Perhaps as a consequence of being cooped in, I’ve found myself thinking about the importance of location. An example:
I snapped this photo during a pre-pandemic shopping trip to a department store. The store was in North America, and the escalator next to this sign was in limbo, or maybe the repair shop. Either way, an elevator in CHINA was not in any way a convenience.
Moving on to another sort of location:
Et tu, New York Times? I thought I could count on my hometown newspaper to place descriptions in the proper location. I don’t know much about history or mathematical predictions, but I do know that the modifier that was used for D-Day should appear after method.
Another location problem, courtesy of my friend Ellie:
I can only conclude that whoever wrote this sign has really, really long arms.
Last one:
Say you’re driving a taxi. What happens after 46th Street? Does your passenger — or your car — go directly to jail without passing Go and collecting $200? Turn into a pumpkin? And what happens if you’re driving a couple or a group? Can your vehicle legally remain in bus lanes after 46 St?
This signs may be confusing, but one thing could not be clearer: the correct location in 2020 is socially distant. Stay safe and well!
Not everyone opens up the grammar books … -) ; if the taxi is empty it has no business whatsoever in the bus lane, if the taxi has one or more passengers, the taxi driver can enjoy/benefit from the spacious bus lane but only up to 46th street. After he will return to being miserable (if it rush hour).
No doubt you’re right, though these days for me rush hour lasts only long enough to get from the breakfast table to the corner of my bedroom where I keep the computer. It would be nice to see 46th Street again, traffic jam or not!
🙂 Come 46th street, the taxi must rejoin the ordinary, crawling traffic, after it has enjoyed first class traffic de-congestion. If it did not have one (or more) passengers it would have been obliged to crawl along with the other traffic, all the way from the south (of Manhattan).
I think your interpretation is correct. The sign could be worded more clearly, though, in my view.
Oh sorry, I didn’t know the first comment went through, so I tried a second time, … same idea…
I wonder if the Chinese elevator leads one to equally bizarre signs. I bet yes! 😀
Perhaps it leads to China itself. That would be a nice “convenience” indeed.
I’m still thinking of whoever wrote the PAY INSIDE BEFORE ENTERING is. So far two possibilities: either he is the Elastic Man or a very effective Pilates practitioner.
As for the CHINA sign,…
Stay safe!
I vote for Elastic Man! Thanks for the suggestion. You stay safe also.
The good thing about being able to pay inside before entering is that that person should easily be able to stay socially distant!
Good point!