I was in a little town today… smaller than a single McDonald’s. But it’s a proud town, so it has a McDonald’s.
In this little town, the traffic is more like a maze. There are tons of no-entry signs, detours, dead ends, and roundabouts. You can’t drive straight to your destination. I had to park 500 meters away and walk with my tools. But to leave the car, I found out I had to complete another quest. The town is so proud that all its parking is paid. In larger cities, it’s a bit better. Not only is it paid, but you can’t pay for parking via SMS, smartphone, or credit card. Only coins are accepted. To top it off, there are no bank branches or ATMs in the city center. Who would set up a bank branch in a place that’s so hard to reach?
The parking procedure took 1 hour. Find a place to park. Realize that there’s no money, try to leave. Make a couple of circles, finally break free. Look for an ATM. Find one. Withdraw some cash. Search for a store. Go in to exchange money. Return, wandering around, to the place where you can park. Park. Pay.
The proud little town is dotted with barriers that pop up from the asphalt, blocking the streets for outsiders. While I was there, “our people” made a rather forceful attempt to get through one of these barriers. Something just didn’t work for them, and after the terminal scanned their pass, the barrier, taking advantage of the moment, shot back up again. The bumper and radiator were crumpled. The police showed up, there were discussions, and a report was filed. I returned an hour later to find that the barrier had been dealt with—everything was taken apart, and some technician was trying to fix it.
In the town, I came across a completely unique signpost. I even took a photo of it. This signpost is truly a symbol of the town, which sees the meaning of its progress in creating restrictions. The post had several prohibitory signs. Here’s a list:
- do not set up tents
- don’t ride a bicycle
- do not use extension ladders
- do not drink from the tap
- do not use the elevator
- do not back up (as much as I could interpret this sign)
- not to swim
- not to ride a skateboard
- do not turn right
- not to organize a car camping
- do not wash the car
- not to fish
- not to lie down
- not to water ski
- not to drink
- do not use spray cans
- no parking
- don’t buzz
- not pass
- do not use the flash
- not to ride horseback
- do not play music
- not to eat
- don’t drive a car
- do not drive a forklift
- do not launch fireworks
- do not walk
- do not give alms
- I don’t ride rollerblades.
- not using a mobile phone
- not to use payment cards
- not to set up tents (again)
- not to use computers
- not walking dogs
- not to use a pacemaker
- not to drive trucks
- don’t eat ice cream.