HERE at the IND Fort Hamilton Parkway station on the IND serving the F and G lines, we have a case of unplanned redundancy in the fare control area. The MTA sign shop was commissioned to produce a simple black and white sign pointing to the northbound Manhattan platform, presumably to replace the tiled IND sign that was already in place, and no doubt was going to simply be mounted above the tiled sign, which couldn’t be removed without a lot of bother.
However, covering the “offending”, i.e. nonstandard tiled sign would also be a lot of bother, as a number of electric conduits run along the wall. Thus, the black and white sign was placed alongside the original tiled sign, producing an unplanned redundancy.
The pair, seen together, is the MTA’s way of saying, “I know you’re there, and you will be dealt with at our first opportunity.”
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6/11/24
7 comments
Many years ago, one of my first cars was a very used 1966 Chevy. The red dashboard check engine light always came on. I couldn’t afford to do all the necessary repairs, so I put a piece of black tape over the red light and the problem went away. I’m surprised that the MTA didn’t use black tape here.
Kenneth: 1966 model year vehicles didn’t have “check engine’ warning lights. Amber (not red) “check engine” warning lights were introduced when electronic fuel injection replaced carburation circa 1982. The red light you saw on a 1966 vehicle was probably an “idiot light” that was warning you about alternator failure, overheating, low oil pressure or fuel level, or to remind you to release the parking brake. The “black tape” remedy was recommended by NPR radio hosts Tom & Ray Magliosi on their “Car Talk” series that more closely resembled standup comedy review than an advice show for nerds. In other words, they were insinuating that some audience members would rather use this “magical thinking” technique than go to a repair shop & face reality.
An “idiot light” it may have been; it’s too long ago to recall exactly what the intended message was. In any case, it was telling me that I had a problem. The real problem is that I didn’t have any money to make repairs, so I did the next best thing – I ignored it in the hope the car would not blow up or seize up. It could have been low oil pressure, as the car drank oil. Every time I was going to use the car, I checked the oil level and added it, as needed. It seemed as though I added oil more often than I purchased gas.
Although you don’t live on MI’s Upper Penisula, I’m sure you’ll identify with & enjoy this song:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aeZ0BUc3kMw
The black-on-white sign is, I believe, an Americans With Disabilities Act compliance sort of thing. Visually impaired people supposedly read that sort of sign easier. So, the MTA would put it up for that reason even if it is duplicative.
Manhattan Manhattan is the local version of New York New York.
From what I’ve seen on the news lately, the MTA would be well advised to spend their limited resources on safety rather than signage!