# "Grammar English for has reason", or a pedantic rant **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [February 6, 2003, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grammar-english-for-has-reason-or-a-pedantic-rant/153276 "2003-02-06T18:59:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Shade](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2bfe46/32.png) [@Shade](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shade)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2003, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grammar-english-for-has-reason-or-a-pedantic-rant/153276/1 "2003-02-06T18:59:14Z")
A small govermentment meeting is discussing the wording of a sign: ‘Disabled’ badge holders, only, park here. 1: That’s no good! Remove the commas, and then it could mean that ‘disabled’ badge holders can’t do anything else there! 2: And why not remove the apostrophes? Then it could apply to people with badges that can’t walk. 1: Good idea. And we could move the ‘only.’ Do you feel like excluding people with multiple badges, or stopping disabled people parking elsewhere. 2: Oh, I think keeping those disableds locked up is a good idea. 1: Right, so we have: **Disabled badge holders park only here.** 2: I don’t know, still too helpful. Why don’t we make the sign blank? No one’d ever guess what we mean then. 1: I like it. But you think small. Make it say “Guess what I’m thinking, arse-dildo!” 2: “Yeah, lets seriously fuck the public! More!” The bold version is what the sign actually says. We all know what it means, but we have a language for a reason, guys. THINK BEFORE YOU WRITE! Ready for Gaudere’s law? It’s not so bad on street signs, but for fuck’s sake, not on official forms, exam papers or laws, please! ---
**Author:** ![iampunha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/74df32/32.png) [@iampunha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iampunha)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2003, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grammar-english-for-has-reason-or-a-pedantic-rant/153276/2 "2003-02-06T19:19:13Z")
How about “Parking for ‘disabled badge’ holders only”? ---
**Author:** ![Shade](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2bfe46/32.png) [@Shade](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shade)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2003, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grammar-english-for-has-reason-or-a-pedantic-rant/153276/3 "2003-02-06T19:19:56Z")
Much too clear. ---
**Author:** ![Vixenation](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/278dde/32.png) [@Vixenation](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Vixenation)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2003, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grammar-english-for-has-reason-or-a-pedantic-rant/153276/4 "2003-02-06T19:22:54Z")
Perhaps the people who wrote the signs were taking some tips from The Onion: [http://www.theonion.com/onion3109/newgammar.html](http://www.theonion.com/onion3109/newgammar.html) ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2003, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grammar-english-for-has-reason-or-a-pedantic-rant/153276/5 "2003-02-06T19:53:26Z")
Or, perhaps they MEANT that, meaning, if the disabled badge holders parked in the regular parking lot, it would fill up the lot so the regular parkers wouldnt have a place to park? nawwwww. Still funny though! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2003, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grammar-english-for-has-reason-or-a-pedantic-rant/153276/6 "2003-02-06T19:58:37Z")
How about “Not for Abled Parkers”? Any particular reason not to use the blue & white wheelchair logo? ---
**Author:** ![Jpeg\_Jones](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/4bbf92/32.png) [@Jpeg\_Jones](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jpeg_Jones)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2003, 11:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grammar-english-for-has-reason-or-a-pedantic-rant/153276/7 "2003-02-06T23:23:13Z")
Or how about a sign with a logo of an abled person crossed out? ---
**Author:** ![Shade](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2bfe46/32.png) [@Shade](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shade)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2003, 12:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grammar-english-for-has-reason-or-a-pedantic-rant/153276/8 "2003-02-07T00:39:00Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Jpeg Jones \* > \*\*Or how about a sign with a logo of an abled person crossed out? \*\* Can I see this sign? ---
**Author:** ![monica](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a183cd/32.png) [@monica](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/monica)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2003, 10:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grammar-english-for-has-reason-or-a-pedantic-rant/153276/9 "2003-02-07T22:57:05Z")
I think my English teacher wrote the sign…she’s still trying to teach Honors English 10 about capitalization and commas. Of course, she gets confused while teaching this.