# Most unusual warning/traffic sign you've seen? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [April 25, 2002, 3:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-unusual-warning-traffic-sign-youve-seen/105489 "2002-04-25T03:05:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![derTintenfisch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7ea924/32.png) [@derTintenfisch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/derTintenfisch)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2002, 9:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-unusual-warning-traffic-sign-youve-seen/105489/41 "2002-04-26T09:33:32Z")
> [@](#): > > I’ve got a photograph of a street sign in Durham, England which reads HUMPED ZEBRA CROSSING. Oooh, I remember that - I think every one of my classmates got a picture of that when we were in Durham. But I think we had a different definition of _hump_ in mind… ---
**Author:** ![grimpixie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ecb155/32.png) [@grimpixie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/grimpixie)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2002, 9:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-unusual-warning-traffic-sign-youve-seen/105489/42 "2002-04-26T09:35:57Z")
Two signs that I have not seen in person, but have seen pictures of (so might have been doctored): 1. Sign next to a river - “If this sign is covered in water, the river is in flood” 2. Sign on a Freeway overpass - “Ignore this sign” On that I have seen myself: “It is illegal to shoot at this sign” - in an area of rural South Africa where the weekend entertainment is to ride in the back of a bakkie (pickup truck) and shoot at road signs with a pellet gun. Gp ---
**Author:** ![AbsolutelyStark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/278dde/32.png) [@AbsolutelyStark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AbsolutelyStark)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2002, 10:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-unusual-warning-traffic-sign-youve-seen/105489/43 "2002-04-26T10:57:50Z")
STOP CHILDREN It’s next to a driveway at a school near where I live. ---
**Author:** ![NutMagnet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ea5d25/32.png) [@NutMagnet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NutMagnet)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2002, 11:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-unusual-warning-traffic-sign-youve-seen/105489/44 "2002-04-26T11:18:53Z")
In Paramus New Jersey, there is a permanent sign along a stretch of a residential street, which says, “No Garbage Pick-up This Wednesday”. It’s been there for years. Which Wednesday are they referring to? ---
**Author:** ![MagicEyes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@MagicEyes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MagicEyes)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2002, 1:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-unusual-warning-traffic-sign-youve-seen/105489/45 "2002-04-26T13:00:04Z")
In Chapel Hill, NC, there’s a crosswalk with a sign that says “Walk with Light.” I think it sounds very spiritual. ME ---
**Author:** ![frodosteve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e19adc/32.png) [@frodosteve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/frodosteve)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2002, 1:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-unusual-warning-traffic-sign-youve-seen/105489/46 "2002-04-26T13:56:02Z")
Yesterday I was in a department store. Near the exit, there were two signs. The first one said, “IF THE ALARM SOUNDS, PLEASE WAIT FOR ASSISTANCE.” Just beside it, the second sign said, “ATTENTION CUSTOMERS: IF ALARM SOUNDS, PLEASE RETURN TO CASHIER” ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2002, 2:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-unusual-warning-traffic-sign-youve-seen/105489/47 "2002-04-26T14:32:33Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Ranchoth \* > a “Tank Crossing” sign near a military base On the same stretch of road near Ft. Stewart, Georgia, I saw signs indicating that tanks crossed the road without warning (for some reason, those two words stuck out in my mind :)) and that there were alligators in the ditches. :eek: ---
**Author:** ![moodtobestewed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/3ab097/32.png) [@moodtobestewed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/moodtobestewed)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2002, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-unusual-warning-traffic-sign-youve-seen/105489/48 "2002-04-26T14:44:31Z")
Our city recently put speed bumps on a number of residential streets accompanied by signs that state “Hump Ahead”. Where I grew up “hump” meant something entirely different, but I keep driving through those neighborhoods hoping to get lucky. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![ResIpsaLoquitor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b3f665/32.png) [@ResIpsaLoquitor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ResIpsaLoquitor)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2002, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-unusual-warning-traffic-sign-youve-seen/105489/49 "2002-04-26T15:50:31Z")
Oh, when my high school sophomore English teacher was a kid, he and his friends ran across a sign that said: ``` PRIVATE POOL NO ``` SWIMMING ALLOWED …which they took to mean: “Private Pool? No. Swimming Allowed!” ---
**Author:** ![pestie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e5b9ba/32.png) [@pestie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pestie)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2002, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-unusual-warning-traffic-sign-youve-seen/105489/50 "2002-04-26T17:45:21Z")
My personal favorites: SLOW VILLAGE AHEAD (yup - it sure is!) Outside of a church (yet, it was obviously an official town sign): THOU SHALT NOT PARK HERE TO CORNER ---
**Author:** ![Shade](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2bfe46/32.png) [@Shade](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shade)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2002, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-unusual-warning-traffic-sign-youve-seen/105489/51 "2002-04-26T21:36:11Z")
There’s a frogs on road sign near where I live, analogous to horses on road, or people on road: a red triangle with a frog in. But looks like it means “BEWARE! 7ft tall Frogs ahead!” because the frog was obviously drawn on a different scale. ---
**Author:** ![fish\_in\_the\_sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/7ba0ec/32.png) [@fish\_in\_the\_sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fish_in_the_sky)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2002, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-unusual-warning-traffic-sign-youve-seen/105489/52 "2002-04-26T22:29:13Z")
On a road outside a military base I once saw a sign that said something along the lines of WATCH FOR STRAY GUNFIRE Like, what should you do if you see it? Duck? Roll up the windows real quick? ---
**Author:** ![shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/7ab992/32.png) [@shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shrew)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2002, 12:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-unusual-warning-traffic-sign-youve-seen/105489/53 "2002-04-27T00:56:34Z")
There are several signs here in town that say, “Keep moving.” I never thought they were particulary funny because…well…they’re needed. People often stop in exit ramp lanes here, thinking they have to yield, but they don’t. But whenever I bring friends here from other towns, they think those signs are freakin’ hilarious. :shrug: ---
**Author:** ![Geek\_Mecha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ecae2f/32.png) [@Geek\_Mecha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Geek_Mecha)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2002, 3:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-unusual-warning-traffic-sign-youve-seen/105489/54 "2002-04-27T03:12:50Z")
_Originally posted by Yondan_ > [@](#): > > In New York: > > Don’t Even THINK of Parking Here! In the game Grand Theft Auto 3, this sign appears on the gate outside one of the town’s hospitals. You’ve got to get really close to the sign in order to make the words out. I thought it was a nice touch. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Shade](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2bfe46/32.png) [@Shade](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shade)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2002, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-unusual-warning-traffic-sign-youve-seen/105489/55 "2002-04-27T21:02:13Z")
**[Anything] Strictly Forbidden.** What, there’s places where trespassing is only slightly forbidden? ---
**Author:** ![BalmainBoy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6a8cbe/32.png) [@BalmainBoy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BalmainBoy)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2002, 6:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-unusual-warning-traffic-sign-youve-seen/105489/56 "2002-04-28T06:45:13Z")
I have the wordless “Mother duck and two offspring” sign down the road. But the classic one I’ve seen, explaining it isn’t as good as seeing the picture, is a pole with the classic ’ “One Way” and an arrow’ sign, but the pole has two of these signs, with one arrow pointing left, the other one to the right! ---
**Author:** ![iamthewalrus\_3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/258eb7/32.png) [@iamthewalrus\_3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iamthewalrus_3)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2002, 10:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-unusual-warning-traffic-sign-youve-seen/105489/57 "2002-04-28T10:17:38Z")
I once saw, in San Francisco, a _single sign post_ that had both a no stopping any time sign and a yield sign on it. I guess you aren’t supposed to yield too much. Not a road sign, but in the NMRI lab at school, there are all sorts of signs about there being a really powerful magnet in the room, and to take your watch, wallet, pacemaker, etc. out before entering. The best one is on the magnet itself. It is a yellow square which has a picture of an open hand, an exclamation point, and a wrench with lines drawn indicating that it is flying toward the magnet. The chem prof who showed it to me said that they had a curious (=stupid) student see how strong the magnet was. The wrench was jerked out of his hand at 2 feet, and the whole building had to be evacuted because the liquid helium core boiled over. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![c-of-cyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a6a055/32.png) [@c-of-cyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/c-of-cyn)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2002, 12:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-unusual-warning-traffic-sign-youve-seen/105489/58 "2002-04-28T12:22:03Z")
This is a rather common sign, but I wonder what is one supposed to do about it… **Caution Falling Rocks** The signs are usually placed just a few feet from the beginning of a rocky cliff area. If a rock is going to fall on you, there’s nothing you can do about it. Gravity’s effects happen rather quickly - I would wager quicker than the transmission of your Honda Civic, never mind your hand/eye coordination. And even if you were to TRY to do something about it, would you turn around and find a detour just to avoid the possible falling rocks? I’ve always taken my chances and lived to tell about it. ---
**Author:** ![davidm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidm/32/225_2.png) [@davidm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidm)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2002, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-unusual-warning-traffic-sign-youve-seen/105489/59 "2002-04-28T19:59:43Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by glilly \* > \*\*SPEED > LIMIT > 19 > > This doesn’t do it justice as to how bizzare seeing an ODD NUMBER in a speed limit sign looks…\*\* 😕 It is bizzare to see 19 as a speed limit, but odd numbers in general aren’t at all unusual: 25, 35, 45, 55, 65… ---
**Author:** ![davidm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidm/32/225_2.png) [@davidm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidm)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2002, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-unusual-warning-traffic-sign-youve-seen/105489/60 "2002-04-28T20:04:30Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by c-of-cyn \* > \*\*This is a rather common sign, but I wonder what is one supposed to do about it… > > **Caution Falling Rocks** > > The signs are usually placed just a few feet from the beginning of a rocky cliff area. If a rock is going to fall on you, there’s nothing you can do about it. Gravity’s effects happen rather quickly - I would wager quicker than the transmission of your Honda Civic, never mind your hand/eye coordination. And even if you were to TRY to do something about it, would you turn around and find a detour just to avoid the possible falling rocks? I’ve always taken my chances and lived to tell about it. \*\* Actually, the point of this is to alert you to the possibility that rocks that have already fallen may be lying in the highway. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-unusual-warning-traffic-sign-youve-seen/105489.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-unusual-warning-traffic-sign-youve-seen/105489.md?page=4)