Some words are better than others

There are many ways to express what we're trying to say. While saying one way is correct and another is wrong might not be the way to go, one thing is for sure — some ways are better than others.

Take this ECU sign, for example. It's your typical towing enforced sign. At the bottom, to keep people from parking there are night and on the weekends, it reads, "24 hours daily." While this gets the point across — at no time should you park here, it's for permit No. 50 only — the sign should actually read, "At all times."

"At all times" is simply a better blanket statement, and I'll tell you why. The way the sign is currently written is perfect for every day of the year except one — the day daylight savings ends in the fall. That day technically has 25 hours. From midnight to 1 a.m. is the first, from 1 a.m. to 2 a.m. is the second, again from 1 a.m. to 2 a.m. is the third, that night from 10 p.m. to 11 p.m. is the 24th (the last hour the sign says you cannot park there) and from 11 p.m. until the following midnight is the 25th hour. So, on Nov. 4, 2007, you may part in that spot from 11 p.m. until the last stroke of that hour without being towed, according to the sign.

Now, in reality, who cares? No one. I just thought it would be fun to point it out.