You see this sign everywhere, round here. On the front door of schools, preschools, health centres, shops, restaurants, offices, libraries. Everywhere. An American friend of mine once pointed to it and said to me "I bet you don't miss that when you're back in Britain", and she's right. I don't. I hate seeing it. Perhaps this is one thing I will never get used to here.
I don't really get this sign, though. I think it must be some kind of legal disclaimer, because surely it has no practical value. Think about it. If I was in the queue at the library, and the guy in front of me pulled a gun out and aimed it at the librarian, I wouldn't tap him on the shoulder, and as he turned round, point to the sign, and say,
"Excuse me, but guns aren't allowed in this library".
I really wouldn't. I'd be far more likely to say,
"I know just how you feel. Those fines are ridiculous. A dollar a day on a dvd? Puh-lease. It's cheaper at Blockbuster."
Or I might whizz to the children's section, and get one of my all-time favourite children's books. This one:
Inspired by Monsieur Saguette's brave example, I might poke my baguette into the man's back, making him think I also have a gun, and saving the day till the police arrive. Of course this would only work if I happened to be carrying a baguette, which is unlikely, but nonetheless, I highly recommend this book. It's full of all kinds of nifty ideas as to what a monsieur can do with his baguette, and you won't be able to avoid putting on a fake French accent as you read it aloud to your children, which is olwez vairy vairy gud fuuhn.
wow. I have never seen a sign like that here in Northern California.
ReplyDeleteMarvellous, marvellous. It's like having to do Hairy McLairy in a Scots accent - we had a Scottish nanny (sounds posher than it was!) on our ski trip and she did it TO PERFECTION! (Obv.) And/did you have the Lucy "Maisy" Cousins version of Noah's Ark? Noah just HAS to be a Geordie - "I shall maaaaake a floooood of wa'er."
ReplyDeleteOh, and you don't get those signs here in Newbury, England either though there is sometimes some heavy tutting if the queue for the return your books machine is moving a bit slowly.
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Ahm so vurry 'appy you 'as menshunned zees book! Ah 'ave never 'eard of eet! Ah will googull eet zees vurry minoot! An' ze gun sing, eet ees vurry wuh-eee-ying. I am bet-urr off in Fronce wiz ze cray-zee frogz an' zair cray-zee dry-ving...
ReplyDeleteI think there should be a sequel where Monsieur Saguette and his baguette get together with Mrs Ruffin and her Wholemeal Muffin.
ReplyDeleteYou'd think I had something better to do of a Thursday morning, wouldn't you?
Americans seem crazier with every thing I hear about them.
ReplyDeleteHate those signs, they were in Bosnia too and always freaked me out.
ReplyDeleteHow have I not known about Monsieru Saguette and his baguette?
I must introduce Mon Saguette to the boys and guns is one of the reasons that the states scares mo
ReplyDeleteNot waving but ironing
ReplyDeleteI am going to write that book! She would have to have two wholemeal muffins though - to carry on the naughty symbolism started by the baguette.
I haven't seen that sign in New York either - and you would think there would be plenty of guns here! But more of a liberal sensibility, I think. Mind you, I still do a double take when I see a policeman in a coffee shop wearing a firearm....
ReplyDeleteYeah - police and coffee just DON'T make a good combination!
ReplyDeleteI'll have to find that book! I have obviously missed a classic.
ReplyDeleteHere in Texas we have similar signs, but they usually have the added..."Not Even if you have a permit."
In my day job as a Company paralegal in labor matters we actually had to take one Union to arbitration because they wanted their members to be able to bring their guns to work... at a NUCLEAR PLANT! Yeah... (we won by the way)
Got to love American and our right to carry laws.
They have these signs in Bosnia too?? Wow, you'd never get those signs in Albania. too anarchic. There are 'no smoking' signs everywhere & smoking in public places was actually banned a few yrs ago. You'd never know, evereyone smokes everywhere
ReplyDeleteI'm from the Midwest so I know exactly what you are talking about. I laughed out loud at your library example!
ReplyDeleteAnd thanks for the book recommendation, I love any excuse to do a really bad French accent.
My goodness, we don't have that sign here very much, certainly not at the library! That said, we have a local gun store and we drove by last week as the police had surrounded a car and it was all very exciting, just like an action movie.
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