X Marks the Spot

An ironic/iconic coincidence causes consternation to homeowner

Upon pulling into his driveway yesterday, my friend Scott was mortified to find the manifestation of his disgrace.

Appended to his fence post was what he’d long dreaded — and deserved: The white cross of contempt.

The infamous X, imprinted on a red square, is a heads-up to firefighters: This dump is a death-trap Do not enter Let this abomination burn its guts out

Scott’s house, which doubles as his shop, is crammed wall-to-wall with vacuum cleaners awaiting repair or pickup. The entangled cords make for a tripping hazard — which is moot, given that the place is impassable.

Upon examining the sign, which he’d assumed was metallic or plastic, Scott determined that it was made of vinyl.

Scott then noticed that the sign wasn’t affixed to the post, but rather, was hanging upon it by means of a short strap.

Imprinted on the flip side of the tote bag: Xfinity

Other than my snarky paraphrase of the gist of the symbol, the story is true. It was a remarkable coincidence — not meant as a practical joke or a snide hint. A friend of his had stuck a note in it wanting to make sure he spotted it.

Xfinity’s iconic logo imprinted on customer courtesy tote

“Danger: Do Not Enter” universal symbol recognized by firefighters

The X signifies that the structure has been deemed unsafe for interior firefighting or first responders.

… if there are conditions that could directly kill somebody, then it gets a red X.”

“… [firefighters] would maintain exterior operations only, unless there is somebody inside and [they] feel like [they] can take the risk to save a life, [they’ll] weigh the options at the scene.”