The Orange Connection
What do traffic cones and the Netherlands have in common? The color orange, of course! But the connection runs deeper than mere chromatic coincidence.
The Dutch national color comes from the House of Orange-Nassau, the royal family. Traffic cones get their color from safety requirements for maximum visibility. Both have arrived at orange through completely different evolutionary paths, yet here they are, united in brilliance.
A Flat Analysis
Both traffic cones and the Netherlands share another trait: they exist to manage flow. The Netherlands, with 26% of its land below sea level, is essentially one giant traffic control system for water. Dikes, canals, and pumps direct water away from where people live.
Traffic cones do the same for vehicles and pedestrians. They're temporary dikes against the flow of traffic, protecting construction workers and directing movement.
The Dutch are the world's experts at creating order from potential chaos, whether that chaos comes in the form of the North Sea or rush hour traffic.
Comparative Analysis
Traffic Cones
Invented in 1940 by Charles Scanlon in Los Angeles. Originally made of concrete before switching to rubber and plastic.
The Netherlands
Established as a nation in 1581. Originally made of swampland before switching to reclaimed land and polders.
Cone Stability
Wide base prevents toppling. Weighted bases available for high-wind areas.
Dutch Stability
Strong social safety net prevents societal toppling. Consensus-based politics for high-conflict areas.
The Synthesis
If the Netherlands were a traffic control device, it would absolutely be a traffic cone. Not a stop sign (too authoritarian), not a speed bump (too passive-aggressive), but a cone: bright, visible, pragmatic, and surprisingly effective at managing chaos through gentle suggestion rather than force.
The Dutch would probably put bike lanes around the cone.
Gezellig!