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I came across an unusual traffic sign (in what appears to be a stock photo), having a black octagon with a red crossed out circle:

Photo of a sign of a crossed-out black octagon

What does this sign mean, and where is it from?

Edit not from OP Link (http://jameslano.squarespace.com/prints/6ix) provided by @Nayuki:

Toronto

The above seems very likely a copyrighted photograph that was (a) published without attribution and (b) cropped. I am hoping that crediting "JL" and showing the entire image is not offending. It is clear at least where the image was captured and that the central part of the sign, assuming symmetry, is more likely octagonal rather than hexagonal.

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  • 24
    I can only assume it means you may not park your hexagons in the direction of the arrows
    – Darren H
    Jan 12, 2017 at 18:45
  • 43
    @DarrenH you can park your hexagons wherever you like; only octagons are restricted.
    – abligh
    Jan 12, 2017 at 22:20
  • 2
    Photo source: jameslano.squarespace.com/life/lz7txsobqk2sf9mawfb60z3sgpszxx
    – Nayuki
    Jan 13, 2017 at 16:43
  • 7
    For those who don't recognize the context, in the larger image you can clearly see the CN Tower, which is in Toronto, the capital of Ontario, making the quote from the Ontario Drivers Handbook definitive. (The caption 6ix refers to a current nickname for Toronto, derived from its 416 area code.)
    – Kate Gregory
    Jan 14, 2017 at 13:04
  • I guess this sign isn't common then
    – Huangism
    Mar 2, 2020 at 19:53

4 Answers 4

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This is the 5th sign on the "regulatory signs" section of the Ontario Drivers Handbook.

No Stopping

As it says there:

Do not stop in the area between the signs. This means you may not stop your vehicle in this area, even for a moment. (Used in pairs or groups.)

This is far stricter than "No Parking" since parking involves leaving your car. In a No Stopping zone you can't pull over to let someone out or pick someone up, for example.

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  • 35
    I hope the handbook makes clear that it does not forbid stopping to avoid hitting objects which are in, or might enter, one's path.
    – supercat
    Jan 11, 2017 at 19:55
  • 14
    The UK equivalent of that sign would be red line(s) painted at the kerbside. The US equivalent is a sign that says "No Stopping" (Canada has a greater fondness for language-free signs).
    – Dennis
    Jan 12, 2017 at 4:08
  • 32
    Seems it's the equivalent of this sign, for those more familiar with this one from other countries.
    – user541686
    Jan 12, 2017 at 11:46
  • Comments are not for extended discussion; this conversation has been moved to chat.
    – JonathanReez ♦
    Mar 8, 2017 at 14:08
  • @Dennis - no, the UK equivalent is either yellow [or sometimes red] stripes on the curb edge at 90° to the usual yellow/red lines on the road. Red or yellow lines on the road alone do not mean no stopping, they mean no parking. Waiting in your car is allowed, as is delivering. [There's also Urban Clearway, but that's getting too deep for a comment & already linked by user541686]
    – Tetsujin
    Sep 19, 2021 at 16:55
42

According to Wikipedia, it is a Canadian form of "No Stopping".

I guessed it from the grammar of signs - it is prohibiting something, and that something is represented by an octagon, the shape of a stop sign.

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  • Logic wins you my upvote
    – Huangism
    Mar 2, 2020 at 19:55
25

As per the Vienna Convention on Road Signs and Signals, the octagonal shape as shown in this diagram is used only for a "Stop" sign. Normally a stop sign would be red in color and also include the word Stop, but given that this is only a representation of a stop sign rather than an actual stop sign it's not surprising it doesn't.

Under the same convention, the red circle with a line through it is an indication of "Do not". Thus this is some form of variation on "Do Not Stop".

Without knowing the full context (eg, what country it's from) it's difficult to be sure, but this actually appears to be a Canadian "No Stopping" sign, which would be placed along the side of the road to imply that you can not stop (or park) along that part of the road.

The Vienna convention does not define a "No Stopping" or "No Parking" sign, so the signs that countries use for these vary far more than normal road signs.

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  • Comments are not for extended discussion; this conversation has been moved to chat.
    – JonathanReez ♦
    Mar 8, 2017 at 14:09
11

Seems like "No stopping" sign in Canada (at least in Nova Scotia): Traffic Signs Regulations made under Section 88 of the Motor Vehicle Act .

Quote:

“No stopping” sign

• must have a red circle with a red diagonal line superimposed over a black octagon on a white background

• may have 1 or 2 black arrows pointing in the direction or directions in which stopping is prohibited

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