Bank of Canada has asked Canadian Star Trek fans to stop 'Spocking' its five dollar notes. The man pictured on the note is Canada’s seventh prime minister Sir Wilfrid Laurier. There's no doubt he resembles Leonard Nimoy (who played Mr. Spock in the cult classic show), so since the actor died last week, Canadian Trekkers have been drawing pointy ears, Spock's signature Vulcan haircut and brows on Sir Laurier's picture, and adorning the note with Spock's mantra 'live long and prosper'.
It's not illegal to deface the bank notes, but according to Bank of Canada 'there are important reasons why it should not be done. Writing on a bank note may interfere with the security features and reduces its lifespan. Markings on a note may also prevent it from being accepted in a transaction. Furthermore, the Bank of Canada feels that writing and markings on bank notes are inappropriate as they are a symbol of our country and a source of national pride.'
However, Tara McGinley of Dangerous Minds (where we first came across the story!) doesn't seem to care about BoC's reasons not to draw on the notes as 'Sir Wilfrid Laurier’s face wasn’t that interesting, anyway' and she thinks they should 'just make this a permanent improvement to the Canadian five dollar bill. I say Spock the hell out of ‘em if it ain’t illegal.'
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How do you feel about bad grammar? And which mistakes tick you off the most? No doubt you'll find one or two of them here.
