ARLINGTON, Mass. -- An Arlington man is trying to help the state remedy an age-old problem: road signs that are missing or confusing.

NewsCenter 5's Jim Boyd reported Tuesday that Paul Slickman has been on a mission for 10 years to have something done about the signage in Massachusetts.

"There is a tree standing in front of it. Secondly, it's U.S. Route 3, not state Route 3. They have the wrong shield up there. If you are from out of town and trying to find your way by using route numbers, you are going to be hopelessly lost," he said.

One sign that should warn motorists about an upcoming playground was completely covered by a tree. On Massachusetts Avenue in Arlington, the sign for Magnolia Street can't be seen until you turn the corner and go a good way down the block.

"I actually think the signs are surprisingly good for a major city," one motorist said.

"Once you can figure it out, it's not a problem, but the road signs are not always friendly to strangers," another motorist said.

Slickman said the state needs to follow one step.

"If they follow the federal manual and post the signs the way they are supposed to be posted, maybe people will be able to find their way around," he said.

"It gets difficult, but it is part of living in Boston, I guess," another motorist said.