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134. Too Many Signs (Important Warning: This Post Contains No Images Of Aesthetic Or Artistic Value Whatsoever)
2009.03.30
Beware of trains! On a railway line! Who’d have thought it?
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What, in my hover-car?
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6. Do not crawl on your hands and knees to read this safety message.
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Well knock me down! Firing ranges are dangerous apparently.
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Ha ha, I deliberately parked in front of the gates to take this one.
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Wouldn’t it be easier to say what you are allowed to do?
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There must be a story behind this one, I wish I’d been there to see it!
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Yes, it really is that way up. How are you supposed to lean forward that’s what I’d like to know?
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This sign is so common I’m surprised that there’s anyone left alive to read it.
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What? The wires above the train track are live – well strike me down. We’ll I suppose they could!
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Even at home I am defenceless against the march or the signs.
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One from Cliff, teenager's humour with the sole purpose of being annoying.
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Wouldn’t it be better if this one read in big childish scrawl, “Gordon’s Base, Keep Out!”
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A new phenomenon – signs warning us of signals.
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Don’t just tell us, do something about it.
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The only thing special about it is that it must be the longest “No Parking” sign in the world. Anyway, what is oficial business?
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Polite Notice: Using the word polite does not actually make a sign polite.
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Important Notice: Calling a notice Important does not actually make it important.
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Oh no, I’ve left a diamond tiara and big wad of cash on the back seat. Still it’ll be nice and safe around here.
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I wonder which tv station they send all the car crushing videos to?
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Please don’t sue us, please don’t sue us, please don’t sue us. Do you think they’ve got the message?
No, best put another sign up. |
What does that mean, do I have to tidy the place up, gold plate the taps and fill the tissue dispenser with ten pound notes?
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Well, if you've got this far, you can't say I didn't warn you ;¬)
This post is nothing to do with taking pictures that look good or are clever or inventive in some way. They don't demonstrate any aspect of photographic competence, nor do they pose any questions about how I might improve. It's just me letting off steam about something. That something is that there are (in this part of the World, at least) too many signs. Why should I care? After all they are all there for a good reason aren't they? Aren't they? So why let it bother me?
4 Reasons:
1. They are incredibly ugly. They constitute a myriad of little blots on the urban landscape.
2. That they are so ubiquitous, leads us to become blaze about them. We ignore them and so their message gets missed. They become, by their sheer number a waste of space.
3. They teach us to become unthinking beings; there are signs to tell us everything so we don't have to think for ourselves. This could even proove dangerous if we don't pay attention to a hazard because there is no sign attached to it.
4. Because many of them lie to us. They have an outward message of "ooh be careful, you don't want to hurt yourself" when their true underlying message is "don't think that you've got a claim against us matey".
Yes, I realise that points 2 and 3 are potentially contradictory, and I know that point 4 really over-eggs the pudding. But, I still hate them. So, if your planning on putting up a sign, here's a simple plea. Please think again!
Well, if you've got this far, you can't say I didn't warn you ;¬)
This post is nothing to do with taking pictures that look good or are clever or inventive in some way. They don't demonstrate any aspect of photographic competence, nor do they pose any questions about how I might improve. It's just me letting off steam about something. That something is that there are (in this part of the World, at least) too many signs. Why should I care? After all they are all there for a good reason aren't they? Aren't they? So why let it bother me?
4 Reasons:
1. They are incredibly ugly. They constitute a myriad of little blots on the urban landscape.
2. That they are so ubiquitous, leads us to become blaze about them. We ignore them and so their message gets missed. They become, by their sheer number a waste of space.
3. They teach us to become unthinking beings; there are signs to tell us everything so we don't have to think for ourselves. This could even proove dangerous if we don't pay attention to a hazard because there is no sign attached to it.
4. Because many of them lie to us. They have an outward message of "ooh be careful, you don't want to hurt yourself" when their true underlying message is "don't think that you've got a claim against us matey".
Yes, I realise that points 2 and 3 are potentially contradictory, and I know that point 4 really over-eggs the pudding. But, I still hate them. So, if your planning on putting up a sign, here's a simple plea. Please think again!
19
Comments
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I like Ben's Base the best! I enjoyed this post!
dontblink · 2009-03-30: 19:30
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I have been collecting signs in my town as well. Even though they disturb our wonderful views, they are very representative of hte times and places we live in!
susjustjake · 2009-03-30: 19:45
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Hilarious post, Jon - I laughed all the way through :)) I'd list my favorites but that would be most of them!
lookagain · 2009-03-30: 19:46
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Very very good! I have recently put a couple of sign pictures similar to #6 in my blog "Irmo Town Park". We have them over here too!
????? · 2009-03-30: 21:40
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you have a wicked cool sense of humor! you have many more "modern" signs there than we do- does that mean here they assume we have more common sense or the people in charge lack the common sense to post them??? I really like 11 and 12~ R
urmysunshine · 2009-03-30: 22:55
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Completely agree with your points. Sad commentary of our times. Funny with your captions, though!
Nubster · 2009-03-30: 23:09
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I always have a smile when I see the Danger of Death sign with the lightning strike. Southend Borough Council are certainly very strict on their visitors. I have to agree with you on the sign overload - when there's so many you stop seeing them, and do people really think we're that stupid that we need to be told not to enter a firing range or to lock our cars?
busybee36 · 2009-03-31: 02:03
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our lives are full of such warnings more or less sence.nice to see them all together.
gonia · 2009-03-31: 02:15
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haha, great post, and fun captions Jon, it is increadible how many (stupid, or unnnecesary)signs there are, it's the same over here
eternity65 · 2009-03-31: 03:32
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Haha, fun from start til end... Great post !!
Ryana · 2009-03-31: 03:52
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Thankyou for noticing the notices....your noticing has been noted!!!! Great post!!!
LAZYWASP · 2009-03-31: 04:41
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Fantastic collection! My pet hates are advertising signs :-(
jet28 · 2009-03-31: 05:17
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Wahahahahahaha... How much you make me laugh! Here in Spain it's the same... And Traffic Police have got a new one bad-mannered shouting us when we approach to a roundabout: YOU DON'T HAVE THE PRIORITY! Maybe because you're right and nobody pay attention to so much sings!
????? · 2009-03-31: 06:31
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Actually, I find the counterpunctal dichotomy of the underlying aesthetic terribly pleasing... Seriously, thank you for making me feel not alone about signs. I enjoyed the humour, the rant and the reasoning. And Cliff's notice made it to my favourites. Please tell him. My favourite notice here in Greece reads: Min patate sto prasino, prasino being 'greenery'. As a translator of 20 years' standing, I feel confident in giving you my version: I am not a green spud.
revenant · 2009-03-31: 10:41
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there is alot to this images like the news, there is always warning and bad news, there is no sign that just asks how you are doing
onlymehdi · 2009-03-31: 12:45
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warnings always drive me crazy :D but you got a neat collection of warnings:D
onlyricky · 2009-03-31: 14:08
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Fantastic collection!! Clever idea!
somogyvari · 2009-04-01: 07:00
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Yeah, that is a lot of signs; whew.
smbunation · 2009-04-21: 12:27
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Really enjoyed these...I come from Rochford and know Southend on Sea so well. Spent my childhood on the beach in Thorpe Bay!
marilynx · 2011-10-20: 06:43
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