At last count, there were sixteen signs in our tiny kitchenette. This is just a sample of the madness. Not shown are the two signs near the sink, telling folks to wash out their recyclables. Nor the twelfty signs instructing people not to brew more than two pots of coffee at the same time. Thankfully, the sign on the front of the microwave, telling us that some kinds of pigs are cute, but the kind that doesn’t clean up the microwave after using it isn’t one of them, has disappeared.
I sometimes get irritated by all the ridiculous signs–what are we, kindergarteners?–but I’m afraid that they are actually necessary. Unfortunately, the folks who need the signs are the ones who do not read them.
For example, we have an on-going problem with tripped circuits. If you turn on too many appliances at once, we lose power in the kitchen and will have to wait for maintenance folks to find time to reset the breaker for us. One of the offenders is the folks who insist on using the frigging tea kettle while the microwave is running. But it never fails that when I’m using the microwave, someone comes in and turns on the tea kettle. Instead of reaching over and turning the tea kettle off, I call them names (on the inside!) and turn off the microwave until they are finished. You’d think they’d get a clue at the precise moment that I turn off the microwave. You’d be wrong.
But wait! It gets better! The microwave is plugged into a power strip. This is to keep it from getting zapped in a power surge, only it’s a cheap-assed power strip, and they are not effective. Not to mention that it’s unsafe to put an appliance that pulls that sort of power on a flimsy power strip.
red paper boat 