Quite frequently, as I drive around the ‘Lucky Country’ [0], I see roadworks. As Australian workmen appear to be the slowest and laziest in the world these persist for quite a while. Which gives me plenty of time to read the thousands of signs they put up telling you to do this, don’t do that, here’s another random change in the enforced speed limit, whatever.
But the sign that gives me a fit of the willies each time I see it is this one:
It says
NO LINES
DO NOT
OVERTAKE
UNLESS SAFE
To me, this is worrying because of what it does not say. What is implied when there are lines, if you like.
So there was an email to the department this morning, from our friendly workshop stalwarts:
Due to building work, fire protection infrastructure in the area of [a particular room] will be deactivated until 1600hrs today Wed. 21/5/08.
Please take extra care.
In the rest of the building, presumably, we can carry on lighting our cigars from the bunsens. I’m going to hid in my office for the rest of the day, behind all these fire extinguishers.
Gibber
—-
0 as in, you’re lucky not to get killed by a red P-Plater
And look what happened to the man who said that. (JBCOT). He morphed into Betty Thomas, for one thing.
I am amused by the sign seen on English roads in similar circumstances that says
CATS’ EYES REMOVED
Is this a warning, or are they offering a service?
I applaud the apostrophe.
(Assuming that there’s more than one cat with its eyes removed, of course).
I confess the apostrophe was mine, introduced in the cause of universal brotherhood and world peace. These days one doesn’t expect official notices to have apostrophes’ in the right place’s, or at all.
twitch
Potatoe’s, 50 p a kilo.
THIS DOOR IS ALARMED
I’m impressed by the technology that has allowed doors in supermarkets and other public buildings to have achieved not only sentience, but a sense of moral outrage.
Oh good grief Henry, that one crack’s me up every time.