Australian officialdom apparently thinks citizens have little capability for maintaining their own personal safety. Never have I seen so many warning signs. By contrast, the Mexican government appears to feel we can take care of ourselves.

Uneven surfaces are the norm in San Miguel de Allende. Our little Mexican community could never post enough signs to warn of all the potholes, broken pavement, pieces of rebar sticking out of sidewalks...

Australia is full of pleasant swimming holes where people can relax on a Sunday afternoon.

But swimmers are warned there’s mortal danger in creeks. Signs like this one discourage me from going in the water.

As a kid, I somehow managed to survive swimming holes. Slippery rocks looked slippery and I simply avoided walking on them. I didn’t have to be told about it.

I was surprised to discover that even the Royal Botanic Gardens contain deadly threats. At the entrance, we’re advised to “be aware of the unpredictable way in which branches may fall and land.”

A sign at the edge of a decorative pond warns that water is present. Yep. It’s true. Ponds contain water. Perhaps some Australians cannot identify water in its natural state.

In a place where a fence is under construction, we’re told we must hold our children’s hands at all times.

I think bee warnings are silly.

The hectoring reaches a crescendo at the beach. You have to set aside fifteen minutes to fully comprehend all of the warnings and rules before venturing onto the sand. What next? A manual?

Some signs simply shouldn’t be needed. At a Greyhound bus depot, passengers are notified that their right to be violent is here suspended. Aggressive behavior simply will not be tolerated, and as punishment, the violent may be refused service. Ooooh. Greyhound is counting on the deterrent effect.

Other postings deal with violence, which must be prevalent if authorities go to so much effort. Signs in pubs state that it is illegal to serve persons who are drunk, violent, or quarrelsome. I’m often quarrelsome, so I guess there’s a possibility I won’t be served.

Hotel smoke alarms keep us safe throughout the civilized world. Apparently, Australian ones are hypersensitive, in keeping with the policy ubiquitous overprotectiveness. Makes it risky to stay clean, though.

You may have to pay a $400 fee if mist from your shower triggers a visit from the fire brigade.

I originally thought that all the hypercaution derived from the real and significant dangers posed by a country with so much frontier, with deadly deserts, violent seas and poisonous creatures. But I’ve seen this kind of caution in Great Britain as well. And Australian culture derives so much from the UK. I think there’s something fundamental in the modern British psyche that’s causes so much worry and fear.