Fitting Advert

COMPANY IMAGE IS EVERYTHING.

On this site we often point out public signs that have errors.  This is because we feel that public signs, menus, notices and so forth should be checked for simple mistakes.

However, a company image goes beyond spelling and grammar, which is why we have shown some dubious logos (such as “Don’t Be Alarmed“).

Now, imagine a company that has only three main features (selling points) … (1) a van, (2) the spacial skills to know if and how things will fit ahead of time, and (3) how much care and attention to detail you have.

Imagine the livery of the van — what message would you be trying to get across?

You would probably want a van that looks clean, well-cared-for, professional, sturdy and which advertises with an office address, perhaps a logo, and a tag line.

Well, imagine now what we thought when we saw this van recently (see picture — click to enlarge).

Yes, things are getting worse when they cannot see ahead, when they cannot fit all the letters of the word across the van!

Report Anything Suspicious

SUSPICIOUS IS A FUNNY WORD, ISN’T IT?
I saw this sign in the Glasgow underground today — it states:

Outer Circle 1 min
Report Anything Suspicious

Now, the first thing I noticed was that something had been stuck — deliberately — to this sign.  Perhaps this was an attempt to obscure some important information?  Look closely at the picture — double click to enlarge for a better view — doesn’t that look suspicious?

It doesn’t say who to report to.  It doesn’t say how to make a report. It doesn’t say what might be described as “suspicious”.

I had a suspicion a train was coming – - ought I to report this fact to someone? I started to get worried, what was suspicious? Should I suspect people of being illegal immigrants?  of being closet homosexuals? Perhaps I ought to report that chap for looking “shifty” — that’s suspicious, isn’t it?

Things are definitely getting worse on the tube these days! In the end I reported the sign. “Outer Circles” are pretty suspicious, don’t you think?  A bit like crop circles maybe? Who knows!

How To Do The Loo

WE NOW NEED INSTRUCTIONS ON HOW TO USE THE TOILET.

Click on the picture to enlarge.

One has only to wonder at the reasons behind making this poster! Things are getting worse when this sign becomes necessary!

Glasgow Shop’s Apostrophic Grammar!

BAD GRAMMAR IN PUBLIC NOTICES IS GETTING WORSE WHEN THE NOTICES ARE HANDWRITTEN. However, the problem is not merely confined to the handwritten; look at the shop front is the picture (click to enlarge).

This is an employment agency’s shop front. The entire window is an advertisement billboard, they are seeking (sic):-

• Joiner’s
• Plumber’s
• Electrician’s
• Labourer’s
• Cleaner’s
• Lineworker’s

This is a bizarre example of misuse of the apostrophe. One would think that someone would have told them by now, but it has been like this for ages. Perhaps people do not realise the problem.
Things are getting worse.

Don’t Be Alarmed!

ALARMS ARE JUST A NUISANCE. There should be a law against them.

The best that can be said for an alarm is that it might be something of a deterrent. However, consider this sign for a security firm. Does it scare you — do you even take it seriously? Can this logo have been designed by a graphic designer?

It looks like a pirate stealing a floppy drive for a computer, but there’s an American plug trailing behind. He’s got a weird set of cuban heels on — except his shadow doesn’t. There also seems to be some weird sort of plant encircling the shadowy figure.

I don’t know, maybe it’s just me, but I actually considered hiring a pirate’s costume and breaking into this building! Thing are getting worse!

More Apostrophe Abuse

MORE APOSTROPHE ABUSE ABUSE IN A PUBLIC NOTICE.