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Is This Maryland Inauguration Sign Real?

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Consider Canada Maryland SmallTwitter is abuzz this week with tweets about President Trump’s inauguration, both in praise and in protest. One of the images that surfaced yesterday afternoon was reportedly of a sign on Interstate 270 in Maryland advising drivers to the congestion they could expect the closer they got to Washington, DC. It read “INAUGURATION JAN 20, EXPECT DELAYS, CONSIDER CANADA.”

Electronic signs on highways have been known for humor and puns to get their point across, but this turn into the political seem odd, even if Maryland’s electoral votes went to Hillary Clinton. While the sign was lauded on Twitter, it forced us to stop and think if something this divisive be allowed on an official sign, or if it was hacked.

According to The Baltimore Sun, the answer is actually neither. What looks like a photo taken while driving into the nation’s capital is actually the work of a very good Photoshop user. Maryland’s State Highway Administration (SHA) confirmed that the sign really said “CONSIDER METRO” instead of referring to our neighbor to the north. To the digital artist’s credit, their image was so good that SHA officials actually sent employees out to check the sign and insure it was showing the proper message.

While the sign offered a good moment of levity in what is sure to be a heavy weekend, we thought it was important to acknowledge that the story spread far and wide on social media is a hoax, especially as the credibility of news organizations is questioned from the top office in the land. Even though the automotive world usually has more rumors than lies, we here at The News Wheel are committed to making sure that the true story is the one that we tell.

News Source: The Baltimore Sun