It's odd, the places from which I draw inspiration for my writings. I was driving with my wife yesterday, looking for a black powder rifle to buy, and happened to come across a road sign. It is a sign I have seen countless times before, but it struck me for some reason yesterday. It was a warning a few hundred yards before I crossed a bridge, making sure I understood that the bridge may ice in cold weather.
I have nothing against such signs and they do serve the purpose to make sure drivers are warned about the possible dangers of the road conditions in cold weather. My first reaction when I read the sign, however, was duh, of course the bridge may ice in cold weather. Anyone with a brain knows that. From there, my thoughts started wondering in a different direction.
I used to work in a manufacturing plant where we assembled floor cleaning equipment. Floor scrubbers, polishers, sanders, steam cleaners, etc. If it had something to do with a floor, we probably built it. The assembly line had several different stations where different sections of the equipment was assembled and shoved down the line to the next station. One of the jobs performed by the last station on the line was to place warning labels on the machine. These warning labels were to make sure that anyone operating the machine knew what could happen, should they become entangled in the single or dual brushes turning at 2400 RPMs. There were also warnings to make sure the operator knew of the dangers of an electrical short, should the power cord become torn and expose open electrical wires. The machines that operated on batteries had warnings about the dangers of battery acid and what could happen, were the machine to get loose from the operator. Serious injury could result.
I often laughed openly at this warnings, wondering aloud just how silly they were. I was told by the higher-ups in the company that they were required by their legal department, to prevent frivolous lawsuits from being brought against the company. Looking back on that, prompted by the road sign yesterday, I started thinking about the different warning labels we see today. They come in all different shapes and sizes.
Our mattresses contain warning labels, Open the hood of any new car or truck and you will see a warning label, telling someone of the dangers of a hot engine. Open the operating manual of a cell phone and you have to read several pages of warnings, in more than one language, before you get to the actual operation of your device. A knife will contain a warning that the blade may be sharp. It's beyond ridiculous.
As a society, have we descended into a place where we have to be told of every danger that may present itself in our daily lives? Surely, anyone who has used a knife before knows it may be sharp. That's the purpose of having a knife, to cut things with a sharp object. Are we to the point that we have to be warned of that? If so, how have we moved to that place. I would contend it is because the idea of personal responsibility is almost non-existent, either in our country, or in the world itself. No one wants to be responsible for the actions they take.
Remember the lawsuit that was brought against McDonald's because their coffee was too hot? They had to pay an undisclosed amount of money because Stella Liebeck wasn't careful when opening the cup of coffee she had just purchased. The jury found that the coffee was defective because it was served too hot. No personal responsibility was taken by Liebeck because of her carelessness when removing the top of the cup to add her cream and sugar.
This is just one example. It could be used for the basis of a post about lawsuits that should have never been filed, but that's another topic. My point is that no one wants to take personal responsibility for their actions. The lawyers who make up the legal departments of businesses know this. Thus, they require the warning labels to make sure consumers are aware that the product they are about to use, sleep on, etc., could possible cause harm or bodily damage in some shape, form, or fashion.
Going back to the road sign that prompted me on this path of thought, anyone who has driven any in cold weather knows that bridges will always be icy before the surface of the road. It's the laws of nature. Having the warning signs is not necessarily a bad thing. In fact, they serves the purpose of warning drivers who may be distracted or otherwise not paying attention to their surroundings. I am in no way advocating for the removal of such signs, but I do believe it is indicative of our society that we have to be warned that a bridge may ice in cold weather.
Look around you. There are warning signs and labels everywhere you look. Who knew we were all in such peril? I'm surprised our forefathers made it past the Declaration of Independence without a warning that it could cause serious bodily harm.
