Here's a simple project that just might save your life

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I went to a paper supply store and bought a package of "official" looking bordered paper. I'm using my computer to print up QUARANTINE signs that may eventually go on our doors. May not work, but it just might cause predators to go on to someone else's house for fear of getting some unknown disease. Under the word quarantine (in the largest font that will fit), in smaller letters I printed "by order of the XXXXXX County Board of Health." At the right bottom I made a signature line, and under that, "Inspector, XXXXXX County Board of Health. I signed it with a fake name, then covered the whole thing with clear Contac paper. Who knows what silly thing might turn out to be important?

-- Pearlie Sweetcake (storestuff@home.now), December 01, 1999

Answers

Pearlie...I hope you did it in hot pink as quarantine signs (for disease) are always done in hot pink of red. Its one of those things I have been going to do and haven't gotten to it. I am also going to steal the logo from the local county and put on it. Thanks for the "remind me to get my butt in gear". Taz

-- Taz (Tassie123@aol.com), December 01, 1999.

Awesome post.

Done.

The seal can be used from a local government web page.

Oh, yeah, and save some of that red Christmas ribbon to cover the door areas next to your sign!

-- cgbg jr (cgbgjr@webtv.net), December 01, 1999.


You're assuming that most people can read, know what a quarantine is, and would observe one. In my community, that is a doubtful assumption.

-- L. Perreault (onesixalpha@gtemail.net), December 01, 1999.

I was wondering about such a project during one of my recent insomniac ceiling-gazing sessions. I was wondering what such a 'notice' might look like. Are they really hot pink? I'd thought yellow. Do you think it would be more effective if it mentioned a specific disease? What would be good... leprosy pops up occasionally... also bubonic plague. 'course, if you claim to have plague at your house, you'd need to fake a burial every so often.

Any ideas?

-- Arewyn (isitth@latealready.com), December 02, 1999.


I deliberately left off the disease so prospective intruders could assume the worst... whatever the worst is to them. Since my printer only prints in black, that's the color I used. The official county logo is a great idea, but I'm not technologically competent enough to retrieve and paste one in. My quarantine notice certainly wouldn't fool anyone who is knowledgable about such matters, but will only work if the intruder is exactly the sort of uneducated parasite who is most likely to attempt a breakin. The whole thing is a longshot, but it didn't cost much or take up much time.

-- Pearlie Sweetcake (storestuff@home.now), December 02, 1999.


Oh, yeah, don't forget that if the bad guys begin their entry despite your sign you can have everyone in the house start coughing as loudly as possible!

The more the merrier.

And if you do want to put a disease on the poster make one up. It should have a long name with lots of Latin-like syllables.

A few random numbers and letters strung together on the bottom of the page after the words: "Case No." might also add to the effect.

Have some fun!

;-)

-- cgbg jr (cgbgjr@webtv.net), December 02, 1999.


Hey Pearlie- Don't let the smart asses get to you! They most likly plan on being 'out of town', anyway! I like your idea, and plan to use it, only in Spanish. I live only an hour drive from NYC, and live in a rental that *3* families were evicted from 7 months ago ( it's less than 1G sg. ft.!) P.S. We renovated! Do what you have to do girl! I am! Let the nay-sayers open their own chat place!

-- kathy (catfish@bestweb.net), December 02, 1999.

If you could get hold of some of that police tape, that would help add to the authenticity. Oooh.. I love your idea. (Cough..Cough) I think I feel the plague coming on now.

-- Lisa (y2ker@aol.com), December 02, 1999.

If you can't get the genuine police tape, they sell red surveyor's tape at places like Lowes or Home Depot that looks like police tape without the writing on it.

Gerald

-- Gerald R. Cox (grcox@internetwork.net), December 03, 1999.


Also form the home-DIYer supply warehouses, one can often find rolls of plastic warning tapes, printed with things like CAUTION - DO NOT ENTER. I have a roll of it in bright red that reads DANGER - DO NOT ENTER that I bought at a Home Depot. (Look or ask for the surveyor's tapes as they're often with each other.)

Another viable option is to make use of OSHA biohazard signs. If you browse sign company websites you might see enough of them to derive your own. The more official it looks, even if it doesn't necessarily have a faked county health dept. placard with it, the more effective it'll be. (I printed a separate one that's a dead ringer for the real deal, as I went in to the county health dept. and asked for a copy, stating that I was goign to play a practical joke on a friend... gee, they sure are trusting around here...)

O d d O n e

-- OddOne (mocklamer_1999@yahoo.com), December 05, 1999.



You might consider using tuberculosis if you want to specify a disease on your sign. TB is on the rise and is becoming a legitimate health concern. It's serious, and can be spread through the air. People on the same bus or plane with a TB sufferer can test positive for or even contract the disease later. Most people know about it, too. Even if they don't, the -osis suffix will get them thinking (and probably passing on by).

-- nance (nancyw@mailcity.com), December 06, 1999.

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