One of the strangest things about Ann Arbor is the presence of ubiquitous signs like this one:

They're right in my neighborhood, but the reason I didn't have a photograph of my confused self standing in front of one with Coco is that I don't have an available photographer right now. But trust me. They are there, and they don't make sense.

They've been the subject of a number of articles -- some noting that the signs are only likely to increase accidents and deaths.

Amy Alkon has also noted the signs, and while she came to no definitive legal conclusions, she seems to think intent to injure or kill is required.

Do you really need to know that bad things will happen if you injure or kill a construction worker? Like, "Aw, shit, I was going to pick off the foreman until I learned about the $7500 fee."

At least one online analyst says that intent does not matter:

The "kill a worker" law has no provisions for intent or no intent. In other words, it doesn't matter if the SUV driver intended to kill or not - he still killed her and could still be charged with the "kill a woker" felony in addition to vehicular manslaughter charges.

And what if the "worker" is at fault? Sheriffs' departments routinely make juvenile delinquents put on orange vests and pick up trash along roadways, and I assume that they are workers. What if two of them get into a scuffle, and one pushes the other out into traffic and he gets hit? Is it fair to punish the driver?

Should "workers" be entitled to special protection not afforded ordinary citizens? Why should a city worker repairing a sidewalk crack in front of my house receive special protection I don't get if I'm repairing the same crack?

Perhaps this will lead to new identity politics victims rights initiatives. Many bankers work in buildings located on busy streets, and bankers are under a lot of pressure these days. Plus they're hated even more than street workers, and I see no reason why they shouldn't be entitled to the same degree of legal protection.

What about smokers? Under many city ordinances now, workers who smoke are forced to go outside onto dangerous public streets and sidewalks. And like street repair people and bankers, many people hate smokers. Why no sign for them?

Hell, we even warn motorists not to hit deer! And we close roads to protect newts, don't we?

Anyway, this is getting complicated, and I don't know which sucks more; the law or the sign.

But the "worker" business (especially the socialistic implications) bothered me so much that I wanted to alter the sign and put the word "BANKER" in its place. But alas! There's no "B" ready to copy and paste and I'm at least as busy with other things as I am lazy with my fingers.

So this will have to do:

I know it's one letter off, but come on!

At least it gives a general idea.

(If I really had time, I'd have changed it to "BUREAUCRAT," because I think they're the ones who deserve the credit for this nonsense.)