[Preface: Bills to allow guns on campus will be coming to the Florida Legislature again this year, this time with even more likelihood of becoming law. UFF is the only voice from Florida universities and colleges actively opposing this and other bad legislation, and speaking for the faculty. Join UFF!]
from Inside Higher Ed
Nick Roll, July 31, 2017
Following the May passage of a campus carry bill in Georgia, firearms are allowed to be carried at public colleges and universities. While there are several exceptions for where the law doesn’t apply — including athletic venues, student housing, fraternity and sorority housing, and child-care facilities — science labs apparently aren’t one of them.
Mocking the law, a poster was allegedly hung outside a lab at the University of Georgia regarding how to navigate the space safely. Guns are allowed, the poster points out, but “in the interest of personal safety,” shorts and open-toed shoes are pictured as banned items.
The poster was uploaded to the social-media site Reddit, where it gained traction over the following week. While the poster is satirical — saying sandals are more dangerous than guns — some users were quick to point out that open-toed shoes and shorts are rightfully banned from labs.
“Long pants and closed-toed shoes are a safety concern when doing lab work. Your gun won’t protect you if you drop hydrofluoric acid on your tootsies,” the most popular comment reads. “I mean, pants and shoes won’t help much, either, but at least it’s something.”
Officials from the university could not be reached to confirm the authenticity of the poster.