Paintball Gun Prohibition

Recently, I was surprised to find this sign posted at my neighborhood park: "Paintball gun activities prohibited."

What can be inferred from this message? What does infer mean?  It means 'guess' or 'figure out from some kind of evidence' the meaning of something else.

First, what is the key word in this sign? How do we know it's the most important word? The sign is printed in black on white, but one word stands out because it is written in larger and thicker letters (= in bold type or 'bolded'). That word is 'PROHIBITED.'

Second, what do you think it means? Since this sign hangs below the city's regulations sign, 'prohibited' probably has something to do with the law. It's a long word (four syllables, like 'regulations'). In addition, this sign has the words 'gun activities.' Most people fear guns and gun use, especially in a city park. If you know what a paintball gun is - even if you think it's a kind of 'play-gun,' you know that balls of paint make a mess! One time use of paintball guns will create paint stains on the grass, plants, picnic tables, sand, and dirt that will make the park unusable for families with little children and destroy the natural appearance of this outdoor space.

Therefore, imagining this, do you think 'prohibited' is a word that is positive or negative in meaning? The construction of the word could be confusing because the 'pro' to many Americans means 'to be for' something or to support it. For example, if someone says they are pro-immigrant, it means that they are supportive of immigrants and immigrant rights. However, in this context, prohibit means 'to hold back.' (to be for holding back). The legal explanation for this regulation is given below.

"Under California law, paintball guns fall under the banner of "imitation firearms," along with BB guns, pellet guns and toy guns. ... Therefore all laws applicable to this broad category of firearm are applicable to paintball fans and their paintball activities." from the Legal Beagle.

If you guessed or inferred that prohibited  has a negative meaning and that you should NOT shoot a paintball gun at this public park, you are correct!  Paintball gun use is banned from any city open space.  

Mountain Lion Country

This sign was posted in a local park in San Diego in the center of Mira Mesa. What does "Entering Mountain Lion Country" mean exactly? You say, "I've never heard that there are mountain lions wandering the suburban parks in the heart of the city."

If you speak French, Spanish, Italian, or Portuguese, you probably understand the word 'CAUTION' and sense that this sign is warning you about a lion or big cat (looking at the drawing - you can figure that  out).

Also, the next bold-faced lettering announces, "WHAT TO DO IF YOU ENCOUNTER A LION."  'Encounter' is a big word if you are not a native speaker (or even if you ARE a native speaker but not a strong reader), so what are some synonyms of 'encounter'?  "Meet, face, run into' - and often, the implication is that the meeting (encounter is both a noun and a verb) is unexpected or unplanned.

Do you know what a TIP is?  Of course, that is something that you give to the waiter for giving you good service at a restaurant. Not in this case. As with many seemingly simple, one-syllable words in English, tip has multiple meanings (or is polysemous). Another meaning of 'tip' is a piece of advice.  The number one 'tip' is "DON'T RUN.'  If you have a pet cat or dog, you may know that running from it often prompts your animal to give chase. You really can't outrun a mountain lion because they're much faster than you are, and like all cats, they can climb trees.  Make a lot of noise by shouting/screaming/clapping your hands together or anything else you can do at the moment of encounter to make yourself look threatening. Remember that deer are the usual prey for California mountain lions, but like most wild predators, they will attack smaller or less meaty or tasty animals (including rarely humans) if they are hungry or disturbed. They are opportunistic predators, and usually when they attack humans, the humans are somehow triggering a chase response, e.g., trail running alone or trail-biking alone and moving quickly past the animal. They like to pounce (= jump on) their prey from behind.

Finally, the signs are posted to make park users aware that they are in a potentially dangerous environment.  In other words, you are NOT entering a zoo or playground, and even in those settings, you are responsible for accidents when you break rules and allow your child to step over a barrier and fall into a lion exhibit, for example.  Wildlife such as deer, skunks, rabbits, opossums, raccoons, many bird and bug species (e.g., biting ants, stinging wasps, bees, biting spiders), coyotes, bobcats, mountain lions, rattlesnakes, and plants (thorny or poisonous) are living in our open spaces in the midst of an urban development. Be mindful!  Be aware. Look and see, smell, listen and hear, feel your surroundings. Learn about the wildlife that lives in your backyard, canyons, and parks. You will be amazed!

Rock Throwing and Wildlife

The signs to the right are in a shallow part of Miramar Lake in the City of San Diego.  The top part reads "PLEASE BE KIND TO THE WILDLIFE."  Below  is a second one in brown: 'ROCK THROWING IS STRICTLY PROHIBITED.'

You probably know what 'kind' means. In other words, 'be nice" to the wildlife. What do we mean by "wildlife"?  What are people throwing rocks at in  or on the water?

Miramar Lake attracts a variety of water birds, such as seagulls, cormorants, mallards, coots, and lesser scaups to name a handful. Some may be permanent residents, but do ducks lack 'cuteness'? Why do parents often allow or encourage their children to throw stones at birds to make them fly away?

In small print on the top sign, there is a warning that harming or destroying habitat or wildlife is against the law. It is a felony, and you could face a $20,000 fine or even imprisonment. This is in smaller print.

The brown sign more simply says that 'rock throwing' is not allowed or permitted according to the law (= prohibited)  If there are small ducklings following their parents in the water, I predict that human parents would discourage or prevent their children from tossing stones or rocks at these smaller 'cuter' creatures.

Signs tell us so much about ourselves and our society.