TOO MUCH TIME ON THEIR HANDS...
Wednesday, August 20, 2008 at 09:45AM 
The sign, depicting a hunched figure hobbling on a walking stick, was the winning entry in a children's competition in 1981.
Now after 27 years, it is regarded as out of date, condescending and in need of replacement. Age Concern described the figure as outmoded.
"Very few older people are hunched over, with a walking stick. They are assuming everyone who is old looks like that, and they don't," said Lizzy McLennan, a senior policy officer at the charity.
My goodness but these people must have little else to complain about. I don't see how this sign is in any way offensive but let me ask you what do you think would make a more contemporary roadsign to warn drivers of the elderly crossing the road? I am suprised that the gay lobby have not asked for the signs to be more representative of the elderly transgendered and gay lesbian community. Also what about those elderly who do use walking aids - are they being patronised by having their image removed?
View Printer Friendly Version
Reader Comments (15)
"They are assuming everyone who is old looks like that, and they don't,"
They do realise that signs by their very nature can't portray what everyone looks like?
No doubt many old people are active and maintain a good body posture, but seeing as the purpose of the signs in to make people aware that there might be frail people crossing that isn't what drivers are supposed to be looking out for.
Surely someone in whatever department it is will have the guts to tell age concern to get stuffed.
Replace it?? ith what? Something depicting sprightly seniour citizens who by dint of being so, don't need anyone giving them extra time to cross!!!
I hope that this nonsence is long gone before I am old and frail and have to pretend I'm not.
Surely not every woman wheres a skirt so are we going to see toilet signs changed to show this.
Funny Seamus. In a bar in NYC following some politically correct legal battle a bar was forced to change its toilet signs to reflect that trannies must be allowed in the ladies even though other women complained. And if you forcibly remove them from the 'ladies' you wind up with a hefty fine. Is there any point where men dressing as women and being surgically altered is considered for the essentially wacko moronic practise that it is. Rather than us all pretending it's normal? Getting your penis inverted and shoved up your backside doesn't make you a woman. Anyway. Should be interesting to see them re design the loo signs in New York.
As for the elderly. What is their new amazing suggestion. A pot of anti wrinkle cream and a tub of viagra?
Always felt that the legal definition of a man should always be "Does this person have a Y Chromosone?" If Yes, then that person is a man, if No, then that person is a woman. Eunuchs are still men even if they don't have their meat and two veg.
On the subject of road signs I took this photo in Dublin, made me chuckle...
http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b342/DaithiO/DSC00015.jpg
DAITHI O.
"On the subject of road signs I took this photo in Dublin, made me chuckle...
http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b342/DaithiO/DSC00015.jpg"
BLIND PROPLE TRAINING
A perfectly plausable sign.
Any good Irish person would realise that meant there were visually challenged people getting into (not on to, that's very difficult even for for sighted people to do) a railway car so as to be transported to the cinima. It's ok. The cinimas in Ireland are required to use braille cinima screens now.
I had a visually challenge friend once from America. Every time he left to go back to the States his last words were SEE YA! That always left me a little confused.
Speaking of Dublin signs, they're mostly gone now, but in city centre they use to have signs like: TO THE SOUTH or TO THE WEST, etc. They really were helpful to visitors who hadn't a clue which direction Limerick or galway was in.
In the States we just put up a picture of McCain crossing the street to signify the elderly.
Being one of the elderly but active heterosexual male variety myself, I would ask the average ATW reader to imagine (but no further please) the type of signage required by the ageing-gay-and-infirm lobby to warn motorists, or indeed any one else for that matter, of their comings or goings!
Mike - you seem to be discussing the pole rather than the sign.
I would suggest a pair of dentures (false teeth) to symbolize the elderly. A pair of dentures with a pair of sissors (or a scalpel) for the symbol of the elderly transgendered. A pair of dentures with a pair of sunglasses for the symbol of the elderly blind. The combinations are endless!
I had a visually challenge friend once from America. Every time he left to go back to the States his last words were SEE YA! That always left me a little confused.
I have a friend in a wheelchair who constantly talks about walking down the street. lol.
You have to understand that we of the baby-boom generation are now getting to be the oldsters. We will not stand being depicted as infirm, and we will invent all sorts of gadgets and medications for ourselves to help smooth our way to the beyond. We're not old, dammit!! We don't look like that...do we??
Oh yes we do!
I was afraid of that! lol.