# "Can't you read the sign?" **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [January 20, 2015, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cant-you-read-the-sign/710340 "2015-01-20T01:41:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2015, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cant-you-read-the-sign/710340/81 "2015-01-21T21:34:15Z")
> [@Squall Winds](#): > > So, today, I stood at the corner of 6th and Magnolia here in Fort Worthless holding my protest sign, as I regularly do. What are you protesting? The orthotics and brace shop, the coffee shop, the vegan restaurant or the tiny little Italian restaurant? Not much on that corner. And to be fair, although the typeface is larger, it’s freaking weird for a restaurant to be closed on a Monday. It’s not a barber shop or a car dealership you know. ---
**Author:** ![kayT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayt/32/3633_2.png) [@kayT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayT)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2015, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cant-you-read-the-sign/710340/82 "2015-01-21T21:37:29Z")
I know many places where restaurants close on Monday. It’s a slow day in the restaurant business and some mom and pop places like to give mom and pop at least one day off each week. ---
**Author:** ![Kimballkid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b5a626/32.png) [@Kimballkid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimballkid)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2015, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cant-you-read-the-sign/710340/83 "2015-01-21T21:52:58Z")
> [@bump](#): > > And to be fair, although the typeface is larger, it’s freaking weird for a restaurant to be closed on a Monday. It’s not a barber shop or a car dealership you know. > [@kayT](#): > > I know many places where restaurants close on Monday. It’s a slow day in the restaurant business and some mom and pop places like to give mom and pop at least one day off each week. It seems to be very prevalent in the southern states. Closed Sunday for God and Monday for family was what was on most of the signs I saw. ---
**Author:** ![Spud](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spud/32/347_2.png) [@Spud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spud)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2015, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cant-you-read-the-sign/710340/84 "2015-01-21T23:10:06Z")
> [@bump](#): > > What are you protesting? The orthotics and brace shop, the coffee shop, the vegan restaurant or the tiny little Italian restaurant? Not much on that corner. A quick Google search of Ft Worth Protest 6th and Magnolia finds a facebook page by someone with “Squall Winds” in the name. The first paragraph: “I am a lifelong resident of Fort Worth who has been needlessly ostracized, bullied, and treated like crap because I am an independently-minded, truly unique guy who doesn’t fit into any of these prissy subcultures and cliques running around here, so, earlier today, I was at the corner of Magnolia and 6th here in Fort Worth, holding my protest sign, which read “My Wish: To Be Outcast No More!”” Not sure exactly what that means but he is per the next paragraph apparently protesting the Vegan restaurant. Which is even stranger to protest in front of a business on a day that it is closed. ETA… It just dawned on me that a guy carrying a protest sign that isn’t clear is posting about people not understanding signs. ---
**Author:** ![Charlie\_Wayne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/4bbf92/32.png) [@Charlie\_Wayne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Charlie_Wayne)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2015, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cant-you-read-the-sign/710340/85 "2015-01-21T23:46:57Z")
> [@Joey\_P](#): > > At my store, after closing we constantly get people yanking on the door. When I read your post, I got the feeling that it was somehow related to the concept that it’s always, always, always a mistake to negotiate with terrorists. Whenever a terrorist approaches someone and asks to negotiate, there are only two proper responses. The first is to ignore them or, if you are feeling charitable to tell them, “No.” I think you can figure out the second one on your own. It does not involve speaking to them. But your post raises an interesting question and I think it’s worth asking, “Why?” “Why do people do this?” I believe the answer could well be that on just one day in the past, just one person did open the door and agree to sell them that “just one thing”. That is all it took. The customer would then try that again for the rest of their life. They would never turn around and walk away because it worked for them once and they figured it just might work again. But why do so many people do this if it only succeeded once? I think it’s because they boasted to a friend, "Hey! You’ll never guess what! I was down at the record store the other day and they had just closed. But I banged on the door and the goof let me in and let me buy some stuff.’ Well, believe it or not, IMHO, that’s all it takes to change the world. I know many people will disagree with me. But, we are all entitled to our opinions and IMHO, it’s similar to negotiating with terrorists. Someone, somewhere did it just one time and now the world will forever be filled with people who will just keep on trying to negotiate - even though they know better. I enjoyed your post very much. Thanks for the entertainment. ---
**Author:** ![Charlie\_Wayne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/4bbf92/32.png) [@Charlie\_Wayne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Charlie_Wayne)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2015, 12:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cant-you-read-the-sign/710340/86 "2015-01-22T00:04:40Z")
Hey Joey, I want to tell you one more thing. I hope you will enjoy it. When I was around 18, I was attending school but working in a gas station for the summer. One day, five minutes after closing time, a lady pulled in and asked if she could fill up her car. In most gas stations, at that time, (in the 1970s) the employees had several chores to do after closing. We had to take measurements of the amount of product sold etc. It would take at least 30 minutes after we were closed to do this. I explained politely to the lady that we were closed and I couldn’t give her any gas. She then went into her act. First she begged. Then she offered me a bribe (which almost worked but we had heard that the licensing commission used to hire private detectives to check on employees willing to take bribes and it wasn’t worth my job to take her two dollar bribe - two dollars was a lot more back then than it is today). Anyway, after begging and pleading and offering me a bribe, she went into a threatening mode. “If you don’t give me some gas, I will run out and then I’ll be stranded and my husband will have to come and help me and he will beat the snot out of you … etc.” I’m coming to the point soon. But before I do, I just want to say that this lady was at the age where her looks were just beginning to fade. I got the impression that she was used to getting her way from men because for her entire life, she had been very attractive and it was only recently that her looks began to fade and she was very unhappy about that. But, here is the point. I was a kind of snotty punk and I didn’t care what she said or did. I wasn’t going to sell her any gas or give it to her or pour it over her head and set her on fire. She was getting nothing from me. Nada! In fact, (here is the point), I had decided to use her for my own entertainment. I decided to try and do everything I could to string her along and see just what she was capable of doing. The gas pumps were locked and she didn’t know where the key was and so she was just S.O.L. I was really hoping that she would run out of gas while she was going through her act and that she would just lose her mind. I was hoping she would lose her mind because it would be a great story that I could then tell people for the rest of my life - just like I’m doing now. Unfortunately, I think she figured out what I was doing and at that point, she just put the car into gear and left. But it would have been so glorious if she actually ran out of gas and got stuck there or if she did anytying that would give me cause to call the police. It was a different time and the police would have taken my side because I was an employee of a large company and I could smell a little alcohol on her breath. Looking back, I should have been more charitable and explained my reasons to her. But at that time, I was just a young dumb prick and I didn’t give a shit. I worked hard all day and if there was any chance she was going to provide me with some entertainment to enjoy at the end of my day, I was all up for it. ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2015, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cant-you-read-the-sign/710340/87 "2015-01-22T00:28:43Z")
> [@Spud](#): > > A quick Google search of Ft Worth Protest 6th and Magnolia finds a facebook page by someone with “Squall Winds” in the name. The first paragraph: > > “I am a lifelong resident of Fort Worth who has been needlessly ostracized, bullied, and treated like crap because I am an independently-minded, truly unique guy who doesn’t fit into any of these prissy subcultures and cliques running around here, so, earlier today, I was at the corner of Magnolia and 6th here in Fort Worth, holding my protest sign, which read “My Wish: To Be Outcast No More!”” > > Not sure exactly what that means but he is per the next paragraph apparently protesting the Vegan restaurant. Which is even stranger to protest in front of a business on a day that it is closed. > > ETA… It just dawned on me that a guy carrying a protest sign that isn’t clear is posting about people not understanding signs. Great detective work **Spud**! ---
**Author:** ![Lemur866](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lemur866/32/434_2.png) [@Lemur866](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lemur866)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2015, 12:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cant-you-read-the-sign/710340/88 "2015-01-22T00:32:32Z")
> [@Spud](#): > > A quick Google search of Ft Worth Protest 6th and Magnolia finds a facebook page by someone with “Squall Winds” in the name. The first paragraph: > > “I am a lifelong resident of Fort Worth who has been needlessly ostracized, bullied, and treated like crap because I am an independently-minded, truly unique guy who doesn’t fit into any of these prissy subcultures and cliques running around here, so, earlier today, I was at the corner of Magnolia and 6th here in Fort Worth, holding my protest sign, which read “My Wish: To Be Outcast No More!”” > > Not sure exactly what that means but he is per the next paragraph apparently protesting the Vegan restaurant. Which is even stranger to protest in front of a business on a day that it is closed. > > ETA… It just dawned on me that a guy carrying a protest sign that isn’t clear is posting about people not understanding signs. Thank you. Now we know, and knowing is half the battle. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Joker\_and\_the\_Thief](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e79b87/32.png) [@The\_Joker\_and\_the\_Thief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Joker_and_the_Thief)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2015, 1:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cant-you-read-the-sign/710340/89 "2015-01-22T01:06:04Z")
> [@Spud](#): > > A quick Google search of Ft Worth Protest 6th and Magnolia finds a facebook page by someone with “Squall Winds” in the name. The first paragraph: > > “I am a lifelong resident of Fort Worth who has been needlessly ostracized, bullied, and treated like crap because I am an independently-minded, truly unique guy who doesn’t fit into any of these prissy subcultures and cliques running around here, so, earlier today, I was at the corner of Magnolia and 6th here in Fort Worth, holding my protest sign, which read “My Wish: To Be Outcast No More!”” > > Not sure exactly what that means but he is per the next paragraph apparently protesting the Vegan restaurant. Which is even stranger to protest in front of a business on a day that it is closed. > > ETA… It just dawned on me that a guy carrying a protest sign that isn’t clear is posting about people not understanding signs. In full, for posterity: > [@](#): > > I am a lifelong resident of Fort Worth who has been needlessly ostracized, bullied, and treated like crap because I am an independently-minded, truly unique guy who doesn’t fit into any of these prissy subcultures and cliques running around here, so, earlier today, I was at the corner of Magnolia and 6th here in Fort Worth, holding my protest sign, which read “My Wish: To Be Outcast No More!” > > I know my law, all the way from local ordinances all the way up to the Constitution of the United States, and so I was on the PUBLIC sidewalk, where I am free to exercise my First Amendment right to free speech. Not even ten minutes into holding my sign at the intersection, did the manager of this lovely runny-diarrhea, vegan (read: rabbit food) establishment send one of his waiters out to try and shoo me away. > > Obviously, I refused, because I was within my rights. The waiter goes back inside. Not two minutes later, the manager comes out, getting all up in my personal space yelling at me to “get the f\*\*\* outta [there]”. > > Once again, I refused. I sure as silk wasn’t gonna be pushed around by a little pale-skinned, poorly-shaven yuppie-/hipster-hybrid prick with an ego the size of the planet Jupiter and no control of his Miss-Priss temper. He refused to realize that he is currently in the United States of America, where there is a CONSTITUTION, and a RIGHT to FREE SPEECH on PUBLIC PROPERTY. > > So, I was forced to dial 911. Officer Brewer–bless him–of the Fort Worth Police Department’s South Division responded, and educated that prick of a manager on what country he was in. He went back inside, without so much as even an apology (surprise, surprise). > > I never did catch his name, but he was working this just past Friday evening (July 25, 2014), and he is a skinny, medium-height pale white yuppie prick with black hair and lots of stubble, and he is apparently the manager of this place. He needs to be canned, simple as that. He is a perfect example of why I am so lonely here–Fort Worth is a fake, prissy, angry, selfish city of pricks and jerks who, rather than act like decent human beings, lack empathy and basic human decency, and carry around IGMFU (“I Got Mine, F\*\*\* You!”) attitudes (thanks to the great progressive talk radio host Bob Kincaid for that acronym!). > > Aren’t there any DECENT, KIND people in town?! I mean, the only people who bothered being kind to me this past evening were from FRISCO! > > So yeah, this establishment gets one star from me, first and foremost because of the very, very, very, VERY crappy attitudes the staff carry around. Then there’s the fact that the one time I ate here (about a couple of years ago), I got projectile diarrhea that was so dang bad I almost painted my underwear and jeans brown before I was able to make it home! I wish I was able to give this place ZERO stars! > > “Humans Have Teeth That Can Handle Meat For a Good Dang Reason” > Fort Worth, Texas ---
**Author:** ![Spud](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spud/32/347_2.png) [@Spud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spud)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2015, 5:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cant-you-read-the-sign/710340/90 "2015-01-22T05:45:52Z")
To the OP… after 6 months of regular protesting with a sign you acknowledge is typically ignored… I understand the “prissy subculture” of knee brace wearers across the street is actually very friendly and welcoming. ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2015, 11:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cant-you-read-the-sign/710340/91 "2015-01-22T11:26:54Z")
Even those people from FRISCO who were so kind to him might not be so kind when they find out he wrote that they were from FRISCO. ---
**Author:** ![Urbanredneck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ea5d25/32.png) [@Urbanredneck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Urbanredneck)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2015, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cant-you-read-the-sign/710340/92 "2015-01-22T15:51:46Z")
Now wait. We all do stupid things from time to time. In fact I’d say we probably all do one amazingly stupid thing each day like say forgetting you way home or… not noticing an obvious sign. Now throw in that there are millions of people in the world its going to happen that any given business will get a few persons not noticing a sign every now and then. Lets give our fellow man a break. ---
**Author:** ![Furious\_Marmot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/dfb087/32.png) [@Furious\_Marmot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Furious_Marmot)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2015, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cant-you-read-the-sign/710340/93 "2015-01-22T17:21:23Z")
> [@Senegoid](#): > > Even those people from FRISCO who were so kind to him might not be so kind when they find out he wrote that they were from FRISCO. To be clear, the Frisco referred to by the OP is not the city in California inhabited by people who do not like the nickname “Frisco”. It is a largish suburb north of Dallas, that has experienced recent explosive growth. It’s the very epitome of suburban sprawl, and the sort of place that hipsters or hippies or yuppies or college students tend to viscerally dislike. Think McMansions, near total unwalkability, SUVs, soccer moms, “good schools”, huge shopping centers, megachurches. Nice people from FRISCO? My stars! Everyone (who matters) knows that those monocultural, materialistic breeders living up in BFE are big jerks. Strange to see a person who is so het up over the wrongness of exclusionary prissy urban hipster subcultures and yet is also surprised to the point of ALL CAPS by the kindness and decency of their polar opposite: the deeply uncool, conventional suburbanites. Is irony in style currently? I can’t keep up. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2015, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cant-you-read-the-sign/710340/94 "2015-01-22T17:26:19Z")
> [@Urbanredneck](#): > > Lets give our fellow man a break. Where’s the fun in that? ---
**Author:** ![SpeedwayRyan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce7236/32.png) [@SpeedwayRyan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SpeedwayRyan)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2015, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cant-you-read-the-sign/710340/95 "2015-01-22T19:19:42Z")
> [@Spud](#): > > The “Eat Here and Get Gas” sign is between my current and childhood home. I was 99% sure I knew what sign you meant without seeing the video, so before I posted, “oh, you’re from Indiana, huh?” I went to check the video. Since it says “Tipton, Indiana” on the sign, I guess that makes my plan a lot less cool. 🙂 I grew up in West-Central Indiana and went to Ball State, so I drove by that sign on my way back and forth across the state many times. ---
**Author:** ![Freddy\_the\_Pig](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a587f6/32.png) [@Freddy\_the\_Pig](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freddy_the_Pig)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2015, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cant-you-read-the-sign/710340/96 "2015-01-22T21:16:31Z")
[QUOTE=The Joker and the Thief] I mean, the only people who bothered being kind to me this past evening were from FRISCO! [/quote] So very like that time when a vile Samaritan was the only person to assist a robbed and abandoned traveler. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2015, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cant-you-read-the-sign/710340/97 "2015-01-22T21:22:34Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > **FREE BEER TOMORROW** > > I’ve had bartenders tell me that people have returned the next day after reading the yellowed, ancient sign. \*“The rule is, jam tomorrow and jam yesterday-but never jam today It must come sometime to jam today, Alice objected No it can’t said the Queen It’s jam every other day. Today isn’t any other day, you know”\* ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2015, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cant-you-read-the-sign/710340/98 "2015-01-23T00:29:57Z")
So you carry around a sign that tells everyone about your diaarhea? Um, okay. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2015, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cant-you-read-the-sign/710340/99 "2015-01-23T15:19:02Z")
Let’s keep this about the topic and not turn it into a pile on about the OP. If he chooses to answer the questions already asked of him that is up to him but let’s not continue with the hijack. ---
**Author:** ![Drunky\_Smurf](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drunky_smurf/32/449_2.png) [@Drunky\_Smurf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drunky_Smurf)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2015, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cant-you-read-the-sign/710340/100 "2015-01-23T18:08:50Z")
> [@Charlie\_Wayne](#): > > Hey Joey, > > I want to tell you one more thing. I hope you will enjoy it. > > When I was around 18, I was attending school but working in a gas station for the summer. One day, five minutes after closing time, a lady pulled in and asked if she could fill up her car. In most gas stations, at that time, (in the 1970s) the employees had several chores to do after closing. We had to take measurements of the amount of product sold etc. It would take at least 30 minutes after we were closed to do this. > > I explained politely to the lady that we were closed and I couldn’t give her any gas. > > She then went into her act. First she begged. Then she offered me a bribe (which almost worked but we had heard that the licensing commission used to hire private detectives to check on employees willing to take bribes and it wasn’t worth my job to take her two dollar bribe - two dollars was a lot more back then than it is today). Anyway, after begging and pleading and offering me a bribe, she went into a threatening mode. “If you don’t give me some gas, I will run out and then I’ll be stranded and my husband will have to come and help me and he will beat the snot out of you … etc.” > > I’m coming to the point soon. But before I do, I just want to say that this lady was at the age where her looks were just beginning to fade. I got the impression that she was used to getting her way from men because for her entire life, she had been very attractive and it was only recently that her looks began to fade and she was very unhappy about that. > > But, here is the point. I was a kind of snotty punk and I didn’t care what she said or did. I wasn’t going to sell her any gas or give it to her or pour it over her head and set her on fire. She was getting nothing from me. Nada! In fact, (here is the point), I had decided to use her for my own entertainment. > > I decided to try and do everything I could to string her along and see just what she was capable of doing. The gas pumps were locked and she didn’t know where the key was and so she was just S.O.L. > > I was really hoping that she would run out of gas while she was going through her act and that she would just lose her mind. I was hoping she would lose her mind because it would be a great story that I could then tell people for the rest of my life - just like I’m doing now. > > Unfortunately, I think she figured out what I was doing and at that point, she just put the car into gear and left. But it would have been so glorious if she actually ran out of gas and got stuck there or if she did anytying that would give me cause to call the police. It was a different time and the police would have taken my side because I was an employee of a large company and I could smell a little alcohol on her breath. > > Looking back, I should have been more charitable and explained my reasons to her. But at that time, I was just a young dumb prick and I didn’t give a shit. I worked hard all day and if there was any chance she was going to provide me with some entertainment to enjoy at the end of my day, I was all up for it. cool story bro [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cant-you-read-the-sign/710340.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cant-you-read-the-sign/710340.md?page=6)