# Explain this warning sign to me **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 19, 2002, 8:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-this-warning-sign-to-me/104485 "2002-04-19T08:26:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![novacaine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/7ea924/32.png) [@novacaine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/novacaine)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2002, 8:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-this-warning-sign-to-me/104485/1 "2002-04-19T08:26:36Z")
A few months ago I was walking around in Springfield, Fl. (a suburb of Panama City) takeing pictures when I saw the strangest warning sign. It was one of those big yellow road signs. On it in big black letters were the words “Death Zone Quiet” I am uterly confused about what this sign could have meant. Since I was out doing some photography anyway I took a picture of the sign. I just got the film develpoed today which is what reminded me to ask about it. The sign was located at the entrence to an alley. At first I thought maybe it was due to a hospital or nurseing home in the vecinity b/c these are places people often die and no one wants to be disturbed while dieing, but there was nothing like that around. Nor was there a cemetary near by so it couldn’t be refering to that. Any ideas? ---
**Author:** ![LolaBaby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/d2c977/32.png) [@LolaBaby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LolaBaby)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2002, 10:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-this-warning-sign-to-me/104485/2 "2002-04-19T10:56:54Z")
I don’t know, but you can bet I’d stay far away from there. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2002, 11:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-this-warning-sign-to-me/104485/3 "2002-04-19T11:01:52Z")
Was it definitely an official sign? ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2002, 11:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-this-warning-sign-to-me/104485/4 "2002-04-19T11:52:29Z")
Was there a funeral home nearby? Maybe they were trying to prevent disruption of funeral services. But yes, that’s creepy. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2002, 12:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-this-warning-sign-to-me/104485/5 "2002-04-19T12:17:42Z")
I’d guess it was a spot where there were a lot of traffic accidents. Quite possibly the alley had poor visibility and you had to listen for traffic. ---
**Author:** ![Cliffy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/59ef9b/32.png) [@Cliffy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cliffy)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2002, 11:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-this-warning-sign-to-me/104485/6 "2002-04-20T23:40:50Z")
Yeah, becasue a big yellow sign informing you you’ve entered the DEATH ZONE isn’t a distraction. 😉 –Cliffy ---
**Author:** ![The\_Griffin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a87d85/32.png) [@The\_Griffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Griffin)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2002, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-this-warning-sign-to-me/104485/7 "2002-04-21T00:06:03Z")
It’s probably someone’s idea of a joke. ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2002, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-this-warning-sign-to-me/104485/8 "2002-04-21T00:26:47Z")
Perhaps it is a pun on “Deaf Child Zone” or “Deaf Zone” signs which warn drivers that people may not be able to hear cars coming. ---
**Author:** ![Daoloth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/82dd89/32.png) [@Daoloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Daoloth)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2002, 6:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-this-warning-sign-to-me/104485/9 "2002-04-21T06:40:37Z")
Scan the picture, if you can. ---
**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2002, 7:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-this-warning-sign-to-me/104485/10 "2002-04-21T07:30:42Z")
Death Zone Purple. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Tim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@The\_Tim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Tim)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2002, 7:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-this-warning-sign-to-me/104485/11 "2002-04-21T07:53:58Z")
Maybe the Reaper has his pad near there and wants it to be quiet when he gets an oppertunity to catch some sleep. ---
**Author:** ![Enola\_Straight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dec6dc/32.png) [@Enola\_Straight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enola_Straight)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2002, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-this-warning-sign-to-me/104485/12 "2002-04-21T14:51:16Z")
Is it near a Prison…like a death row execution chamber? ---
**Author:** ![Enderw24](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ba9def/32.png) [@Enderw24](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enderw24)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2002, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-this-warning-sign-to-me/104485/13 "2002-04-21T17:20:41Z")
Mama always tol’ me I’d wake the dead. Now the gov’ment’s tellin’ me too! ---
**Author:** ![novacaine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/7ea924/32.png) [@novacaine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/novacaine)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2002, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-this-warning-sign-to-me/104485/14 "2002-04-22T00:29:21Z")
As far as I can tell there isn’t a funeral home anywhere nearby and I know there isn’t a prison around the area that might be executing prisoners. I would love to scan the picture but the only computer I have access to with internet capabilities is at work and we don’t have a scanner. But I assure you it looks just like any other big yellow diamond shaped warning sign. ---
**Author:** ![Motog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/85e7bf/32.png) [@Motog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Motog)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2002, 3:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-this-warning-sign-to-me/104485/15 "2002-04-22T03:19:15Z")
Probably not related but I remember my grandfather telling me about a man that died of tetanus in his town in the early part of this century. He said that, because the man was extremely sensitive to loud noises and vibrations, traffic was diverted away from the building (hospital?), straw was laid down on the streets and footpaths and everybody was urged to be extremely quiet. Could it be something like that? ---
**Author:** ![novacaine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/7ea924/32.png) [@novacaine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/novacaine)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2002, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-this-warning-sign-to-me/104485/16 "2002-05-10T18:14:12Z")
I think I have found the answer to my own question. I was talking to a friend the other day about this and apparevtly these signs are something they do in the south when someone dies. After someone dies these signs are sometimes put up near thier home to keep people from being loud and obnoxious while the family is still grieveing. I don’t know if he is right or not but it’s the most likely answer I have heard yet. ---
**Author:** ![novacaine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/7ea924/32.png) [@novacaine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/novacaine)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2002, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-this-warning-sign-to-me/104485/17 "2002-05-10T18:14:20Z")
I think I have found the answer to my own question. I was talking to a friend the other day about this and apparently these signs are something they do in the south when someone dies. After someone dies these signs are sometimes put up near thier home to keep people from being loud and obnoxious while the family is still grieveing. I don’t know if he is right or not but it’s the most likely answer I have heard yet.