Wednesday, July 07, 2004

The Eyes Have It

Reading is fundamental, they say. Then why, I wonder, do people have difficulties processing the most basic, easily digestible McNugget-sized chunks of information. Why don't they read the sign?

Example The First
While on vacation, we stopped at the turtle pond on the way to the Hatteras Light House. As we stood at the top of the embankment another family arrived. "Look at all the turtles," the mother told her kids. "We'll have to bring them some cereal tomorrow."

The sign prominently posted front-and-center of the turtle pond read: "Do not feed the wildlife."

Sometimes signs are missed, but I would wager that more often than not, people would prefer to be spoon-fed information, rather than gathering it for themselves.

Example The Second
When I was in high school, I was employed at a local movie multiplex. Being as this was the old days, we only had four screens instead of the customary thirty nine you see today. There was one box office with simplistic signage. One day someone came up to me and asked, "What time is the show?" Having no patience, I grabbed the sandwich board that was located directly above my head, pulled it back, looked up and said, "Well....let's see here....."

Needless to say, I got in a wee bit of trouble for that one.

Think of what a better world it would be if people just read the signs. Cars would merge. "12 Items or Less" lanes would not have overflowing grocery carts. Alison and Donny would not have come in first on the first leg of Amazing Race. And best of all, the turtles in the turtle pond wouldn't have to eat Fruit Loops for breakfast.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

I guess as far as signs go, Mensch is right, People Are Stupid.
and yes, they seem to be even more so when on vacation, where unremarkable things somehow merit comment.

Glad you had a good visit to the DIA. I could picture TinyT giving the lecture. Next time I see her, I will ask about it, risking myself being exposed to a long discussion about bowls and whatnot.

and of course, I'll have to remember Tiger Claw the next time RPS comes up!
derboese

lifeonhold said...

Example The First .... I think they probably saw the sign, but it was not specific enough. I was missing :THIS MEANS YOU TOO, IDIOT. Hard for the rest of us to believe, but some people apparently need this.