OT: Laundry symbols

When I still ran a business, the HSE inspector was unhappy that I had not removed the signs that read EXIT, when putting up next to them the graphic signs that had recently become mandatory. As the graphic signs were there, he couldn't list the text signs as a failure to comply.

On holiday in Greece, a few years ago, I spotted plenty of signs that said EXODUS

I'm waiting for the day when the H&S laws say that it is *wrong* to display the English word alongside the icon, on the grounds that it discriminates against anyone who does not understand English. It'll happen, one day, I bet.

Thomas Prufer

Yes. The steam train sign is clearly a train, at a glance, without any extra thought needed. The fact that people are no longer used to steam trains doesn't really matter, as there are many not at all obvious signs that people have to learn for their theory test anyway - such as No Vehicles Carrying Explosives; No Waiting; No Stopping; No Vehicles Except Bicycles Being Pushed.

One site I have been on has various different alarm, with the traditional bell sound meaning fire, leave by the nearest exit, do not run and another one meaning follow the green arrows, do not use the nearest exit, RUN!

Unfortunately, I am constantly amazed at how much technology that we take for granted is unknown by the younger generation. E.g, when the BBC changed the normal digital clock in the corner of the screen to an analogue one in honour of the BBC Centenary, youngsters were asking what that strange symbol was?

(echoes of The Four Yorkshiremen sketch). Also of Fred Dibnah rolling in his grave).

What does an electric train look like? How does it differ from a bus?

A steam engine looks like a steam engine.

"4:25? Wait until the big hand is next to the upside down Roman five."

So use Chinese symbols. They're non-language dependant (if you speak one of the Chinese languages).

Nope, not with road signs and other signs like public toilets etc.

Not with road signs and other signs like public toilets and car dash boards etc.

Because they are better in some situations like road signs and other signs like public toilets and car dash boards etc and where those that need to use them don't share a common language and there isnt space for multiple languages with with a car dashboard.

Sort of. But what you they actually *mean*?

I know what the "play" symbol looks like, but it mean that it is supposed to be playing now, or that I have to tap it to make it play?

Sure, but the difference is that with a PC you can hover over the icon and get a popup that spells out the function in words.

Much worse with a smartphone where it isnt even possible to hover over the icon and get a popup.

It happened many years ago, when "NO ENTRY" was removed from the road signs that were a red circle with a white line across the middle. (Could confuse foreigners.)

Our three children (aged 19, 17, 15) all have analogue watches and we have three analogue clocks - two of them are even clockwork ones! We are actually quite a techy household, except for the watches and clocks.

alan_m snipped-for-privacy@admac.myzen.co.uk> wrote

Yeah, that's becoming much more common now.

Sure, there will always be f***ed instructions, even with only words used.

And devices that are f***ed by design.

A nearly head-on view of a curved train with a pantograph. It is recognisably not a bus, but not as different as the UK sign. It could also be construed as a tram.

Definitely.

Press to play, with the square being press to stop and the double quotes being press to pause. After that it gets more difficult, because some use the play button and some use the pause button to release the pause again. My TV set-top boxes allow either, although I have to press Play, Play.

and the words are probably in Ch-english.