Tag Archives: Dogs

Command Performance, Part 2

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Bossing other people around is fun, isn’t it? Being bossed around, not so much. How many people do you think obey commands that appear on signs in NYC? Enough to sit comfortably on a beach towel, I imagine, based on what I generally see. Maybe that’s why this sign seems to sigh with resignation right before it screams:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fine, “Management” implies, I know you may take a puff or bite or sip, but don’t even think about skating into my store. I hung out for a half hour without  glimpsing a single wheel. Nor did I see any cigarettes or snacks — just one water bottle peeking out from a handbag. Verdict: This sign is a rarity. It’s effective.

Not so these:

 

 

 

 

 

 

I could have snapped six more shots of signs prohibiting bicycles, each surrounded by bicycles locked to the railing, but you get the point. If any locks have been cut off and bicycles removed, new ones have sprung up in their place.

Some commands just beg to be disobeyed:

 

 

 

 

 

 

This sign makes me want to stay put. Alas, New York is always on the move, so that wasn’t an option. The next sign (courtesy of my friend Catherine) makes me want to move, quickly, to somewhere — anywhere — else:

Please explain what Fido is supposed to do if the curb is shut off. (At least the hyphen is right!) On second thought, please do not explain what Fido is supposed to do if the curb is shut off. I’d prefer not to know.

One more thought: The sign that accompanies each blog post (“Don’t Block the Box”) commands drivers to stay out of the intersection unless they’re sure they can drive through before the light changes. Yesterday, I did an informal survey. Cars blocked 9 out of 10 “boxes.” Pedestrians (including me) wove between vehicles, making what should be a straight path in a crosswalk into a curvy, almost choreographed, group dance. No one (including me) looked surprised or upset. Just another day in New York City.

Woof

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Most of my posts are about two-footed New Yorkers, but this one concerns those traveling on four feet – actually, four paws. What do you make of this sign, painted on the window of a store specializing in wireless communication devices?

"Proud to be . . . dog friendly"

“Proud to be . . . dog friendly.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Does this mean that the phones are chew-resistant or taste like premium dog chow? That they transmit every nuance of “arf arf” with perfect clarity? That the keyboard letters are far enough apart for paw-typing? I pondered these questions as I stared at the window. My first theory was that the store allows dogs inside, perhaps handing out chew toys or meaty bones. I considered the fact that lots of stores brag about their welcoming attitude to customers’ dogs.  But those signs are usually smaller and located near the doorknob or handle. This one takes up a good portion of the shop window. Letting Fido into the establishment would seem to merit a less prominent sign. I still don’t know why it’s there, and I’m too shy to go in and ask.

This one is much smaller and located in the usual spot for such notices, right on the door. But it’s still strange:

Everyone else's pets - come on in!

Everyone else’s pets – come on in!

 

The sign suggests that employees’ pets are banned, but customers’ pets are “allowed in the store.” What do you think?