Sometimes the person behind a Twitter account just nails a response or a tweet. The mystery tweeter combines the right amount of sass and pop culture to deliver their official message within 280 characters.
With that we introduce @ArizonaDOT – officially Arizona Department of Transportation – the government organisation tasked with looking after some 6,300 miles of state highways in the US state of Arizona.
It has attracted a whole heap of praise for the way it alerts motorists to potential issues like lane closures and items discarded in the middle of the road, picking up thousands of additional followers with its amusing posts while delivering a safety message too.
1. The furniture showroom.
Looking for that one perfect accent piece of furniture? Well, consider this lovely piece, now currently partially blocking the right lane of EB I-10 approaching Warner. Just a reminder – as much as we display furniture on this account, our freeways are not a showroom. pic.twitter.com/o2MPMFw39Y
— Arizona DOT (@ArizonaDOT) August 14, 2018
2. The flying mattress PSA.
SR 51 SB at Shea: Watch for a mattress box spring straddling the middle and right lanes. Tie it down, folks. Flying mattresses are hazardous. #phxtraffic pic.twitter.com/z2waOQ4rpb
— Arizona DOT (@ArizonaDOT) May 15, 2018
3. Bad feng shui.
SR 85 SB: Report of a sofa and cushions on the left lane near milepost 145, just south of Buckeye. For the record, the feng shui of placing furniture on a highway is all wrong. #aztraffic pic.twitter.com/E5MHdQQ2it
— Arizona DOT (@ArizonaDOT) May 1, 2018
4. Roads are not rest areas.
L-202 EB near Alma School: A mattress is in the center lane. Be advised, this is not a rest area. #PhxTraffic pic.twitter.com/kiEFzY7ZVv
— Arizona DOT (@ArizonaDOT) May 13, 2018
5. Patio furniture is just as unwelcome
On Secure Your Load Day, here’s a recent story of brand-new patio furniture that didn’t make it home from the store. Fortunately, this story ends with ruined patio furniture and not a serious or fatal crash: https://t.co/pYX19YzEWW pic.twitter.com/7zk92UsSNm
— Arizona DOT (@ArizonaDOT) June 6, 2018
Side note: “Rattan does not bounce,” it explains on the AzDot website.
6. There’s strong wordplay on the account
L-101 (Pima) NB near McKellips: Watch for a ladder in the HOV lane. Take steps to avoid it. #phxtraffic pic.twitter.com/vtRMYeEkV5
— Arizona DOT (@ArizonaDOT) August 14, 2018
7. Sound the clash saxon – rather than a crash.
I-17 NB: A table is blocking the left lane at Jomax. Note: This type of furniture definitely clashes with our freeways. pic.twitter.com/TjAgUMa0xC
— Arizona DOT (@ArizonaDOT) July 7, 2018
So what did AZDot have to say about its popular Twitter account and how it’s used to relay messages?
“While we sometimes use humour to point out objects that appear on our freeways, the emphasis is always on alerting motorists of potential hazards and reminding them to be aware of their surroundings while driving,” a spokesman told the Press Association.
And there is a serious message attached to all of this.
“Not only can debris cause crashes and even fatalities, it puts law enforcement and road workers in the dangerous position of having to remove items from busy freeways.”