What I hate...

Well "hate" is too strong a word... but what drives me to distraction is when simple systems are designed to fail.

I walk my dogs in large park in Sydney that has designated "off-leash" areas (meaning that dogs can be let off the leash as long as they are kept under control). In one particular part of the park, there is a huge area that attracts a lot of people walking their dogs. This picture depicts only a part of this area! On many days there can be more than 35 dogs off the leash in this area. The dogs have a fantastic time playing and chasing each other, and it is a real community with people knowing all the regular dogs and people - quite a social event for all concerned.

In the middle of this huge area is a section in which dogs are not allowed - it is a commemorative pavilion and very appropriate that dogs should not be allowed there. My problem with it is the way dogs are excluded - there is a metal plaque embedded in the ground (see picture below) with a diagram of a dog with a line through it and an arrow pointing the direction in which dogs are not allowed.


Do they think that dogs can read?