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Author Topic: Punctuation matters  (Read 2894 times)

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Kuildeous

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Punctuation matters
« on: July 06, 2015, 12:04:56 pm »
+1

Here's a case where understanding punctuation got someone out of a ticket (eventually).

http://www.kshb.com/news/how-understanding-basic-punctuation-got-an-ohio-woman-out-of-a-parking-ticket

When I saw the sign, I thought this was going to be a case about the Oxford comma. Nope, it's a legit court case, and I interpreted the sign the same way she did. Use your damned commas, people.
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DG

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Re: Punctuation matters
« Reply #1 on: July 06, 2015, 01:40:59 pm »
0

Would you still feel the woman was still in the right if her parking had caused an accident? Would you excuse her from using common sense and still blame the sign maker?
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liopoil

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Re: Punctuation matters
« Reply #2 on: July 06, 2015, 01:45:58 pm »
0

If you aren't allowed to park motor vehicles or non-motor vehicles, what are you allowed park anyway?
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A Drowned Kernel

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Re: Punctuation matters
« Reply #3 on: July 06, 2015, 01:57:21 pm »
+2

I think the point is that the sign was poorly worded to the point where she legitimately misunderstood it, and that in that case it's the sign-maker's responsibility as much as if parking there was prohibited during certain hours and they printed "AM" instead of "PM".
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UmbrageOfSnow

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Re: Punctuation matters
« Reply #4 on: July 06, 2015, 02:02:28 pm »
+1

It's absolutely the correct decision, I'd interpret the sign the same way she did.

And a lot of signs around me are atrocious.  Signs about laws/ordinances should be unambiguous.
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Kuildeous

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Re: Punctuation matters
« Reply #5 on: July 06, 2015, 02:54:04 pm »
+4

Would you still feel the woman was still in the right if her parking had caused an accident? Would you excuse her from using common sense and still blame the sign maker?

Why wouldn't I? I don't know enough about campers to know whether or not a non-"motor vehicle camper" is a real thing. Apparently it's not. I didn't know. She might not have known either.

This is why signs need to be clear. There are instances where common sense can trump a sign. For example, a Yield sign on an on ramp that gets hit by a car so that it is now facing highway traffic instead of the ramp is very obviously meant for the ramp. You see enough of those that you can make an informed decision that you still should yield to highway traffic.

I don't know what that monstrosity is. In fact, looking at it, I have to wonder why they didn't just make it "No parking for more than 24 hours." What is allowed to be there? Perhaps they should have said X parking only instead of this weird list of exceptions.
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Drab Emordnilap

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Re: Punctuation matters
« Reply #6 on: July 06, 2015, 03:32:33 pm »
+1

A non-"motor vehicle camper" is a tent, right?
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Kuildeous

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Re: Punctuation matters
« Reply #7 on: July 06, 2015, 03:55:51 pm »
0

A non-"motor vehicle camper" is a tent, right?

I would not argue that.
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sitnaltax

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Re: Punctuation matters
« Reply #8 on: July 07, 2015, 07:07:43 pm »
+5

Motor vehicle camper:



Non-motor-vehicle camper:


I agree with the woman's reading. Given that the restriction is for 24 hours, it's clear that it's not a traffic safety issue. I took it to mean that they don't want people parking RVs and camping in that location.
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jaketheyak

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Re: Punctuation matters
« Reply #9 on: July 07, 2015, 07:43:13 pm »
0

I agree with the woman's reading. Given that the restriction is for 24 hours, it's clear that it's not a traffic safety issue. I took it to mean that they don't want people parking RVs and camping in that location.

Forget about commas.
If that is what they were trying to achieve the sign should have read:

No Camping
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eHalcyon

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Re: Punctuation matters
« Reply #10 on: July 07, 2015, 08:27:51 pm »
+4

I agree with the woman's reading. Given that the restriction is for 24 hours, it's clear that it's not a traffic safety issue. I took it to mean that they don't want people parking RVs and camping in that location.

Forget about commas.
If that is what they were trying to achieve the sign should have read:

No Camping

To be more accurate, it should say "No camping for more than 24 hours".  Gotta let people spawn in peace.
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Kuildeous

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Re: Punctuation matters
« Reply #11 on: July 07, 2015, 09:23:54 pm »
0

I agree with the woman's reading. Given that the restriction is for 24 hours, it's clear that it's not a traffic safety issue. I took it to mean that they don't want people parking RVs and camping in that location.

Forget about commas.
If that is what they were trying to achieve the sign should have read:

No Camping

To be more accurate, it should say "No camping for more than 24 hours".  Gotta let people spawn in peace.

Damn scrubs.
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