"Walkway is slippery when wet or icy conditions exist."

These signs piss me off. "Floor may be slippery when wet."

Many companies are just permanantly installing these things now. They want to be covered in case someone falls and breaks their head. They can't rely on their minimum-wage janitors to swoop in with these orange signs and cones every time a drop of liquid hits their tractionless waxed floors, so they just keep them out all the time.

Car washes permanently install signs on the street warning of ice. They'd be a bizarre sight in the middle of sweltering August, but nobody even sees them anymore. They've become invisible -- just part of the noise.

These signs exist not because they help anyone, but because the first reaction of most Americans is to cast blame. These companies want to be able to say, "We told you! You should have been careful!"

Because you're going to slip anyway. How many times have you tripped over "watch your step" signs cracked your skull on "watch your head?" Most of the time, these hazards are obvious. It's raining outside, and you head into a grocery store. Should you be stunned to find that the floor is slippery? A carwash leaves a big wet slick of water trailing into the street. It's below freezing. Should you be flabbergasted that ice has formed?

What do these signs really mean when they warn you about the potential existence of ice, and the possible effect on traction?

"Ice is slick, idiot."

Watch our for yourself.