It's easier to put up a sign than to fix stuff :)

[nomoss]

We're all used to signs warning of chausée deformée (damaged road surface) - I'd better include translations rather than be accused of arrogance and showing off superiority in using French words by those of a sensitive nature - , which are virtually permanent fixtures on roads which never get repaired. France must be one of the only countries in the world having permanent signs indicating that the roads are in need of repair, although I believe the UK roads are in a similar perilous state.

Locally, we are treated to a (now-fading) sign warning of affaisement (subsidence) on arrival at a river bridge having an alarming hollow where it ends, and another, advertising nids de poule (potholes) on a nearby stretch of road, finally removed after at least 2 years.

However, yesterday, I was cycling a voie vert (green way, old railway route), and on approaching a 400 m long tunnel, at the last moment saw a sign warning that the lights were "unreliable" (don't recall the exact wording).

I continued for 30 metres or so, as the first light was working, but was soon plunged into pitch darkness, as the next 3 or 4 lights, at about 25 metre intervals, had only a faint mauve glow from their burnt-out fluorescent tubes.

The interior of the tunnel was black, I was wearing sunglasses, my trail bike doesn't have lights, and I suddenly realised that it is near impossible to ride a bicycle with no visual reference, and fell off, damaging a knee quite badly.

I realise that to change light tubes in a tunnel requires a bit more than a bloke with a ladder, but surely paying a local electrician to replace them would be a better solution than manufacturing special enamel signs and paying someone to stick them up, while failing to fix the problem?

[richard51]

Agreed, Nomoss, but because of the sign you will not be able to sue.

Perhaps France is catching up!!

[nomoss]

[quote user="richard51"]Agreed, Nomoss, but because of the sign you will not be able to sue.

Perhaps France is catching up!![/quote]

That occurred to me, but in view of the fact that I remember chausée déformée signs from back in the sixties, they are probably way ahead[:D]

[richard51]

Yep.

[andyh4]

You have my full sympathies but I can see someone thinking, I only need to put up two signs and the job is done, whereas I will have to change the tubes endlessly - such is the modern and warped world we live in.

[nomoss]

[quote user="andyh4"]You have my full sympathies but I can see someone thinking, I only need to put up two signs and the job is done, whereas I will have to change the tubes endlessly - such is the modern and warped world we live in.[/quote]

Thanks Andy.

And I fully understand why they'd rather cover their own @rses than save mine[:(]

[Chancer]

You can add to that the "fermeture exceptionnelle" signs, (anyone who needs that translating needs more than help!) that are anything but exceptionnelle [:'(]

 

Our Office de Tourisme is open sans interruption yet has had the same very tatty handwritten fermeture exceptionnelle sign hanging on the door for 2 hours every lunch-time for the last 13 years to my knowledge and probably a lot longer.

 

Their lunches are certainly sans interruption [:P]