That which is not explicitly permitted is forbidden. I wonder if most Americans are aware of how we are surrounded by signs that forbid this, that and the other or that declare a negative of one sort or another.
I certainly had not noticed -- until I began my picture collection. If you're my age, you will recall those movies that depicted Nazi Germany as a land awash in
verboten signs. In fact, all the set designer had to do to declare tyranny was to display that German word for
forbidden.
It's curious. I wouldn't have said that Prescott had any big resemblance to Hitler's world. On the other hand, the little 2-letter n-word certainly does abound. Even when it's serving primarily for information -- no Q-line, for example, whatever that is.
Of course, automobile traffic control is responsible for a huge percentage of the
NO signs.
But man's best friend is also targeted. In this case, by a saloon.
Waste disposal -- of any kind -- inspires a plethora of negatives. And the greener we get, I suspect, the more we'll see.
That's all for the moment, but don't get complacent. In another month, I'll post yet another batch of
NO signs.
That which is not explicitly permitted is forbidden. I wonder if most Americans are aware of how we are surrounded by signs that forbid this, that and the other or that declare a negative of one sort or another.
I certainly had not noticed -- until I began my picture collection. If you're my age, you will recall those movies that depicted Nazi Germany as a land awash in verboten signs. In fact, all the set designer had to do to declare tyranny was to display that German word for forbidden.
It's curious. I wouldn't have said that Prescott had any big resemblance to Hitler's world. On the other hand, the little 2-letter n-word certainly does abound. Even when it's serving primarily for information -- no Q-line, for example, whatever that is.
Of course, automobile traffic control is responsible for a huge percentage of the NO signs.
But man's best friend is also targeted. In this case, by a saloon.
Waste disposal -- of any kind -- inspires a plethora of negatives. And the greener we get, I suspect, the more we'll see.
That's all for the moment, but don't get complacent. In another month, I'll post yet another batch of NO signs.
Funny when you see a word endlessly repeated like that, makes you feel sort of dislocated...
ReplyDeleteI suppose it's partly down to people just not using commonsense, but then perhaps the more you nag them, 'don't do this, don't do that!' the less they grow their own commonsense.
The good old standby no word. I would like to see a few signs like, Please put bottles in the can, Please do this or that. Guess it wouldn't have as much impact as the no word.
ReplyDeleteSteve
With each NO comes a little loss of freedom, but what else can society do? It's a conundrum, and I don't like it one little bit!
ReplyDeleteThe problem with the NO! approach is that we all have a visceral reaction, just like little kids. As a aged rebel, I think the NO! signs that annoy me the most are those that are concealing the real message which is "don't have fun ... don't enjoy yourself -- we might get sued!"
ReplyDeleteHere's another one for your collection:
ReplyDeletehttp://farm2.static.flickr.com/
1245/1227220990_9cbd6b1490_m.jpg
We've been on holiday and if you are interested, the trip is up at
http://www.flickr.com/photos/bikeriders
/sets/72157601643756515/detail/
I am writing about it too and that will be up when I am done at my guru blog.
(I've broken the urls because they don't seem to want to stay on the page. You'll have to stitch them back together by taking out the hard returns.)
OH NO! -grin- Now I suppose you've set me off on a search for NO signs around these parts! :-))))
ReplyDeleteYou have such great ideas, like the telephone pole, covered with years of tacking messages up on it, etc. You have a great eye I guess that's called. Someone said that, in a comment...
Re: a comment you made in my Photos-City-Mine blog... "...although in today's market, we're again getting summer people who buy golden oldies or McMansions" ~~ Ahhh yes! The housing market...
Trouble is around here, we always had the August Racing Season crowd. But for some time now, we've become one of those "perfect gems of a city" which people visit and want to come back and live in.
OK, yes it's a neat city. We happen to love it. But so many of these new folks are from NYC and San Francisco and the likes... They're escaping the urban-ness and want the great ambiance they see here. Yup! Repeat, we love it. BUT THEN, THEY WANT TO TWEEK AND CHANGE IT! &*(&^%*&^^ If it was so grrrrrrrrrrrreat, why try to change stuff??!!??!!?? Grrrr...
Plus, they are affluent and build McMansions and buy expensive condos and ... Local kids can't afford to live here anymore. Now this hurts. "The Aspen-isation" of a city, I've heard it called...
Little Aspen got "discovered" by the rich and famous and now... locals can't afford to live there anymore.
Mmmm... did I get off on a soap box and tangent? Yes I did. Sorry.
Hugs,
Mari-Nanci
juliar -- Wow -- a bicycling vacation, yet! Would that I were that young and energetic again...
ReplyDeleteSnS -- my sentiments exactly! Why, oh why, to they want to change your city or mine into the exact same place they ran away from -- that's what I don't get.
When you see it repeated like that it does seem oppressive. WE are overwhelmed with notices and road signs these days and many of them could be quietly scrapped without anyone missing them.
ReplyDeleteAvus -- too many signs and their messages become just one more element of the overall landscape -- not even worth rebelling against!
ReplyDelete"... Nazi Germany as a land awash in 'verboten' signs ..."
ReplyDeleteThe worst signs in Nazi Germany were:
"Juden unerwünscht" (Jews unwanted)
"Judenfrei" (Free of Jews)
The most cynical sign was that above the entrance to the concentration camp at Auschwitz:
"Arbeit macht frei" (Work will liberate you).
Olivia
Olivia -- yet as I read it, over much of Europe those signs are being forgotten in an effort to make nice with the new migrants from the Middle East...perhaps I'm wrong; I would hope so.
ReplyDeleteI am afraid Germany is as anti-semitic as ever.
ReplyDeleteOlivia
Olivia -- again, an impression from afar -- it seems that much of Europe remains anti-semitic. Too bad.
ReplyDeleteYes, Granny, you are probably right. It is a shame.
ReplyDeleteOlivia