General Chat

Has anyone noticed how discriminating the triangular road sign is that has an image of 2 "elderly bent forward, persons" holding a stick?Think it has the written word Elderly above them?
My father is 80 this year, is still working and very active. he drives, walks and has no stick! The council have made an assumption that "elderly"people walk around with hunched, bent shoulders and all use a stick.
What an insult to the many"elderly" people(like my father) who do not represent this sign!
As someone who is now over 55, I also get mailshots sent to me advertising holidays, cheaper car insurance etc for the over 55's. I don't mind if the deals are good, but the photo in one of the adverts, shows a couple both with grey hair who look well up in their 60 's.

They too have made an assumption that just bcause we are over 55, we should look"old"...lol
Does anyone else have an opinion on this? or am I the only one to notice these things?

Florence
in the Hebrides.

PS I'm still around but have moved house, hence been a bit busy and not been on here for ages.
:-) :-) :-)

I've got grey hair, but then, It's been coming since I was 40 :-S
I turned 55 and decided I really couldn't be bothered dying it any more!

It's strange that over 55's are considered old - yet the retirement age has gone up!

Some new 'extra care' flats are being built near here - they're for over 55's - so, if you can afford an overpriced flat at 55, you deserve 'extra care', but if you didn't have/haven't got money - you can just slog it out until you drop :-| :-|

Do you think the sign is a good indicator for visitors who can't read English?

They can't be mistaken that they need to be more alert because there are older people around who maybe take longer to cross the road.

These signs are usually in the 'right' places? ie by homes, hospitals, or bungalows specifically for senior citizens. It's a recogniseable symbol for drivers.

Personally anything that slows the b*****s down when they are driving at me as I hobble across the road ( no stick, but with arthritis and sciatica and grey hair lol) is fine by me :-)

it doesn't worry me ...............


it is the universal sign used in many areas of the world as a warning to drivers to take care.

Certainly nothing to get agitated about, in my opinion


why worry about something so slight??

Enjoy the benefits of getting cheap deals for the over 50s or over 55s




sylvia
........... over 70, white haired, walks with a cane, and sometimes bent over with pain (OA)

Personally I think they are very old fashioned as they have been on the sides of the roads for yonks.
There is one of those signs right opposite a Cemetery where I used to live in Otley.
But there is only me that has complained to the council to move it.

We have become a nation of Victor Meldrew worriers.

They are a bit old fashioned aren't they, and it appears the 'Spring Chicken' website agrees with Florence!
In 2015 alternatives were put forward:

https://www.springchicken.co.uk/pages/signofthetimes

The signs don't bother me in the slightest, to me they denote infirm people who need extra time to cross the road etc

Lizx

The signs don't bother me really, even though they are not representative of probably the majority of older people today. However they are instantly recognisable for what they are. Do they slow people down? I doubt it, even 20 mph signs don't do that sadly.

There have been several tries at getting them changed in the past. :-)

Thanks for your replies..Sorry if I offended anyone...certainly didn't intent to do that. Thanks Maggie..i had not heard about the site so paid it a visit. Yes some of the new signs would be better....

I agree that for vistors without English, the sign is self explanatory but really a speed limit should be enough, although Ann there are a lot of speedy drivers who carry on speeding regardless of where they are.

I'm not turning into a Victor Meldrew but it just seems now ive reached over 55, suddenly I'm depicted as old and grey, which I know some people turn grey early and are quite happy about it. But it stems from years ago where grey hair somehow signified you were not a "spring chicken"anymore whereas today, many people in their 80's dye their hair to keep them looking young(my dear mother and aunt included!)

Sue just realised your comment! Crikey out of respect that sign should be removed! What possessed them to put it near a cemetery...

Florence
in the hebrides :-)

my 90 year old father just started used a stick and although he doesn't walk bent over he is starting too, because he is using his stick :-(

Am I offended by the signs no, am I offended that people call me dear and sweetheart, no. I live in a town were half the people are seniors,, so am used to them. blocking the road while 'running', or hobbling across them, or driving their wheelchairs across them, I need one of those motorized ones!

Grey hair means nothing now - Grey is the new blonde :-D :-D
Quite a few youngsters around here have dyed their hair grey.
I've even put wash-out black 'highlights' in mine :-D

Grey hair is distinguished looking, but not as distinguished as white....better than bald.

I am 82 but it doesn't really bother me.I know a lot of folk who are my age are like that .I have a neighbour same age as me who is the image of that sign.

I suppose I am lucky that I still get about,drive,look after other elderly people and play piano in a band,etc.

I may get that way sooner rather than later,but images don't worry me.I do find that people are sensitive to the way they are portrayed and take things personally.

The sign close to the cemetery appeals to my sense of humour, the same as being held up by a bin lorry emptying a dustbin full of ashes. This was at the entrance to the crematorium. (It was my Dads funeral - he'd have chuckled as well :-D)

When do you become 'old'? It isn't limited by age or infirmity but by state of mind. MiL turned her nose up at the idea of a luncheon club; they were only for old people. She was 90 at the time.

A speed limit is not enough, the speed limit in a built up area is NOT enough warning that there might be old people ( or children) crossing. That is why a kid got thrown into the air here while going to school a few months ago. I assume he was crossing the road at probably double the speed I do. Am I offended by any sign that might save my life or someone else's? No of course not.


re the cemetery sign.... who is most likely to walk across a road to and from a cemetery? elderly people who, whilst they may want to visit the grave of a loved one, are in no particular hurry to join them there!


:-S

A 20mph speed limit for all side roads would do more good, save more lives and injuries, save the nhs loadsa money than any other single measure. Old people / young people welded to iphones, kids, especially would benefit. A few UK cities have implemented the measure. Why not the rest?

I agree with you. A 20 mph speed limit on all side roads would definitely be a good step in saving lives, Rollo.

We have three local primary schools near here. None has a 20 mph restriction and there have been some near misses when school comes out.

Also, while there is no parking in the immediate vicinity of the nearest school on the school side of the road, one doesn't have to go too far along before finding cars parked both sides of the road at school pick-up times. I have seen buses unable to get through due to such stupidity but it would be interesting if a fire engine tried to pass at the wrong time - not a cat-in-hell's chance of it getting through!

Now and then, a parking officer walks along but only to check that people are not parked next to the school. I have never seen anyone leave notes or say anything to drivers who park blocking the road further along though. So I doubt that the parking officer has notified the police of that stupidity - no joined-up thinking yet again, Rollo.

I dunno................you park part on the pavement so that you don't block the road traffic, and pedestrians complain..!!

and park in the road so that pedestrians can use the pavements.........and fire engines and ambulances can't get by.........DOH! you just can't win!!!