America is a strange alternate universe in which everything is permissible and allowed, and I don’t understand it all completely, but I am trying to wrap my head around it. I’m just observing and comparing everything here to stuff back home. For example – at the end of the street I’ll be living on for a little bit, there’s a nice little brownstone house. Ok, to clarify, the entire street is gorgeous, like something out of a rustic Stepford Wives movie set, and the grass is all mown at more or less the same level, and people walk their dogs (infrequently) but don’t wave at the neighbours. Anyway, this not so little two-story house has a car selling business in the front and living quarters upstairs, until you get a little closer to the gate (actually, not gate. These guys don’t have gates. Or high fences. Or electric ninis. It’s just…open. There’s grass, then there’s the door. It’s one of the strangest things ever for me), you see a sign that says –

get this-

Violators will be shot.

The first time I saw that I was like WHOOOOA there neighbour, just trying to be friendly! While rapidly backpedalling. FFS, doesn’t that seem a bit much? Not prosecuted. Shot! I mean yay to the second amendment or whatever amendment it is but damn. Like, do they have shift to watch for violators? What if you’re coming to borrow sugar? Or buy one of the cars from up front? Violators will be shot?? Well…damn! If people don’t wave at their neighbours, signs like those are why…