Bizarre reason why Quebec's Highway 20 has a 419.9 km marker on its route

Travelers cruising along Quebec’s Autoroute 20 might do a double-take when they spot a kilometer marker labeled ‘419.9’ but never ‘420’.

While you may think this is an odd misprint, it’s actually a clever workaround by highway officials to deter the persistent theft of the original ‘420’ marker.

The number 420 has long been associated with cannabis culture, making signs bearing this number prime targets for souvenir hunters and pranksters.

To curb the repeated replacements, authorities opted for the less enticing ‘419.9’ designation.

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The origin of the ‘420’ meme

The association of 420 with marijuana culture dates back all the way to the 1970s.

It originated from a group of California high school students who used ‘420’ as a code for their cannabis-related activities.

Over time, the number became symbolic of marijuana use, leading to April 20th (4/20) being celebrated as a cannabis culture holiday.

This cultural significance has turned ‘420’ signs into coveted items, leading to their frequent theft across various regions.

Fighting theft with the 419.9 signs

Quebec isn’t alone in facing this issue.

In America, states like Colorado, Washington, and Idaho have encountered similar problems.

Colorado, for instance, replaced its ‘Mile 420’ marker on Interstate 70 with a ‘Mile 419.99’ sign after repeated thefts.

Despite these efforts, even the altered signs have occasionally gone missing, though the frequency of thefts has decreased.

The phenomenon of sign theft isn’t limited to ‘420’ markers, however.

Signs bearing numbers like ’69’ or ‘666’ have also been frequent targets due to their humorous or cultural connotations.

To combat this, jurisdictions often resort to using unconventional numbering – like 419.9 instead of 420 – or installing theft-resistant signage.

These measures have had varying levels of success. Because, at the end of the day, it’s difficult to police these road signs all the time, especially in far-flung locations.

After all, cars get stolen all the time, with taillights even becoming targets in certain places.

Unlike cars, where manufacturers have the incentive to install anti-theft measures, nobody is really going to great lengths to prevent signage theft.

For travelers, spotting a ‘419.9’ marker serves as a quirky reminder of the lengths to which the authorities will go to preserve signage.

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