Sign forests

One thing that is notably different from Sweden is the amount of signs in this country. There are signs for everything. And it has apparently always been like that. Peter Ackroyd wrote in his book "London - the biography" that the signs in 18th century London were so plentiful and so large that they touched those on the opposite side of the street and blocked out the sky, as well as falling down on and injuring or killing innocent passers-by on the street below.

The signs aren't quite as dangerous anymore, but still abundant, and there seem to be no occasion to insignificant to honor with a sign.

When the family went to Dad's Day Out - an event sporting supercars driving at insane speed, high-flying motorbikes and all sorts of real dangers at Dunsfold (where the TopGear race track is) - we got quite confused by a large sign saying "Warning Trip Hazard".








We looked everywhere for some dangerous drop, and couldn't believe that the trip hazard warned about was the edge of the asphalt and a power cord...










I quite often find myself looking for burst water mains or leaking roofs because of yellow signs saying "Caution - Wet Floor" with a man violently slipping backwards on them. I have seldom found anything I could slip on when passing one of those signs.

I encountered one of the most interesting displays of signs at the local tip. In one corner of the premises, someone had placed some stairs not really going anywhere. And at the top of the stairs - two signs telling the visitor about the danger of falling from height, and that you shouldn't climb on hand. Climb on hand?

The signs here are almost always food for thought. I'm still pondering what the following two signs from the same tip mean.

What does lost time accident mean? And of what is it that I have recycled 71%? 

All in all, I really appreciate the signs. I do understand that they are there to help people find what they are looking for, or to prevent them from hurting themselves. In Sweden, in the country's quest for efficiency, only the bare minimum of directional signs and almost no warning signs at all are displayed. I guess the message to visitors to Sweden is "Fail once and never again".