Mind the gap
Encyclopedia
Train
A train is a connected series of vehicles for rail transport that move along a track to transport cargo or passengers from one place to another place. The track usually consists of two rails, but might also be a monorail or maglev guideway.Propulsion for the train is provided by a separate...
passengers to take caution while crossing the gap between the train door and the station platform
Railway platform
A railway platform is a section of pathway, alongside rail tracks at a train station, metro station or tram stop, at which passengers may board or alight from trains or trams. Almost all stations for rail transport have some form of platforms, with larger stations having multiple platforms...
. It was introduced in 1969 on the London Underground
London Underground
The London Underground is a rapid transit system serving a large part of Greater London and some parts of Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire and Essex in England...
. The phrase is also associated with t-shirts that Transport for London
Transport for London
Transport for London is the local government body responsible for most aspects of the transport system in Greater London in England. Its role is to implement the transport strategy and to manage transport services across London...
sells featuring the phrase printed over a London Transport symbol.
Variants
Because some platforms on the Underground are curved and the rolling stockRailroad car
A railroad car or railway vehicle , also known as a bogie in Indian English, is a vehicle on a rail transport system that is used for the carrying of cargo or passengers. Cars can be coupled together into a train and hauled by one or more locomotives...
that uses them are straight, an unsafe gap is created when a straight car stops at a curved platform. In the absence of a device to automatically fill the gap
Gap filler
Platform gap fillers on the metro systems like the New York City Subway or on train stations in Hong Kong are movable platform extensions at stations where the curvature of the platform creates a significant gap between the platform and subway car door...
some form of visual and auditory warning was needed to prevent passengers from being caught unaware and suffering injury by stepping into the wide gap. The phrase "mind the gap" was chosen for this purpose and can be found painted along the edges of curved platforms as well as via a recorded announcement played when a train arrives.
The recording is also used where platforms are non-standard height. Deep-level tube trains have a floor height around 200 millimetres (8 in) less than sub-surface stock trains. Where trains share platforms, for example some Piccadilly Line
Piccadilly Line
The Piccadilly line is a line of the London Underground, coloured dark blue on the Tube map. It is the fifth busiest line on the Underground network judged by the number of passengers transported per year. It is mainly a deep-level line, running from the north to the west of London via Zone 1, with...
(tube) and District Line
District Line
The District line is a line of the London Underground, coloured green on the Tube map. It is a "sub-surface" line, running through the central area in shallow cut-and-cover tunnels. It is the busiest of the sub-surface lines. Out of the 60 stations served, 25 are underground...
(sub-surface) stations, the platform is a compromise.
"Mind the gap" is played at Central Line
Central Line
The Central line is a London Underground line, coloured red on the tube map. It is a deep-level "tube" line, running east-west across London, and, at , has the greatest total length of track of any line on the Underground. Of the 49 stations served, 20 are below ground...
platforms at Bank and Bakerloo Line
Bakerloo Line
The Bakerloo line is a line of the London Underground, coloured brown on the Tube map. It runs partly on the surface and partly at deep level, from Elephant and Castle in the south-east to Harrow & Wealdstone in the north-west of London. The line serves 25 stations, of which 15 are underground...
platforms at Piccadilly Circus
Piccadilly Circus tube station
Piccadilly Circus tube station is the London Underground station located directly beneath Piccadilly Circus itself, with entrances at every corner...
. The markings on the platform edge usually line up with the doors on the cars. This can be useful when catching trains.
While the message is often played on some lines over the platform's public address
Public address
A public address system is an electronic amplification system with a mixer, amplifier and loudspeakers, used to reinforce a sound source, e.g., a person giving a speech, a DJ playing prerecorded music, and distributing the sound throughout a venue or building.Simple PA systems are often used in...
system, it is becoming more common as an arrival message inside the train itself: "Please mind the gap between the train and the platform."
Origin of the phrase
The phrase "mind the gap" was coined around 1968 for a planned automated announcement after it had become impractical for drivers and station attendants to warn passengers. The Underground chose digital recordingDigital recording
In digital recording, digital audio and digital video is directly recorded to a storage device as a stream of discrete numbers, representing the changes in air pressure for audio and chroma and luminance values for video through time, thus making an abstract template for the original sound or...
using solid state
Solid state (electronics)
Solid-state electronics are those circuits or devices built entirely from solid materials and in which the electrons, or other charge carriers, are confined entirely within the solid material...
equipment with no moving parts. As storage
Computer memory
In computing, memory refers to the physical devices used to store programs or data on a temporary or permanent basis for use in a computer or other digital electronic device. The term primary memory is used for the information in physical systems which are fast In computing, memory refers to the...
capacity was expensive, the phrase had to be short. A short warning was also easier to write on the platform.
The equipment was supplied by AEG
AEG
Allgemeine Elektricitäts-Gesellschaft was a German producer of electrical equipment founded in 1883 by Emil Rathenau....
Telefunken
Telefunken
Telefunken is a German radio and television apparatus company, founded in Berlin in 1903, as a joint venture of Siemens & Halske and the Allgemeine Elektricitäts-Gesellschaft...
. According to the Independent on Sunday, sound engineer Peter Lodge, who owned Redan Recorders in Bayswater, working with a Scottish Telefunken engineer, recorded an actor reading "mind the gap" and "stand clear of the doors please", but the actor insisted on royalties
Royalties
Royalties are usage-based payments made by one party to another for the right to ongoing use of an asset, sometimes an intellectual property...
and the phrases had to be re-recorded. Lodge read the phrases to line up the recording equipment for level and those were used.
While Lodge's recording is still in use, some lines use other recordings. One was recorded by Manchester voice artist Emma Clarke
Emma Clarke
Emma Clarke is a writer of comedy and drama scripts and an award-winning voice-over artist, best known as the voice of the automated messages on certain lines of the London Underground....
. Others, on the Piccadilly line, are by Tim Bentinck, who plays David Archer in The Archers
The Archers
The Archers is a long-running British soap opera broadcast on the BBC's main spoken-word channel, Radio 4. It was originally billed as "an everyday story of country folk", but is now described on its Radio 4 web site as "contemporary drama in a rural setting"...
.
The phrase worldwide
- The French version, which is an alexandrineAlexandrineAn alexandrine is a line of poetic meter comprising 12 syllables. Alexandrines are common in the German literature of the Baroque period and in French poetry of the early modern and modern periods. Drama in English often used alexandrines before Marlowe and Shakespeare, by whom it was supplanted...
, Attention à la marche en descendant du train ("Watch the step while getting off the train"), is occasionally written on signals on the platforms in the Paris MétroParis MétroThe Paris Métro or Métropolitain is the rapid transit metro system in Paris, France. It has become a symbol of the city, noted for its density within the city limits and its uniform architecture influenced by Art Nouveau. The network's sixteen lines are mostly underground and run to 214 km ...
. - In Hong KongHong KongHong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
's MTRMTRMass Transit Railway is the rapid transit railway system in Hong Kong. Originally opened in 1979, the system now includes 211.6 km of rail with 155 stations, including 86 railway stations and 69 light rail stops...
, the phrase is announced in three languages, namely, Cantonese, Mandarin Putonghua, and English. - In SingaporeSingaporeSingapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
's MRTMass Rapid Transit (Singapore)The Mass Rapid Transit or MRT is a rapid transit system that forms the backbone of the railway system in Singapore, spanning the entire city-state. The initial section of the MRT, between Yio Chu Kang Station and Toa Payoh Station, opened in 1987 establishing itself as the second-oldest metro...
, the phrase is used in announcements in four languages (English, Mandarin, Tamil and Malay) and on signs in stations. - The phrase can be heard in New Delhi Metro in two languages (English and HindiHindiStandard Hindi, or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi, also known as Manak Hindi , High Hindi, Nagari Hindi, and Literary Hindi, is a standardized and sanskritized register of the Hindustani language derived from the Khariboli dialect of Delhi...
). - In the Athens MetroAthens MetroThe Athens Metro is an underground rapid transit system serving Athens, the capital city of Greece. It was constructed and owned by Attiko Metro S.A. and operated until 2011 by Attiko Metro Etaireia Leitourgias S.A....
, the message "Mind the gap between the train and the platform" is heard in both Greek and English language at the station of Monastiraki. - In StockholmStockholmStockholm is the capital and the largest city of Sweden and constitutes the most populated urban area in Scandinavia. Stockholm is the most populous city in Sweden, with a population of 851,155 in the municipality , 1.37 million in the urban area , and around 2.1 million in the metropolitan area...
's tunnelbana and on Stockholm commuter railStockholm commuter railStockholm Commuter Rail is the commuter rail system in Stockholm County, Sweden. The system is an important part of the public transport in Stockholm, and is controlled by Stockholm Transport; the trains are operated under contract by Stockholmståg...
's stations two versions can be heard: "Tänk på avståndet mellan vagn och platform när du stiger av" and "...när du stiger på", meaning "mind the distance between carriage and platform when you exit", "...when you enter", respectively. It can also be shown as text on electronic displays "Tänk på avståndet mellan vagn och platform". - The Tianjin MetroTianjin MetroTianjin Metro is a rapid transit system in the city of Tianjin, China, which was the second city in China to operate a subway system. Founded in 1984, it now includes 22 stations. The system currently consists of a single northwest-east line...
uses the phrase extensively: stickers on train doors, platforms and announcements mention the gap (as well as to "mind the gap") in both English and Chinese. (The Chinese phrase is 小心站台空隙.) Some Tianjin Metro stations are on slight curves. The Beijing SubwayBeijing SubwayThe Beijing Subway is a rapid transit rail network that serves the urban and suburban districts of Beijing municipality. It is owned by the city of Beijing and has two operators, the wholly state owned Beijing Mass Transit Railway Operation Corp., which operates 12 lines, and the Beijing MTR...
uses Mind the Gaps (note the plural). (In the recently-opened Line 4, the phrase has gained more prominence, being played in the station every time a train comes in and, in some trains, every time before arriving at a stop.) Both the Shanghai MetroShanghai MetroThe Shanghai Metro is the urban rapid transit system of China's largest city, Shanghai. The system incorporates both subway and light rail lines. It opened in 1995, making Shanghai the third city in Mainland China, after Beijing and Tianjin, to have a rapid transit system...
and the Nanjing MetroNanjing MetroThe Nanjing Metro is a metro system serving the city of Nanjing, Jiangsu, China. It first opened in 2005, and as of 2011, there are two lines in operation, with of track in operation.-Current system:-Line 1:...
use versions with slightly mutilated grammarChinglishChinglish refers to spoken or written English language that is influenced by the Chinese language. The term "Chinglish" is commonly applied to ungrammatical or nonsensical English in Chinese contexts, and may have pejorative or deprecating connotations, reflecting the attitudes of those who apply...
("Caution, Gap" and "Care the Gap", respectively, although the Chinese is the same). - In early 2009 the phrase was also being used on Metro Transit (King County) buses in and around Seattle, Washington.
- At the stations of the São Paulo MetroSão Paulo MetroThe São Paulo Metro is the principal rapid-transit system in the city of São Paulo and the largest in Brazil. It is also the second largest system in South America and the third largest in Latin America, behind Mexico City and Santiago....
and CPTM in São PauloSão PauloSão Paulo is the largest city in Brazil, the largest city in the southern hemisphere and South America, and the world's seventh largest city by population. The metropolis is anchor to the São Paulo metropolitan area, ranked as the second-most populous metropolitan area in the Americas and among...
, BrazilBrazilBrazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
the sentence that can be heard is "cuidado com o vão entre o trem e a plataforma" (beware the gap between the train and the platform). - At almost all stations of SuperViaSuperViaSuperVia is a Brazilian train operator founded in Rio de Janeiro in November 1998. It carries around 126 million passengers a year on a railroad network comprising 89 stations in 11 cities: Rio de Janeiro, Duque de Caxias, Nova Iguaçu, Nilópolis, Mesquita, Queimados, São João de Meriti, Belford...
, Rio de Janeiro suburban trains, the driver speaks "observe o espaço entre o trem e a plataforma", and sometimes "observe o desnível entre o trem e a plataforma" (beware the level difference between the train and the platform). - In the Rio de Janeiro MetroRio de Janeiro MetroThe Rio de Janeiro Metro is a mass-transit underground railway network that serves the city of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Founded in 1979 with five stations operating on one line, it now covers 47 km divided into two lines and 35 stations...
, the sentence "Observe atentamente o espaço entre o trem e a plataforma - Mind the gap" also can be heard. - In the Lisbon MetroLisbon MetroThe Lisbon Metro is the metro system of Lisbon, Portugal. Opened in December 1959, it was the first subway system in Portugal.As of 2011, the four Lisbon subway lines total about in length and comprise 52 stations.- History :- Idea :...
at the Marquês de Pombal station on the blue line, the announcement "Atenção ao intervalo entre o cais e o comboio" (Pay attention to the gap between the platform and the train) can be heard. - The New York CityNew York CityNew York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
-area Long Island Rail RoadLong Island Rail RoadThe Long Island Rail Road or LIRR is a commuter rail system serving the length of Long Island, New York. It is the busiest commuter railroad in North America, serving about 81.5 million passengers each year. Established in 1834 and having operated continuously since then, it is the oldest US...
and Metro-NorthMetro-North RailroadThe Metro-North Commuter Railroad , trading as MTA Metro-North Railroad, or, more commonly, Metro-North, is a suburban commuter rail service that is run and managed by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority , an authority of New York State. It is the busiest commuter railroad in the United...
use signs that read "watch the gap" on trains and platforms, and, owing to reports of people falling through the gap, a warning is now played at every station and with automated announcements on board the trains on LIRR and MNRR.- The MTAMetropolitan Transportation Authority (New York)The Metropolitan Transportation Authority of the State of New York is a public benefit corporation responsible for public transportation in the U.S...
, which operates both railroads, retained New York personalities including Maria BartiromoMaria BartiromoMaria Bartiromo is an American television journalist, magazine columnist and author of three books. Bartiromo is a native of New York and attended New York University. She worked at CNN for five years before joining CNBC television...
and Al RokerAl RokerAlbert Lincoln "Al" Roker, Jr. is an American television meteorologist as well as an actor and book author. He is best known as being the weather anchor on NBC's Today. On Monday, July 20, 2009, he began co-hosting his new morning show, Wake Up with Al, on The Weather Channel, which airs weekdays...
to recite the slogan. - It is also used on the New York City subwayNew York City SubwayThe New York City Subway is a rapid transit system owned by the City of New York and leased to the New York City Transit Authority, a subsidiary agency of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority and also known as MTA New York City Transit...
and the Staten Island RailwayStaten Island RailwayThe Staten Island Rapid Transit Operating Authority, publicly known as MTA Staten Island Railway or SIR, is the operator of the lone rapid transit line in the borough of Staten Island, New York City, USA...
- on trains and platforms, and in conductor announcements.
- The MTA
- Plaques on Toronto subway and RTToronto subway and RTThe Toronto subway and RT is a rapid transit system in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, consisting of both underground and elevated railway lines, operated by the Toronto Transit Commission . It was Canada's first completed subway system, with the first line being built under Yonge Street, which opened in...
station platforms warn riders to "mind the gap". Announcements about the warning on the public announcement system in each station can also be heard intermittently. - On most SydneySydneySydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
CityRailCityRailCityRail is an operating brand of RailCorp, a corporation owned by the state government of New South Wales, Australia. It is responsible for providing commuter rail services, and some coach services, in and around Sydney, Newcastle and Wollongong, the three largest cities of New South Wales. It is...
stations, there is an automated announcement reminding passengers to mind the gap as well as posters informing riders about the number of people who fall down the gap each year. - On the Manila Metro Rail Transit SystemManila Metro Rail Transit SystemThe Metro Rail Transit is Metro Manila's third rapid transit line. It forms part of the Strong Republic Transit System, which includes the Manila Light Rail Transit System. The line operates under the name Metrostar Express and is colored blue on rail maps.The line is located along the Epifanio de...
, a pre-recorded message is played at certain stations reminding passengers to "watch your step and watch the gap between the train and the platform as you get on and off the train". This is simplified in its FilipinoFilipino languageThis move has drawn much criticism from other regional groups.In 1987, a new constitution introduced many provisions for the language.Article XIV, Section 6, omits any mention of Tagalog as the basis for Filipino, and states that:...
translation, which simply reminds passengers to be careful in boarding and alighting the train. - On the Berlin U-BahnBerlin U-BahnThe Berlin is a rapid transit railway in Berlin, the capital city of Germany, and is a major part of the public transport system of that city. Opened in 1902, the serves 173 stations spread across ten lines, with a total track length of , about 80% of which is underground...
the phrase "Bitte beachten Sie beim Aussteigen die Lücke zwischen Zug und Bahnsteigkante" (please mind the gap between train and platform edge when deboarding) is used, followed by the English "mind the gap between platform and train." (The English is only heard at a limited number of stations.) - On the Madrid MetroMadrid MetroThe Madrid Metro is a metro system serving the city of Madrid, capital of Spain. The system is the sixth longest metro in the world though Madrid is approximately the fiftieth most populous metropolitan area in the world...
, a recorded warning message can be heard inside the trains when approaching a station with curved platforms: "Atención: estación en curva. Al salir, tengan cuidado para no introducir el pie entre coche y andén" (Warning: curved station. Please be careful not to place your foot between the train and the platform). No warning messages are heard when arriving at a station with straight platforms. - On Schiphol in AmsterdamAmsterdamAmsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
, "mind your step" can be heard when approaching the end of a conveyor-belt. - The standard AmtrakAmtrakThe National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak , is a government-owned corporation that was organized on May 1, 1971, to provide intercity passenger train service in the United States. "Amtrak" is a portmanteau of the words "America" and "track". It is headquartered at Union...
conductor announcement when approaching any station stop concludes with "Mind the gap between the train and the platform." - On the Buenos Aires MetroBuenos Aires MetroThe Buenos Aires Metro , locally known as Subte is a mass-transit system that serves the city of Buenos Aires, Argentina. The first station of this network opened in 1913, the first of its kind in South America, the Southern Hemisphere and the entire Spanish-speaking world...
, warnings on platform floors and on the door windows in the convoys read "Cuidado con el espacio entre el tren y el andén" ("Mind the gap between train and platform"). - On many trains in JapanJapanJapan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, the message "Densha to homu no aida wa hiroku aite orimasu no de, gochuui kudasai" is spoken. This means "there is a wide space between the train and the platform, so please be careful." - The message can be seen on some train stations in IrelandIrelandIreland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
, as well.
Other uses
Despite its origin as a utilitarian safety warning, mind the gap has become a stock phraseCliché
A cliché or cliche is an expression, idea, or element of an artistic work which has been overused to the point of losing its original meaning or effect, especially when at some earlier time it was considered meaningful or novel. In phraseology, the term has taken on a more technical meaning,...
, and is used in many other contexts having nothing to do with subway safety. For example, it has been used as the title of at least two music albums by Scooter and Tristan Psionic
Mind the Gap (Tristan Psionic album)
Mind the Gap is the third album by Canadian indie rock group Tristan Psionic. It was released in 2000 on Sonic Unyon, a record label started by three members of the band....
, a film
Mind The Gap (2004 film)
Mind The Gap is a multi-story 2004 film written & directed by Eric Schaeffer.The film moves back and forth between five separate stories that touch on each other by the end of the film....
, and a novel, as the name of a movie production company
Mind The Gap Films
Mind The Gap Films is an independent TV production company based in Ireland. Most of their work has been for Radio Telefís Éireann or the Public Broadcasting Service...
, a theatre company, and a board game
Board game
A board game is a game which involves counters or pieces being moved on a pre-marked surface or "board", according to a set of rules. Games may be based on pure strategy, chance or a mixture of the two, and usually have a goal which a player aims to achieve...
. At least four non-fiction titles use "Mind the Gap" as their primary title - the books are about generations, class divides, social science policy and the origins of human universals. It is used in many video games, including Portal, Halo
Halo (series)
Halo is a multi-million dollar science fiction video game franchise created by Bungie and now managed by 343 Industries and owned by Microsoft Studios. The series centers on an interstellar war between humanity and a theocratic alliance of aliens known as the Covenant...
, and Armadillo Run
Armadillo Run
Armadillo Run is the title of a transport puzzle video game created by Peter Stock. The game is currently in version 1.0.6, and is only legally available from the .-Objective:...
, and in animated series such as The Clone Wars
Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008 TV series)
-Production:At April 2005's Star Wars Celebration III, Lucas stated that "we are working on a 3-D continuation of the pilot series that was on the Cartoon Network; we probably won't start that project for another year." In July 2005, pre-production had begun on the series, according to Steve...
, usually in an ironic context. It is also the title of a Noisettes
Noisettes
Noisettes are an English indie rock band from London, comprising singer and bassist Shingai Shoniwa, guitarist Dan Smith, and drummer Jamie Morrison...
song on their album What's the Time Mr. Wolf?
What's the Time Mr. Wolf? (album)
What's the Time Mr. Wolf? is the debut album by Noisettes. It was released on February 5 2007 in the United Kingdom on Vertigo Records and on April 17 2007 in the United States on Universal Records...
. The phrase is used in the songs 'Bingo' by Madness
Madness (band)
In 1979, the band recorded the Lee Thompson composition "The Prince". The song, like the band's name, paid homage to their idol, Prince Buster. The song was released through 2 Tone Records, the label of The Specials founder Jerry Dammers. The song was a surprise hit, peaking in the UK music charts...
, Someone in London
Someone in London
Someone in London is a song by the heavy metal band Godsmack from their debut studio album Godsmack and this is an instrumental interlude. It's the only music on the album that lead singer Sully Erna had no part in writing. It was written by guitarist Tony Rombola.-Song comment:"Mind the big gap"...
by Godsmack
Godsmack
Godsmack is an American heavy metal band from Lawrence, Massachusetts, formed in 1995. The band is composed of founder, frontman and songwriter Sully Erna, guitarist Tony Rombola, bassist Robbie Merrill, and drummer Shannon Larkin...
, and New Frontier
New Frontier
The term New Frontier was used by Democratic presidential candidate John F. Kennedy in his acceptance speech in the 1960 United States presidential election to the Democratic National Convention at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum as the Democratic slogan to inspire America to support him...
by the Counting Crows
Counting Crows
Counting Crows is an American rock band originating from Berkeley, California. Formed in 1991, the group gained popularity following the release of its debut album in 1993, August and Everything After, which featured the hit single "Mr. Jones"...
. It was a prominent utterance by the subterranean cannibal killer of the 1972 movie Death Line
Death Line
Death Line is a 1972 British horror film, distributed as Raw Meat in the United States. The film stars Donald Pleasence as Inspector Calhoun, and was directed by the American filmmaker Gary Sherman.-Plot:...
. The phrase is also featured in the soundtrack of the game "Timesplitters: Future Perfect" in the Subway level. The phrase was used as the name for a campaign in December 2010 to lobby the UK Government to allow Gap Year students to defer their university place and not pay the higher tuition fees in September 2012.
The Karotz wi-fi rabbit occasionally says "Mind the gap!" at random as part of the 'mood' setting.
See also
- Objects in mirror are closer than they appearObjects in Mirror Are Closer Than They AppearThe phrase "Objects in the mirror are closer than they appear" is a safety warning that is required to be engraved on passenger side mirrors of motor vehicles in the USA, India, Canada and Australia. It is present because while these mirrors' convexity gives them a useful field of view, it also...
, another safety warning that has become a cultural reference.