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Wednesday, August 09, 2006
A comma worth US$2.13 million
Who says punctuation doesn't matter? Globe and Mail reports on a company called Rogers Communication Inc. that had a deal with a company called Aliant Inc. "to string Rogers' cable lines across thousands of utility poles in the Maritimes for an annual fee of $9.60 per pole." The contract Rogers thought it had signed tied the two companies into a five-year period, extendable into further five-year terms. But it screwed up in the wording. The report states:
I can just imagine the chairman of the company lying down on his back, kicking all four of his limbs in the air, and bawling, "I'm being chased by a comma, I want my momma."
(Link via email from Rk.)
Language buffs take note — Page 7 of the contract states: The agreement “shall continue in force for a period of five years from the date it is made, and thereafter for successive five year terms, unless and until terminated by one year prior notice in writing by either party.”As you've probably guessed by now, the second comma messed it up for Rogers. Read the full story here. (If asked for a username-password, get it from BugMeNot.)
I can just imagine the chairman of the company lying down on his back, kicking all four of his limbs in the air, and bawling, "I'm being chased by a comma, I want my momma."
(Link via email from Rk.)
