As I walked this morning into the office building where I work, I noticed a sign at the entrance that reads "Caution: Falling Ice." Putting that sign out is very helpful of the building management! So I can avoid the ice, should I stare upwards as I walk, hoping against hope that I'll be able to see any (against a blue sky, no less) that might choose that moment to break free and thus be able to dodge it before it crashes into my face, breaks my nose and pierces an eye? Or should I just hold my arms over my head and scurry through to the doors, praying that any ice that falls upon me will be stopped by my coat and the muscles and bones of my forearms? Maybe I should just hope that any ice shard that breaks loose from the peak of the building (32 stories above me) makes enough of a whistling noise as it approaches terminal velocity that I will be able to hear it and have some of my life flash before my eyes before it conks me on the head.
I'm sure the sign is there to prevent them from being sued should somebody actually get clobbered, because the management will then be able to point to the sign and say "We warned them! We really did!" But, now that I'm warned, what steps can I take to avoid the danger they've been so kind as to advise me of? I mean, honestly... there's not much I can do here. It's either my time or it isn't.
