Worth a Thousand Words but NOT Your Life

Waterfalls abound in our county.  Some are viewed only after a rigorous hike.  There are a few that do not require any hiking at all.  One of those is Looking Glass Falls.  Easily accessible from a parking area, it is one of the most visited waterfalls in the county.

It should seem so obvious that waterfalls are dangerous.  The rocks above the falls are quite slick and often mossy and the current is swift above the falls.  There are signs and fences near all of the falls warning people NOT to climb near the top of the falls.  Every year people die after disregarding the signs.

A local newpaper columnist happened to be visiting Looking Glass Falls last week and took the following photograph.  The man in this photograph is in an extrememly dangerous area.  In order to arrive there he has had to climb over two fences and pass by numerous warning signs.  Yet there he stands.  To take a photograph.  One slip, one misguided step on the wet slippery surface and he will be over the falls to the rocks below.

Photograph by Linda Young of the Transylvania Times

 This is a photograph of the entire waterfall.  The drop from the top to the collecting pool below is sixty feet.  In fact, I took the photograph from the parking area...it's that near the road.

Several people have died or were serious injured at Looking Glass Falls.  Often youthful daring and alcohol are involved.  Yet this man is not young and did not appear to be drinking.  He simply wanted a particular view for his picture.  He escaped that day without injury.  He likely has no idea how stupid and careless he had been.  I hope he thinks the photograph was worth risking his life.

More Signs for Stupid People

,I love to read tee shirts.  They tell a lot about the person who wears them.  Interestingly enough, when I was a child the only tee shirts with printing on them came free from companies and were definitely not trendy.  I never dreamed we would be paying money to wear a company logo.

Now you can find almost anything you want and wear it proudly to proclaim one thing or another.  The other day I saw a man with a CSI tee shirt.  I used to watch that all the time so I found his tee shirt interesting.  As he passed by me in the cereal aisle, I saw that it wasn't related to the television show at all.  Beneath the CSI was this:  CAN'T STAND IDIOTS.  A very quick search led me to several Web sites that sell this tee shirt, along with the usual coffee mugs, key chains, etc.  (Ain't the Internet grand?)

This was downloaded from Zazzle

Somehow I think the guy wearing the tee shirt might enjoy the following signs:

 If you can't see the windmill, I strongly suspect you can't see the sign.  (Photograph by Steve Juliano taken in the Netherlands)

Nothing to add to this one.  (Photograph by Sue Bayer-Jabb taken in Neenah, Wisconsin)

Signs for Stupid People

Warning signs abound. Some of them provide important information. Others? Well, they should be preceded by a statement, "Stupid People Read This." I resent warning signs that state the obvious.

There are some helpful warning signs at the waterfalls here in the mountains. Most of them contain information about the dangers and almost all of them warn people not to wade in the water above the falls, because "the rocks are wet and slippery." Yet every year several people visiting our county die from falling over a waterfall. Because they waded in the water above the falls and found that the rocks were indeed wet and slippery.

Almost every item you might microwave carries a warning that the food will be hot when you take it out. The take-out cup at your local coffee shop warns that the contents might be hot. Our entrance gate has a cute little graphic of a stick figure falling forward with the gate crashing down on his neck.

Now I do appreciate the "wet floor" sign in the grocery store. And the sign that reminds you to step down when you open the door. But there are so many other signs that say something so obvious that I often wonder why the sign was placed there. I suspect it has something to do with lawsuits.

Here is a sign in a hotel room in Austin, Texas. (Photo by John Zachar) I have a feeling that if you are so drunk you don't recognize that you are not on ground level, then you are too drunk to read the sign.



On the other hand, some signs seem intended for very intelligent speed readers. I don't know the origin of the sign, but it seems a bit complex to me.

Here in the mountains we have a lot of road signs to remind drivers of approaching sharp curves. Most people appreciate them. We also have signs that none of the tourists seem to be able to read and understand. These signs are to indicate that there is a turnout ahead for slow moving traffic. They never seem to recognize who they are. So here's a bit of advice for them, "If you can see fifteen cars in your rear-view mirror creeping along behind you, it's just possible that you are in fact slow moving. PUT ON YOUR SIGNAL AND PULL INTO THE TURNOUT. PLEASE!"

One afternoon I was especially frustrated after following a old man up the mountain. He was going 20 miles/hour, often braking while going uphill and braking every time there was an oncoming vehicle. I came inside and told my husband that I sincerely hoped he would tell me when it's not safe for me to be driving up the mountain. He placed his hand on my shoulder and gently said, "Honey, it's not safe for you to be driving up the mountain." What a funny guy.