One of the most annoying things I have seen on the road is those little signs on the back of dump trucks stating, simply, “Not responsible for damaged windshields.” These really get under my skin because the people who run these companies are claiming that somehow, by plastering a sign on the back of their truck, they have absolved themselves of any responsibility for securing their load. ‘Oh, yeah, we can scatter gravel all over the road without care and damage people’s property . . . we have a sign.’
I have been tempted on many occasions to put my own sign on my car: “Not responsible for sledge-hammer damage.” I could then pay an entertaining visit to these companies’ offices and show them what it is like to have valuable property damaged unjustly. Of course I can destroy their property, I have a sign!
The idea that a person or business can declare themselves above traditional traffic, civil, and contract law is pretty ludicrous, and yet we see it all the time. These truck companies, blithely declaring that they need not obey traffic safety laws, are a fine example. ‘Shrink wrap’ or ‘click through’ software licenses are another—a form of ‘contract’ that doesn’t require any signature or meaningful assent, and yet is declared by the manufacturer to be legally binding on your activities with a lawfully purchased product.
