The parking lot for the No. 1 Gate to Chaoyang Park in the city of Beijing has a blue sign prominently displayed at its north entrance. While it isn’t “blockin’ out the scenery” or “breakin’ minds,” the sign has gotten a lot of attention recently. It lists 13 prohibited actions that are not allowed within the confines of the parking lot, and includes pictograms of those prohibited actions to help people of all ages and cultures understand the rules of the parking lot.

The 13 things that can't be done in this parking lot include: littering, setting off fireworks, fixing or testing cars, practicing driving a car, picking flowers, honking horns, roller skating, flying a kite, making graffiti, climbing the guardrail, storing or bearing firearms or explosives, playing football, taking pets on walks, peddling or hawking goods, and setting a bonfire. We can probably all get behind most of these rules, though we would like to meet the people who thought a parking lot would be the best place to find wild flowers.

Ms Liu, the parking attendant of the lot, explains. "Flying a kite is not allowed mainly due to safety concerns. We are also concerned that the kite strings will get tangled in the branches of the tree." Liu also adds, "The purpose of this warning sign is first and foremost for the convenience of our clients; it is a substitute for a former sign that was too wordy and long. Now, this sign can be understood at a glance. This sign helps maintain regulations as it guarantees the safety within the parking lot."

Ms Zhang, whose company manufactures warning signs, explains how these signs get made. "The specific content of a sign is usually determined by the respective management that orders the sign; there are no limitations as to what can be put on the sign. By and far, the manufacturer will usually make the sign to the specifications of the management of the parking lot."

When this parking lot was erected in 2010, there were many residents nearby and it attracted football playing children, and so the area became a safety concern. No word so far as to how many people tried to bring firearms and explosives into the parking lot but were dissuaded by the sign at the last minute.

Source: iFeng

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Keywords: Beijing Parking Sign