Tuesday 6 January 2015

Stop Go


In proper antique fashion, I incorporated this image in a poster warning that the floor behind a door is up, and walking in to the room might involve ending up downstairs via the ceiling. It is headed with the word DANGER in red.

I expect this poster might contravene Health and Safety guidelines, as it doesn't include a Euro stick-person, upside-down and with his handless arms outstretched.

Red, the colour of danger, blood and Mars - except in the early days of Communist China, where it was - and still is - the most auspicious colour in the spectrum.

I love the story of how some zealot came up with the idea of reversing the colour of traffic lights right across one province, because red should have been the colour of 'go' rather than 'stop' in the new ideology following The Long March.

Countless fatal accidents necessitated the reversal of an official decree - one of the few concessions to humanity and the Capitalist West. You can't keep an old Capitalist down.

13 comments:

  1. I saw recently that the elf-n-safety brigade had got at Time Team. They were digging in an open field wearing hard hats. Whatever next!

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  2. In China right of way is not fully understood and eye contact is made to decide, if you are lucky. It is the same in Marrakech and parts of Norfolk.

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    1. What!!! We Germans are sticklers for rules. 'Right of Way' is a clearly defined system. A German might make eye contact with you if you take his 'Right of Way'!

      I have heard, though, that Germans were too stupid to figure out 'Right on Red' and signs allowing it had to be removed. Oi vey!!

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    2. Italians view road signs, traffic lights, etc, as simply 'a suggestion'.

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    3. I have never understood 'right on red' signs either. I have made many motorists very angry by sitting there without turning.

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  3. Of course this post got me all geeked out - although I knew that an African American Clevelander had something to do with the traffic light, interesting to read about the history.

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    1. His name is Garrett Morgan - invented a few things - didn't invent the traffic light but added some things to it.

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    2. He's already my hero, and I've never met him.

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  4. My first husband once fell down a lift shaft - don't ask me how - but I do remember he endedup covered in plaster which was stuck on and when it was time for it to come off he spent the whole evening in the bath with a razor blade! (he had a very hairy chest)

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    1. That is almost too much for me to take on in one go, Weave. I'm still stuck on how you have no idea how he fell down in the first place.

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