and the stripe is to let people, especially those that have eyesight problems, of the varying depth of the ground variations upon which they are walking. I've seen some very bad falls due to this and its easily fixed. Another option would be to put those sanded strips on the edge of the step...I'm sure you know how slippery the marble gets when it has a very fine layer of sand on it... plus, it makes the step much more visible. 

on the Texas issue..the line was put in the sand at the Alamo to show how many men would face almost certain death to be free from Mexico's rule.  Nothing like a 189 Texans up against around 6000 Mexican soldiers. Santa Anna was a very unfair and cruel dictator.

Majnoon..certainly hope you were being a bit funny sarcastic...you know how us Texans feel about our freedoms and Texas independence.  The Alamo is a symbol of courage in the face of overwhelming odds. Farmers and ranchers who were NOT soldiers originally, who gave their lives, are still honored as defenders of freedom.

Most folks are about as happy as they make up their minds to be. --Abraham Lincoln (1809 - 1865)