Don't Block the Doors!

iman: 5th Apr 2007 - 17:11 GMT

i think by the word retard they mean to refrain, or to not do.

Frank S. Besner: 5th Apr 2007 - 18:35 GMT

Not quite. Retard actally means "belated" or the state of being late.
The sign litterally translates to: "Blocking (the metro) doors: illegal belatement"
the employ of the word "retard" and the basic design of the thing obviously points to an intended double entendre as retard's english pop meaning is generally well understood by Francophones.

CE: 5th Apr 2007 - 19:04 GMT

I don't think it means to say it that elegantly. The French word "retard" is written in a way that would just mean "late" in English. I think it's just stating that blocking the doors will make riders late and that it is illegal to do so.

The word "retard" (late) is definitely used as a double entendre (there is no way it could be an oversight in a city as bilingual as Montreal) to insult those who block the doors. I am just quite surprised that the STM would use a word that would be very offensive and insulting to many people (as, I am assuming was demonstrated by the deletion of the first comment made on this post).

Something else that I've read into this poster is that the artist obviously has a hate-on for someone who looks like the guy blocking the doors. Maybe some guy with nice teeth, a gold ear ring, a goatee, and a silly haircut which is probably hiding his baldness ripped the artist off or actually blocked the doors in a very obnoxious manner on the Metro.

It is an interesting poster none the less and most people can agree that people who hold the doors are assholes. Apparently, 470 000 people are late by five minutes each year on the Metro as a result of this red shirted jerk.

procyon: 5th Apr 2007 - 23:06 GMT

"Something else that I've read into this poster is that the artist obviously has a hate-on for someone who looks like the guy blocking the doors. Maybe some guy with nice teeth, a gold ear ring, a goatee, and a silly haircut which is probably hiding his baldness ripped the artist off or actually blocked the doors in a very obnoxious manner on the Metro."

Heh, that was my first thought too...

joey: 6th Apr 2007 - 04:33 GMT

it would be different if he was wearing a three piece suit