I've just returned from this year's foray to the hot punsch and sausage fest that is Vienna in the Christmas season. Regular readers may recall that after a similar jaunt last year I returned greatly excited by the Viennese decorated toilet scene.

While I have no fresh Austrian print revelations to impart in 2009, I did note that the sprucing up of the hellhole that is Heathrow's Terminal 1 has involved some print-based print - the environment being greatly improved by the addition of some rather cool glass wall panels featuring what looked like a 2dpi graduated tint that created a soothing overall ambience. Also, there seemed to be fewer holes in the suspended ceilings than usual.

Unfortunately this appreciation of printy environmental enhancement came to a screeching halt as I neared the passport control area. Those little blue desks where the officials check passports have the wording "Wait until called forward" and "No phones at desk" on them. Or at least they should have. I couldn't see a single one where the wording was intact, there were missing letters all over the place, as this pic on Flickr demonstrates. It put me in mind of the opening credits of Fawlty Towers.

What on earth is going on? Do the letters fall off by themselves? Do toddlers pick them off while their parents are providing their documentation? Whatever the reason it creates a poor impression and I'm absolutely certain a better lettering solution exists. Whoever does the signage for BAA needs to pull their finger out, or alternatively there's an opportunity here for someone to provide something more robust that's fit for purpose.