ByGD
As a general rule, I think safety culture has gone too far. Or at least I did before the pandemic, when my kids were little and I worked in the public sector. Then it seemed like literally anything, no matter how inane, could be justified with the words, “It’s for safety,” and no one was allowed to question it. But as we’ve learned this year, sometimes there is danger. And it’s only fair to have a warning so we can make informed decisions.
ByGD
The neighborhood I live in bills itself as the center of the universe. A sign at the neighborhood’s main intersection indicates the distance to a whimsical assortment of destinations to prove it. The small northern Icelandic city of Akureyri has no such pretensions. But it does have this very similar sign. Maybe that’s why I felt so immediately at home there? Because quite inexplicably, despite having only visited the place twice and for less than a total of 24 hours, I have always felt that if I didn’t live in Seattle, I’d like to live in Akureyri.
ByGD
I have written before about the time I got bumped from a flight out of Shanghai and the airline put us up in an airport hotel of sorts. The hotel seemed fairly nice, except for a couple of sketchy elements – like the no prostitution sign inside the hotel room door. I regretted that I didn’t take a picture of that sign. Then later I found it. Proof that prostitution is not permitted at hotels near Pudong airport. So reassuring.
ByGD
This sign is on the Canadian border. It’s true we treat our Northern neighbors a little better than our Southern ones. But every time I pass this sign, I think to myself, “Nuh uh.” We are just not a very welcoming country. Do we assume the worst of the people who are trying to come here now because we invaded this land ourselves, destroying the cultures and habitats we found here?
