I read this sign as a call to accountability: don’t dump your issues, baggage, garbage, responsibilities or problems on anyone else because it’ll all just pile up, attract flies and fester in the still heat of disregard. Metaphorically speaking.
Most people don’t just dump; they dump and run. In fact, the act of running is inherent in the illegal-dumping phenomenon. Picture this:
You pull up to the curb in your flatbed truck, jump in the back and start hurling the boxes, mattresses, broken beach chairs and empty jugs of MD 20/20 all the while looking back over your shoulder and up the street to make sure that no one’s watching. After launching the last moldy Tupperware tub, you vault over the other side, land on the street in a Bruce Lee pose and scan the horizon for signs of headlights. Satisfied that you’re in the clear, you jump behind the wheel, hit the gas (the engine’s been running the whole time) and peel away into an evening graced by the relief of a lighter load.
You’ve won! You’ve fled the scene unseen! You’re a freakin’ Ninja!
No you haven’t and no you’re not; you’re a wuss. A baby. Worse yet, you’re delusional. Know why? Because on the bottom of one of those boxes is a copy of your electric bill. Name, address, amount past due–everything.
Won’t you have fun answering your door tomorrow.
People who deny accountability are, in effect, doing the same thing: dumping their personal…um…stuff on the side of the road with the expectation that someone else will come along and clear it away. But you can’t really dump your problems–not really. They always find their way back to you–until you properly dispose of them yourself.
So…No Dumping. Another of life’s lessons in a road sign.
By the way, here’s a local version of the sign from my neighborhood:
Looks like the “No Dumping” sign’s been dumped on.
Babies.
How do you read it?
This is great, thanks Steve. It is always difficult to explain to staff why everyone needs to be accountable in an interesting way. There will be a no dumping sign up in our office after I meet with the staff tomorrow morning.
This is great, thanks Steve. It is always difficult to explain to staff why everyone needs to be accountable in an interesting way. There will be a no dumping sign up in our office after I meet with the staff tomorrow morning.