So, I was looking at the West Virginia Department of Highways Web site, looking for road conditions, when my eye fell on a link, "roadside memorial." Out of curiosity, I clicked on it.

Basically, if a loved one dies in a traffic accident, family members can request that a memorial sign be placed near the site of the accident. That's nice. 

What's not so nice is the price. Yeah, they charge for that. Okay, maybe they need to cover the expense of the materials.

It costs $200 for three years. If family members want it up for another three years -- for a total of six -- it costs another $200, for a grand total of $400. This must be one humdinger of a sign, I thought.

Well, if you look at that picture over there ... it isn't. It looks like a lot of other signs I've seen alongside the road, advising us to buckle up or drive safely, only it has "In memory of ..." on the bottom. It's small and plain and holy crap, that costs $400 for just six years?

I had no idea that road signs cost that much.

Relying on my Google-Fu, I found this site -- where you can buy a sign more than twice the size, complete with a photo and the text of your choice -- for $100.

Okay, but what does a comparable road sign cost? Well, I found an 12X18 sign for $35. According to the WVDOH, they manufacture their signs; my guess is that it would cost less if they made their own signs, but that's just me.

Never say that I am not thorough, however, because I checked on the cost of a mechanical assembly -- $35 -- the post, U-bolts and washers. Although I am sure that WVDOH has an entire shed full of these things somewhere, I am giving them that, too.

So, $70 for the sign and assembly. Where is the other $130 going? Well, WVDOH has services that come along with the sign.

First off, they will process your application. It's two pages, and the second consists of a short legalese paragraph in which the applicant swears that the application is filled out truthfully to the best of the applicant's knowledge. To be fair, there's also a place to sign.

Thank you, WVDOH. I am sure that will take an employee more than 10 minutes to process and it will be done carefully and with the respect it deserves.

Secondly, they will install the sign.

I am sure that will be prioritized and not done when WVDOH is putting up other signs along that stretch of roadway, because the family is paying for the installation. And, of course, attaching a sign to a post and driving said post into the ground is time-consuming and difficult work.

Thirdly, they will inform you when the sign has been installed, so don't bother calling and asking them, please. Since the WVDOH is classy like that, they will expend the cash for a stamp and send it to you in writing.

Lastly, if someone careens off the road and hits your sign, they will go out there and repair it. I am sure that they wouldn't dream of hammering a bent pole back into place. For the princely sum of $200 -- $400 for six years -- they will be glad to give you a whole new pole and be out there the very next day, not waiting until the next maintenance run for that area.

Surely, these wonderful services are worth $130 -- $330 for six years -- and, after the rental term has expired, the family will receive the sun-bleached, weathered sign. Lovely.

You know what? I think that, if a family is grieving for the loss of a loved one, the last thing in the world they need is WVDOH trying to rip them off for $100 or $300. This whole thing is utter crap -- a memorial sign should cost the family $50 maximum -- and the WVDOH officials who thought up this money-grubbing way to reach into the pockets of grieving families should be ashamed of themselves. I will continue to believe this is an absolute rip-off until I see numbers for real costs -- not the generalized suppositions of a bunch of heartless government toadies.

Shame on you, WVDOH, for taking advantage of heartbroken families!