Grow Up!

"Seniors see red over 'old people crossing' sign" screams the headline in the World Net Daily article. The picture accompanying the story shows a London traffic sign warning that the area is an "Elderly People" crossing. The sign is a red bordered triangle depicting a stereotypical old couple, shuffling along, hunched over, the old woman hanging on her old man companion, who is only kept from falling over by his cane.

Predictably, senior citizen groups are in an uproar because the sign doesn't accurately portray the fitter, more active population of seniors wandering the streets these days.

No kidding.

The depiction is not flattering, but then it isn't intended to be. Drivers are not being advised to keep an eye out for seventy year old decathletes who make forty-something blog authors seem near death. The sign is intended to advise that this is an area where drivers have a high probability of encountering pedestrians who are likely older and likely to be incapable of clearing the crosswalk in a timely manner. The sign very clearly and succinctly conveys that message in a manner that anyone can comprehend.

As a society, we are becoming conditioned to ferret out any possible offense in every situation. If it isn't immediately apparent on the surface the offensive message will no doubt be discernible if only we dig a little deeper.

Grow up. Please. This sign is no more offensive to seniors than are the signs warning that children play in a given area (not all of them will run into the street - should that sign be banned also?), or deaf children are in an area (not all children there are deaf - isn't that offensive to those who are afflicted with an aural detection capacity?), or school children could potentially be crossing ahead (because being on their way to school they are too ignorant to look both ways before crossing?).

Not every person in a given area will fit the characteristics of the class drivers are being alerted to be vigilant for. For those who don't belong to the group in question - great! For those who do, they would probably appreciate not being run down by an impatient or inattentive driver. Those same drivers will no doubt appreciate not doing the running over.

Ultimately, how many of us lead lives so cushy that how Less Than Fully Active and Capable Citizens of Advancing Chronology are depicted on traffic safety signs rises up to the level of serious issues to be tackled?