so! In reality, the holes represent volunteer work performed in the public interest.

In the wide-open spaces of the West, such as this valley, the wind can blow with terrific force. It is not uncommon for the wind to blow signs to the ground. Of course, this creates problems. Travelers who want to know where they are, how fast they may drive, or which way to go to reach their destination get frustrated when signs are not visible to instruct them. Highway departments suffer too---it is their job to maintain signage and in these days of restricted budgets, counties have had to reduce their maintenance activity. The pressure to maintain signage under such conditions has, regrettably, caused several suicides in the highway-maintenance community.

Just as in a Western movie when the hero shows up to save the day, some residents out West have taken upon themselves to volunteer their time, money, and effort to mitigate this problem. In the spirit of good citizenry, they patrol the back roads to ensure that all government-issued signs are properly "ventilated" with pressure-relief holes. These holes allow some of the wind to pass through a sign so that there is no longer enough wind force to knock it down. This practice is based on the same principle used by makers of large advertising banners: the semicircular flaps cut in banners do the same thing.

In the days before the creation of the Internet and the World-Wide Web, this activity was performed by solitary persons who had no contact with like-minded individuals. Now, though, ease of communication has made it possible for these volunteers to get organized for the betterment of society. Most pressure-relief holes are now created by members of SIUCWWV (Stupid, Idiotic, Uncaring Cretins Who Want to Vent). A task force established by SIUCWWV is studying ways to ventilate without obliterating the message of a sign.

In this depressed economy, volunteer efforts such as this are on the decline: ventilation-grade ammunition costs money, and people have less of it these days. Thus it is no accident that in March 2009, the United States Congress got involved. Realizing that the nation's highway infrastructure was in serious trouble, Congress added a significant allocation of funds to SIUCWWV. The hope is that this will put money in people's pockets, which in turn will stimulate a new wave of ammunition purchases, which in turn will improve the country's highway infrastructure. In an attempt to provide "transparency," the legislation stipulates that the funds are not to be used for personal activities like target practice (at firing ranges or elsewhere).

The next time you encounter a ventilated sign like the one pictured here, thank your lucky stars that someone had the motivation to act in the public interest without any thought of remuneration or reward. The United States shines when it comes to volunteerism.