Whilst taking a stroll down my neighbourhood lane I chanced upon a new and delightful little council addition. Unexpectedly, I found each concurrent lamp-post the host to this most fearsome little notice.

So, it now appears that dog fouling is the most ill respected of crimes in the British realm, punishment by death. Or so this sign would have it. I for one have always been aware of the consequence of dog faeces and would expect the most unintelligent of people to recognise its nastiness. Are so many signs really that necessary?  “Children won’t be able to play on grassy areas if it is covered in dog mess”. “Dog faeces may contain worms which can cause serious eye disorders and even blindness”. How does one get into that degree of close contact with dog poo? They must they be rolling around on the ground smearing dirt into their faces. It seems a little extreme. The facts provided are enough to make any innocent passer-by quake in their boots at the thought of next frolicking around on unkempt public lawns in the dead of winter. 

It is these kind of scare mongering tactics that our government is trying to employ to scare the hell out of us. Ok, so I admit I’m being little sarcastic, these new measures don’t appear to be particularly extreme. Will they even work? Is it really that much of a problem? Shouldn’t our government be employing signs that bear more weight with the problems in our society? How about signs reminding people not to burglarize other people’s homes? How about signs reminding hoodies not to terrorize passers-by?