Correct Grammer or Context?

[hairlessupportmonkey]

I saw a sign in a petrol station that stated

"All petrol thefts will be prosecuted"

Now technically I would have thought that the petrol thief would be prosecuted and not the theft itself.

So in my little mind

"All Petrol thieves will be prosecuted" should be the correct statement?

True or False?

ACSS - SME
General Geek

 

[CajunCenturion]

True. You're not prosecuting the act, you're prosecuting the person.

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[DrB0b]

I understand that "All Petrol thieves will be prosecuted" is a more accurate sounding statement although i believe the initial isn't incorrect.

Logically it entails that the "theft of Petrol" is the action that will be prosecuted, not that the theft is what is being prosecuted over the thief.

"You don't know what you got, till its gone..
80's hair band Cinderella or ode to data backups???

 

[hairlessupportmonkey]

Perhaps this is why it is merely a statement rather than a sentence? The wording is too concise to have any great meaning or logic?

ACSS - SME
General Geek

 

[SamBones]

I have a similar issue with signs on the roads here. Along with the speed limit signs, there is often a sign that reads, "RADAR Enforced". My take on it is that RADAR can detect that you are speeding, but it can't actually enforce it. Enforcement requires someone with a badge in a car to pull you over and write you a ticket.

Another one is a sign with the silhouette of an airplane saying "Speed enforced by aircraft". I have yet to be pulled over by a Cessna.

 

[CajunCenturion]

==> Perhaps this is why it is merely a statement rather than a sentence?
It is a complete sentence. To prosecute an act is to carry out that act to completion, as in prosecuting a war. In other words, if they're going to prosecute the theft of petrol, they might as well steal it all.

I think we all know that's not what they mean, but that is what they said.

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[SantaMufasa]

This reminds me of the fellow dumping trash at the side of the road when an officer of the law pulls over and says, "Why are you dumping trash? Can't you read the sign?"

The perpetrator says, "I dumping here because the sign says, 'Fine for dumping.' "

You cannot argue with his precise interpretation.

Mufasa
(aka Dave of Sandy, Utah, USA)
“People may forget what you say, but they will never forget how you made them feel.

 

[BadBigBen]

I have a similar issue with signs on the roads here. Along with the speed limit signs.

hmmm, I too have at times problems with the speed limit signs, they just don't reflect the speed that I am driving... ;-)

Ben
"If it works don't fix it! If it doesn't use a sledgehammer..."
How to ask a question, when posting them to a professional forum.
Only ask questions with yes/no answers if you want "yes" or "no"

 

[SamBones]

The perpetrator says, "I dumping here because the sign says, 'Fine for dumping.' "

The officer pulled me over for going the wrong way on a one way street. He said, "Didn't you see the sign saying this is a one way street?" I said, "But officer, I was only going one way!"

Ba-dump-bump!

 

[DrB0b]

Slow children Playing" vs what the sign should read, "Slow, Children Playing." Amazing what a comma can do.

"You don't know what you got, till its gone..
80's hair band Cinderella or ode to data backups???

 

[SantaMufasa]

"Slow children Playing" vs what the sign should read, "Slow, Children Playing." Amazing what a comma can do.

Many years ago, when our family was out driving and we encountered a "Slow Children At Play", one of my kids would invariably ask, "Why don't they ever warn drivers of 'Bright Children At Play'?"


Frankly, it doesn't take much more sign space to print, "Children At Play. Drive Slowly."

I have noticed that sign painters suffer from many of the same educational challenges as occur in other industries. Near our home, there is a standard "blue and white" sign with non-standard spelling: "HANDICAP ACCESSABLE". When I mentioned it to the property manager, he said that several people had brought that to his attention.

Mufasa
(aka Dave of Sandy, Utah, USA)
“People may forget what you say, but they will never forget how you made them feel.

 

[flapeyre]

I've always wondered if the "Deer Crossing" signs (they used to be spelled out, because US drivers could actually read and understand the signs back then - but I digress) means that deer are crossing, or is this a crossing for deer?

On the other hand, it could get a bit clumsy if, say, the Germans had to spell out their road signs (Geschwindigkeitsbegrenzung means "speed limit". Perhaps that's why the Autobahn... never mind).

-- Francis
The brain is a wonderful organ; it starts working the moment you get up in the morning, and does not stop until you get to the office.
--Robert Frost

 

[SantaMufasa]

I always wondered why the UK speed limit signs for 70 m.p.h. are a non-intuitive "(/)".

Mufasa
(aka Dave of Sandy, Utah, USA)
“People may forget what you say, but they will never forget how you made them feel.

 

[hairlessupportmonkey]

I see mad signs everywhere here in the UK too.

I grew up in NZ and when I arrived in the UK about 11 yrs ago, all the signs here bugged me, as they were all a bit silly with the lack of punctuation.

Maybe its only the "brighter" ones amongst us that pick up on this?
/strokes own ego

ACSS - SME
General Geek

 

[BadBigBen]

Perhaps that's why the Autobahn... never mind).

unfortunately, that no longer is true, as only a few road stretches have no speed limit, now...

the one road sign that always had me chuckling, was "No U turn". It always made me think, OK then I'll turn...

about the spelling on road signs, he he, some really should go back to school:

Santa, where you thinking along these lines:

when you mentioned the non-intuitive speed limit signs in the UK?

Ben
"If it works don't fix it! If it doesn't use a sledgehammer..."
How to ask a question, when posting them to a professional forum.
Only ask questions with yes/no answers if you want "yes" or "no"

 

[DansDadUK]

I always wondered why the UK speed limit signs for 70 m.p.h. are a non-intuitive "(/)".

The "(/)" is signifying the end of a more restrictive limit (which would have been given as a miles-per-hour' figure at the start of that limit), and a return to the 'national speed limit' (which has several values, depending on the type of road - 70 mph is the appropriate value for motorways and dual-carriageways).

 

[SantaMufasa]

Good explanation, DansDad. I was most amused when I'd see a (/) sign on a 1 1/2-lane country road that was barely wide enough for two cars to pass in opposite directions. In such case, what speed does the (/) represent when it is neither a motorway nor a dual carriageway?

Mufasa
(aka Dave of Sandy, Utah, USA)
“People may forget what you say, but they will never forget how you made them feel.

 

[DansDadUK]

what speed does the (/) represent when it is neither a motorway nor a dual carriageway?[/quote/

On single carriage-way roads, the national limit is 60 miles-per-hour.

I don't believe that there is any lower national limit for minor roads - I think that a specific limit would be imposed (and sign-posted) in those cases.

... and the 70 mph and 60 mph national limits I've mentioned are for ordinary cars - lower limits generally apply to other types of vehicle (e.g. articulated lorries, coaches, cars towing caravans or trailers, etc.)

 

[lbass]

In Massachusetts we have signs that say:

"Densely Populated"

--either as a point of demographic interest or requiring the readers to intuit that they should behave in a certain way, e.g., slow down--but why not say it directly?

Similarly:

"Blind Child"

I am always stymied by this sign:

"Left turn from left lane only"

Does it mean you can't go straight from the left lane, or
that you can't turn left from any other lane?

-LB

 

[CajunCenturion]

==> "Left turn from left lane only"
We've discussed the use on only and it applies to what immediately precedes it. That sentence means you can't turn left from any other lane.

If it were intended to mean that you can't go straight while in the left lane, then the only would be after left turn.
"Left turn only from left lane"


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Good Luck
To get the most from your Tek-Tips experience, please read
FAQ181-2886
Wise men speak because they have something to say, fools because they have to say something. - Plato