--Kevin Walsh
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Sometimes mysteries are hidden in plain sight.
I just recently noticed a discrepancy in the notice on the recycling bin in the alley behind my house,
a notice that's doubtless been there for years and is on many other bins.
The English-language notice limits recycling materials in the bin to "400 pounds."
The Spanish-language notice limits recycling materials to "200 libras."
I know that "libras" means "pounds," not "kilograms,"
so this isn't a case of using a different system of measurement
(400 pounds is equivalent to 182 kilograms).
It's extremely unlikely that the bins are weaker when they are filled by Spanish-speakers
than when they are filled by English-speakers.
Why the strange double-standard?
I sent an e-mail enquiry to the municipal government.
--Kevin Walsh
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