Not the Early Pregnancy Unit

September 8, 2010  |  Just Strange  |  Comments Off

Earlier this year my wife and I went to the Rotunda for an ultrasound scan for our second child.

At reception we were directed down a corridor and told about a few left and right turns. We didn’t listen to the full directions.

We walked to one of the external buildings and were a little lost when we came to a junction.

Thankfully there was a helpful sign directly in front of us that informed us that it was “Not the Early Pregnancy Unit.” Beside this sign was another, more helpful sign, pointing to the “Early Pregnancy Unit.”

Which sign came first? Why does the “Not” sign say what it isn’t rather that what it is? Is it a secret?

Cyclists can break red lights

September 4, 2010  |  Just Strange  |  Comments Off

Short off road cycle track to break the lights

A few weeks ago Patrick Logue, an Irish Times Motoring journalist, wrote an article about lawless cyclists. The majority of the comments dismiss his rant. He was also mocked in a thread of over 200 posts on the boards.ie Cycling forum.

On Mountview Road in Dublin 15, Fingal County Council seem to be facilitating cyclists in breaking red lights. There is a small tiny off-road cycle track that routes cyclists off the on-road cycle track and around the traffic lights at a pedestrian crossing.

This would seem to encourage cyclists to use it when the traffic lights are red. Would Mr Logus consider this to be breaking the lights?

This off-road cycle track could be construed as missing the required signage, one could argue that the required sign is in fact in place earlier on the on-road cycle track. Either way, I plan to stay on the road.

Red cold, blue hot

August 17, 2010  |  Just Strange, Laziness, Shudder  |  Comments Off

Red cold, blue hot taps reversed

I joined my former college classmates for the early portion of the Jim Finn Stag pub crawl, before everyone got incoherent.

In the third pub, The Hut in Phibsborough, the bathroom had a sign about the incorrectly coloured taps.

The blue tap gives hot water, the red tap is for cold water.

That reversal must really get messy when the clients are drunk.

Why couldn’t the owners either swap the taps, or the feed pipes or even the coloured plastic at the top of the taps.

Out of shower, on to bike

July 23, 2010  |  Just Strange  |  Comments Off

Still wearing the shower cap

Earlier in the month I completed the Ring of Kerry charity cycle. It was my fourth year doing it. Great weather (as usual), excellent food stops (getting better each year) and I didn’t feel as tired as last year (maybe ageing is good for something).

I only took one photo during the cycle. The guy looks like he had a quick shower (but didn’t wash his hair) and then jumped straight onto his bike.  It’s cool that his shower cap/helmet is hi-viz. He does lose ‘euro cool‘ marks for the high socks.

Pot. Kettle. Dark colour.

October 8, 2009  |  Just Strange, Shudder  |  Comments Off

Bogus clothes collection

We are all very familiar with the bogus used clothes collectors that drive by in the early hours to grab the bags that have been left out in response to their regular never ending leaflet drops.

A recent leaflet for one such collection had the gall to ask people not to put the bags out the night before because

That will help us to get rid of bogus collectors

Pot, kettle, black anyone?

In some respects I am impressed with these bogus collectors – they are relentless in their leaflet drops and the leaflets change each time (same contact info but very different “theme” to the leaflet to try to appeal to get people to donate the clothes).

In the morning

September 24, 2009  |  Just Strange  |  Comments Off

AM vs In The Morning

Ok, this sign doesn’t fall into any of the usual categories (bad grammar, laziness, typo) but it is a little strange.

While it is using 12 hour clock, simply adding “AM” must not have been deemed clear enough so “In The Morning” was appended.

Sorry for inconvinience

August 20, 2007  |  Just Strange, Typo  |  Comments Off

I phoned in and an Indian take away order from Let’s Eat In over the weekend. Mmm, their Dal Makhani dish (black beans in a dark creamy sauce) is excellent.

The take away came with a copy of their new menu – without Dal Makhani! I went online to investigate. I was met with a horrible fixed font – Courier New. And, three nice typos:

We are not taking online order for Blanchardstown branch untill next week.

Sorry for inconvinience

Maybe that’s the phonetical spelling for people in Blanch. BTW, the correct spellings are orders, until and (the) inconvenience.

Monday afternoon: “Our valued customers from Blanchardstown can order online now.”