Wednesday, July 2, 2008

Foolish Consistency is the Hobgoblin of Little Minds


I'm not sure that Ralph Waldo Emerson ever visited France. But if he had, he wouldn't have had to deal with any of that pesky consistency that he railed against. Just when you think you've got things figured out, you realize that's an illusion. Take these machines selling subway and bus tickets above. Yes, they stand side by side and sell the exact same wares. But, there is one important difference. The one on the left does not take bills, only coins and credit cards.

Next up, traffic signals for pedestrians. These two photos were taken but a few blocks apart.

Why the attitude of Mr. Don't Walk on the lower sign? Perhaps it's confidence. On other hand, maybe he's just ticked off that he didn't have enough loose change to buy a carnet of subway tickets.

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