Pick Your Poison
I saw this sign posted on the wall while I was waiting for an elevator on the 19th floor of a building:
Is it saying that the chemicals in the area contain tobacco smoke, and that tobacco smoke is known to cause cancer? Because I'd bet that people outside of California knew that.
Or is it saying that there are many carcinogenic and birth defect-causing chemicals in "this area," and tobacco smoke is just one of them? If that's the case, I'm thinking they should put more effort into keeping the chemicals out of their elevator waiting areas, and less effort into making signs.
In any case, the stairs got much more attractive after I read this. But then I figured that I had already been standing there for a couple minutes while reading, taking a picture of, and thinking about the sign, so I had already been exposed.
Comments
Toni said:
How nice of them to detain you, by reading the sign! Just to further expose you! *cough*cough*
Radioactive Jam said:
There's a similar warning (for LEAD) on cell phone accessories. Those crazy Californians! What will they think of next?
Jon said:
I guess my biggest problem with this sign is that it starts with "This area..." instead of, "The area you are about to enter..."
I guess I'm kind of old school like that. I always thought that a warning was there to help you avoid something potentially dangerous.
By the way, can I get a qualifier on this? There is something that has been left as a bit of a question mark... were you actually in California when you read this sign? Otherwise, I have to assume that you're in New York somewhere being warned by the Californians about various carcinogenic chemicals, including tobacco smoke. The fact that tobacco smoke is present indoors leads me to believe that you're not in California as all smoking indoors has been outlawed here... although now I can't help but wonder if you were in a factory so heavily polluted with carcinogenic chemicals, they might be a little lax about that whole "no smoking indoors " thing as they might figure that it's the least of your worries...
Lia said:
Stairs are always good.
Other than that, I believe Jon has already covered my early-morning, pre-caffeine reactions to that sign.
Jonathan said:
Ok, Since Jon covered my question about location and I still wanted to contribute to the discussion I looked up the Health & Safety Code 25249.6.
What I found was California Safe Drinking Water and Toxics Enforcement Act of 1986 - http://www.oehha.ca.gov/prop65/law/P65law72003.html
25249.6. Required Warning Before Exposure To Chemicals Known to Cause Cancer Or Reproductive Toxicity. No person in the course of doing business shall knowingly and intentionally expose any individual to a chemical known to the state to cause cancer or reproductive toxicity without first giving clear and reasonable warning to such individual, except as provided in Section 25249.10
Based on this, I believe you might have cause for a law suit. As Jon pointed out the sign did not warn you prior to entering the area. They might have a loop hole however - "course of doing business". Were you there for business or pleasure?
Lianne said:
I love that the sign says that.. and you aren't in California. Do people in NY blame everything on California?
cadiz12 said:
copyeditors don't just check for grammar, but would totally have been all over this issue. everybody needs one; and that goes double for people in charge of signs.
Syar said:
Why no skull and crossbones? Maybe graphics could have saved this sign. Like a mutated baby with three eyes doing battle with a cigarette.
No Cool Story said:
Something like "Abandon hope all ye who enter here" and Syar's idea for skull and crossbones would help that sign.
"Fly you fools!" comes to mind also.
Carrot Jello said:
Wait...smoking causes cancer? I don't live in California. We didn't get the memo.
wendela said:
I had no idea us Californians were looking after the health of the whole nation. Sheesh. No wonder everything's such a mess. We tend to be a self-absorbed lot, ya know. Wait, that's just us SOUTHERN Californians. If the north's looking out for you, I guess you have a better shot.
elasticwaistbandlady said:
I don't want to get all personal with you Omar, but, ummmm, did standing in such a toxic place do any 'reproductive' harm to you? Maybe I should ask your wife.
cadiz12 said:
cali is where the green is-- i heard something about san fran banning to-go styro boxes and paper cups at coffeeshops.
glo said:
Welcome to Cali, man. The car I just bought had no fewer than 3 of those signs (not about tobacco smoke, obviously - but about, wait for it, gasoline) scattered about the interior. My muffins have that warning. If it's possible to sue, a Californian has done so and, thus, we have silly signs everywhere.