I think it’s important to warn people when there may be a dangerous situation that is not completely apparent based on the surroundings. A good example of this was when I stopped for lunch yesterday. I had a late lunch at the Ice Axe Grill. It’s in Government Camp, OR. This is on Mt. Hood, and it still very much winter up there. The restaurant has a sign outside that warns that there could be falling ice from its roof. I think this is an appropriate warning. When you stop in their parking lot and are getting out of your car, you are probably not considering that there could be a falling ice hazard. I applaud the Ice Axe Grill for warning me about this. I see that sign and I know not to stand for extended periods of time in the area where ice may fall.
What I do not appreciate is when signs are placed, in otherwise scenic areas, with warnings about things that are so painfully obvious that I can’t help but feel that my intelligence is being insulted. Consider the photograph I snapped recently.
(I’ve blown up the sign so that it’s easier to read)
I can’t understand the reason for putting this ugly sign here. Did someone really think that there would be a lifeguard on duty at a 1 inch deep fountain? Did some parent really think that they could just leave their child there to play on his own for a while? This is stupid! I feel the same way about coffee cups that have a warning that the content is hot. No s#@t! It had better be hot, that’s why I bought it. Maybe you should also warn me that hot things can burn me. Oh wait, I think that is on there as well.
I know why all of this stuff is there, just like you do. It’s there because our society has become so litigious that we employ legions of lawyers to help protect us from potential torts. We go out of our way to not say or do anything that might land us in court. We warn people to the point of stupidity so that there can be no chance that we were negligent. This is where we are. How on earth are we ever going to get back?
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