An article in the Indianapolis Star about interstate bridge heights and semitrailers has an unusual graphic. The "Average housecat shown for scale" appears to be 14' 9" tall! Readers -and the internet- had a good time with that one. However, there is an explanation.
But it's all about the baseline, said the artist, Stephen J. Beard. The bottom line of the bar chart is not zero — it begins at 13’6” — so the cat is only pictured at a normal 1’3’’ in height, not 14’’9’. (Though I’m going to break out a ruler when I get home and confirm this data point with my own feline roommate.)
So the "scale" is actually a housecat sitting on top of a tall 18-wheeler. Glad they've cleared that up. He'd better move before they get to a bridge! Link -via Buzzfeed