Ahead Stop

I actually have trouble comprehending messages when they paint them on the road in this idiotic manner. It takes me valuable seconds to decode them.

The Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices specifies:

If a pavement marking word message consists of more than one line of information, it should read in the direction of travel. The first word of the message should be nearest to the road user.

But it provides no justification. Maybe Yoda wrote the spec.

(Courtesy xkcd.)