City Directional Signs

It is any city, anywhere.  The directional signs are placed by a crew that lives in the city, on instruction by other folks who know the city well.  None of that helps a stranger, at all.  Yesterday, after a wonderful dinner, far out Burnside, I dropped down Burnside below 21st and began looking for signs to 405-S which would take lead to I-5 S.  There are no signs, at least not obvious enough to be seen in the fog.  When I did spot a sign it said 405.  Well, that could indicate a north-south split just farther along, around the bend… Of course not!  So I ended up crossing one bridge. skirting through a hospital parking lot, driving down a LOT of fog shrouded, deserted back streets, until I saw a sign for another! bridge, which I then took and crossed – back over the same river.  Again come to the Burnside as a cross street, but at a much lower number.  No signs left or right.  If I had not had some knowledge of this city, and known where vaguely there had to be an on ramp… well, I would still be driving!  And this happens in every city, on every continent on which I have ever been!