Thought of the Day 09.21.09

On the expressway this morning, I saw one of my most-despised bumper stickers. It was on a dump truck, and it proclaimed in very official-looking bright yellow, “Not responsible for damage caused by road debris.”

Now, I don’t everything about the law, but I’m pretty certain that legal obligations can’t actually be avoided simply by saying, “Not it.” If they could, just imagine the profit potential in a line of products bearing the message, “By the power of this magical sign, I am no longer responsible for anything.” Unfortunately, I can’t see a judge saying, “Yes, he did drop a piano on your dog, but he WAS wearing that sign.”

Mockery aside, this tailgate sticker offends me because it tacitly admits that dump trucks, by their very presence on the road, raise the risks to me and my property while the owners want to avoid all responsibility for that elevated danger. This isn’t just childish, but truly contrary to the basic principles of civilization. As my friend once put it, “Hey, man, we’re trying to have a society here.”