obama us and tattoos: Pedestrian Concerns

Pedestrian Concerns

Stop Sign This message is unmistakable, isn't it? Even in Russia, it is unmistakable.

Except in Russia it means STOP AND GET OUT YOUR IDENTIFYING PAPERS, COMRADE, BECAUSE FRANKLY YOU LOOK A LITTLE SUSPICIOUS! GET YOUR HAIR CUT!

Sometimes a traffic sign tries to explain too much.

This one tells you which way to go and also the existential ramifications of Chekhov's Uncle Vanya.

In France, of course, they like to use their own word, and they get to pay someone to put that little squiggly mark above the "e." Fine. Although to an English speaker, it suggests STOP OR YOU WILL BE ARRESTED. This we can relate to.

I also don't have a problem with Walk and Don't Walk. Again they make sense. I grew up with them.

Even the little guy walking makes sense.

Did someone get embarrassed by the low-tech image of this guy? Did someone finally heave a big sigh and say good grief, this image is right out of Pong, people. Space Invaders, for god's sake. What kind of message do we want to send to the world? Is THAT why everything is switched now to The Hand?

Sorry, but I'm not on board with that. Since when did a hand come to mean STOP?

Even if it is in red, a hand to me means HI! COME ON OVER! GREAT TO SEE YOU! DON'T WORRY ABOUT CARS!

LIVE LONG AND PROSPER!

By the way, dear reader, though I am no Star Trek fan [can't watch characters with giant stitched up furrows in their foreheads--it gives me a headache and makes me want to check in the mirror to see how my own furrows are doing], my own hand since October 2 of last year, resembles Mr. Spock's. I haven't tried killing anybody yet with the Vulcan Neck Touch, but the day is young.