In Lake Worth Beach, FDOT construction crews misspell street sign 'YEILD' at key roundabout

James Coleman, Palm Beach Post

Lake Worth Beach resident Rebecca McMenamin was driving to the gym early Tuesday when she did a double take at the Lake Avenue roundabout at A Street.

"I'm thinking, 'did I just see what I thought I saw?' Is the word 'yield' misspelled on the street?" she asked herself.

On the way back, she went around the circle twice to confirm her reading. She snapped a picture of the misspelled word painted on the pavement in white block letters and posted it on Facebook, opening the viral floodgates of fun with the Lake Worth Beach community — 300-plus "likes" and 100-plus comments.

Construction crews misspelled the word 'YIELD' at a roundabout at Lake Avenue and A Street.
Construction crews misspelled the word 'YIELD' at a roundabout at Lake Avenue and A Street.

  • "You had ONE JOB!"

  • "Hopefully this person does not do tattoos."

  • "All bad spellers of the world: UNTIE!"

  • "Maybe it's time to reconsider school budget cuts."

  • "Spell check?"

  • "Few drivers yeild there anyway."

And who is to blame for the spelling snafu, apparently forgetting the "I before E except after C" mnemonic rule of thumb?

Florida Department of Transportation spokesperson Melissa Readling took the heat for the pavement typo.

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"It was a simple oversight," Readling explained. "It was brought to our attention and we have since covered it over. It will soon be corrected and resurfaced."

Readling said the department uses individual letters and not sign templates when painting roadways. The signage is part of a $5.4 million resurfacing project underway on Lucerne and Lake avenues.

The transportation department is in the beginning phases of resurfacing the pavement, installing better signs, improving sidewalks and enhancing curb ramps to meet the Americans with Disabilities Act. The project runs from east of A Street to east of Golfview Road. The two miles of downtown twin east and west roadways is due to be completed in early 2025.

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Lake Worth Beach residents have been rolling their eyes about the recent construction in the city although this spelling hiccup is the least of their worries.

"I guess someone was just having a bad day," McMenamin said. "I kind of thought it was funny, actually."

Speaking of misspellings on signs in Lake Worth Beach...

A sign at iconic dive bar Harry's in Lake Worth Beach misspelled the word 'acquit' this week, May 8, 2024.
A sign at iconic dive bar Harry's in Lake Worth Beach misspelled the word 'acquit' this week, May 8, 2024.

A little farther north on Dixie Highway, Harry's Banana Farm, known for its snarky signage, even misfires every now and then.

The latest one that's been up all week is in reference to former President Donald Trump's latest courtroom drama.

"TRUMP NEEDS JOHNNIE COCHRAN 'IF HE THROWS A FIT YOU MUST AQUIT."

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The humor is there. However, the correct spelling of the word 'acquit' is not.

The iconic dive bar's general manager usually puts up the signs and is often double-checked by staff, although this one apparently got by everyone.

Just part of Harry's charm.

James Coleman is a journalist at The Palm Beach Post, part of the USA TODAY Florida Network. You can reach him at jcoleman@pbpost.com and follow him on X (formerly known as Twitter) at @JimColeman11. Help support our journalism. Subscribe today.

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: In Lake Worth Beach, FDOT crews spell 'YEILD' on pavement at roundabout

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