Read the signs, duh

Many Things

By Jim Flanagan

(Updated: Wednesday, April 02, 2008, 5:39 PM)

Signs and common sense

I was in the North Fork Post Office the other day, and, while talking to a friend, saw a sign over a counter in the corner where people sort mail. It said "Please do not put a child on the counter." Duh. Another example of saving people from themselves and their lack of common sense.

Have you noticed signs for people running for public office? Some are very clear, others you can read the name, but cannot see what they are running for unless you are up close and very slow. Signs and billboards need to be read by people going 50 to 65 miles per hour. Just the essentials. The best billboard I have ever seen was one advertising Crown Royal whiskey. It had an enlarged picture of the unique bottle with its purple cover, and the only words said "Not actual size."

Then there is the new commercial building being built for a specific business that during construction has signs telling you the name of the construction company and of the bank that is financing it, but has no sign telling what company the building is being built for. What a waste of free advertising.

Fellow columnists

Ed Lyons was here before us all, and he probably will out last us all as well. Now J.R. Froelich is back; maybe we can feed off each other again. And then there was John Hays with his Thoughts While Stopped at an Arterial Light.

Race

Now that Barack Obama has favored us with his opinions about race, it is my turn. Supposedly, under our Constitution and Laws, we are to be blind to race, as well as gender and religion. Then why do we perpetuate it with organizations? For example, in large cities, there is the Chamber of Commerce, and then there is also the Hispanic Chamber, the Black Chamber and the Women's Chamber. The same goes for County bar associations: there is the County Bar Association, the Hispanic Bar Association, the Black Bar Association and the Women's Bar Association. It seems that by doing this we are just perpetuating the things that we were not supposed to do. And all this time, I thought that that we were all supposed to be on the same team.