# Silly things you've seen in public **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [August 1, 2014, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silly-things-youve-seen-in-public/694607 "2014-08-01T21:48:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![eschereal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eschereal/32/18939_2.png) [@eschereal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eschereal)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2014, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silly-things-youve-seen-in-public/694607/61 "2014-08-04T15:43:07Z")
> [@kaylasdad99](#): > > That’s not silly. “Silly” is owning an ATM factory, and having two sets of machines (or machine setups) for making faceplates, one for drive throughs, one for walk-ups. > > ETA: same thing with restroom signs, actually. They have drive-through restrooms now? ---
**Author:** ![wevets](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e9a140/32.png) [@wevets](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wevets)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2014, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silly-things-youve-seen-in-public/694607/62 "2014-08-04T16:01:43Z")
> [@dougie\_monty](#): > > Where I used to work as a security guard, the building had fire extinguishers in various places with a sign reading, “FIRE EXTINGUISHER HERE.” > How silly! That sign would be silly whether there was an extinguisher there or not!😃 I don’t get it - it’s wooshed me, can you help me out? ---
**Author:** ![dougie\_monty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/439d5e/32.png) [@dougie\_monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dougie_monty)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2014, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silly-things-youve-seen-in-public/694607/63 "2014-08-04T16:35:14Z")
> [@wevets](#): > > I don’t get it - it’s wooshed me, can you help me out? Think about it. If the extinguisher is there, the sign is unnecessary. If it isn’t there, the sign makes no sense! ---
**Author:** ![Doug\_K](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b5ac83/32.png) [@Doug\_K](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doug_K)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2014, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silly-things-youve-seen-in-public/694607/64 "2014-08-04T16:38:09Z")
> [@dougie\_monty](#): > > Think about it. If the extinguisher is there, the sign is unnecessary. If it isn’t there, the sign makes no sense! Think about it. There is supposed to be a fire extinguisher there. If there isn’t, it makes it clear that someone needs to take care of it. Makes perfect sense. ---
**Author:** ![wevets](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e9a140/32.png) [@wevets](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wevets)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2014, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silly-things-youve-seen-in-public/694607/65 "2014-08-04T18:03:42Z")
> [@dougie\_monty](#): > > Think about it. If the extinguisher is there, the sign is unnecessary. If it isn’t there, the sign makes no sense! ? If the extinguisher is there, but there’s a fire that reduces visibility with some haze or smoke, it’s good to have the sign. If the extinguisher isn’t there, and there isn’t a fire, it’s a good way for the facilities department or fire marshal to know that someone’s not doing their job. ---
**Author:** ![CheshireKat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cheshirekat/32/1207_2.png) [@CheshireKat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CheshireKat)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2014, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silly-things-youve-seen-in-public/694607/66 "2014-08-04T19:01:57Z")
If you look the other way, does the fire extinguisher still exist? ---
**Author:** ![dougie\_monty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/439d5e/32.png) [@dougie\_monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dougie_monty)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2014, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silly-things-youve-seen-in-public/694607/67 "2014-08-04T19:23:30Z")
> [@CheshireKat](#): > > If you look the other way, does the fire extinguisher still exist? Is that an existential question? ---
**Author:** ![CheshireKat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cheshirekat/32/1207_2.png) [@CheshireKat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CheshireKat)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2014, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silly-things-youve-seen-in-public/694607/68 "2014-08-04T19:48:29Z")
> [@dougie\_monty](#): > > Is that an existential question? Depends on how you look at it…😃 ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2014, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silly-things-youve-seen-in-public/694607/69 "2014-08-04T22:01:40Z")
> [@dougie\_monty](#): > > Think about it. If the extinguisher is there, the sign is unnecessary. If it isn’t there, the sign makes no sense! If the fire extinguishers all get collected for periodic maintenance, the poor guy putting them back needs to know WHERE, though. Also, what **wevets** said. Somebody needs to monitor that they’re all present and accounted for. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2014, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silly-things-youve-seen-in-public/694607/70 "2014-08-04T22:21:49Z")
The “Caution: Pond” might just be an oversized puddle right now (or when the picture was taken), but it needn’t always be. When I lived in Montana, the roads had drainage ditches where you could lose a large truck, with only a tiny trickle of water in the bottom… Or at least, that was the situation 51 weeks out of the year. But for about a week in the spring, those ditches were completely full. ---
**Author:** ![eschereal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eschereal/32/18939_2.png) [@eschereal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eschereal)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2014, 10:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silly-things-youve-seen-in-public/694607/71 "2014-08-04T22:34:30Z")
It was put there by some people I went to high school with: the hard-ass vice principal enforcer guy was named Hank Pond. He even had a cartoon to a similar effect in his office. ---
**Author:** ![CheshireKat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cheshirekat/32/1207_2.png) [@CheshireKat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CheshireKat)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2014, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silly-things-youve-seen-in-public/694607/72 "2014-08-04T23:21:45Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > The “Caution: Pond” might just be an oversized puddle right now (or when the picture was taken), but it needn’t always be. When I lived in Montana, the roads had drainage ditches where you could lose a large truck, with only a tiny trickle of water in the bottom… Or at least, that was the situation 51 weeks out of the year. But for about a week in the spring, those ditches were completely full. Here’s a [better perspective](http://i1275.photobucket.com/albums/y455/MartuniPix/DUNKIN_zps2dda65d7.jpg). Since there are drain pipes, it’s conceivable this could turn into a raging, dangerous body of water. However, the use of the word “pond” to describe that situation is even sillier! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![CheshireKat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cheshirekat/32/1207_2.png) [@CheshireKat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CheshireKat)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2014, 11:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silly-things-youve-seen-in-public/694607/73 "2014-08-04T23:38:28Z")
> [@eschereal](#): > > It was put there by some people I went to high school with: the hard-ass vice principal enforcer guy was named Hank Pond. He even had a cartoon to a similar effect in his office. What a small world! Now I have a story to go with my photo. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![dougie\_monty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/439d5e/32.png) [@dougie\_monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dougie_monty)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2014, 2:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silly-things-youve-seen-in-public/694607/74 "2014-08-05T14:05:14Z")
One thing that is even worse than silly is what I call the “patriot pickup.” This is a pickup truck heavily festooned with American flags and placards with some kind of political statements, and often a loudspeaker. The truck travels in traffic; the problem is that it will attract other drivers’ attention that should be focused on the road and on other vehicles, and could cause accidents. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![simster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/simster/32/1047_2.png) [@simster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/simster)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2014, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silly-things-youve-seen-in-public/694607/75 "2014-08-05T14:30:34Z")
> [@dougie\_monty](#): > > One thing that is even worse than silly is what I call the “patriot pickup.” This is a pickup truck heavily festooned with American flags and placards with some kind of political statements, and often a loudspeaker. The truck travels in traffic; the problem is that it will attract other drivers’ attention that should be focused on the road and on other vehicles, and could cause accidents. ☹ yeah - and those “help trucks” that run to fires or accidents - think of all the distractions they cause! Seriously - if you can’t deal with external distractions while driving - ride the freaking bus. ---
**Author:** ![dougie\_monty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/439d5e/32.png) [@dougie\_monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dougie_monty)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2014, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silly-things-youve-seen-in-public/694607/76 "2014-08-05T15:00:03Z")
Sarcasm ill-becomes you, Simster. The instant I hear or see an emergency vehicle, with red lights and siren active, I pull to the right, as I learned in Driver’s Ed. Another such distraction–stationary–is a lighted, flashing billboard, especially at night, alongside a freeway; two of them in our area have already generated scores of complaints. ---
**Author:** ![simster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/simster/32/1047_2.png) [@simster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/simster)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2014, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silly-things-youve-seen-in-public/694607/77 "2014-08-05T15:21:00Z")
> [@dougie\_monty](#): > > Sarcasm ill-becomes you, Simster. > The instant I hear or see an emergency vehicle, with red lights and siren active, I pull to the right, as I learned in Driver’s Ed. > Another such distraction–stationary–is a lighted, flashing billboard, especially at night, alongside a freeway; two of them in our area have already generated scores of complaints. The point was - the “potential for distraction” is not the silly part - there are lots of potential distractions while driving - you need to learn to handle them. I suspect, that for you, the real silliness was the message the driver was promoting - and that, indeed, may be silly - not unlike many organizations messages they feel the need to push on others at any cost. - Immediately pulling to the right may be the exact WRONG thing to do - you need to first ascertain direction of travel, where the emergency vehicle is and then respond appropriately - else you may find yourself blocking the vehicle in question or making things worse. ---
**Author:** ![simster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/simster/32/1047_2.png) [@simster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/simster)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2014, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silly-things-youve-seen-in-public/694607/78 "2014-08-05T15:32:36Z")
nm - ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2014, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silly-things-youve-seen-in-public/694607/79 "2014-08-05T16:55:07Z")
> [@Guinastasia](#): > > Yeah, that’s my favorite. It’s like, I sure as hell hope so! That’s why I bought it! In other news, Tylenol PM may cause drowsiness. ---
**Author:** ![TPWombat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bbce88/32.png) [@TPWombat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TPWombat)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2014, 10:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silly-things-youve-seen-in-public/694607/80 "2014-08-07T10:15:03Z")
Signs were put up in our restrooms at work that said “Please leave these toilets in the condition you expect to find them” I briefly contemplated stealing all the loo rolls and pissing all over the seats. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silly-things-youve-seen-in-public/694607.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silly-things-youve-seen-in-public/694607.md?page=5)