# Warning! Do Not Enter When Alive! **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [September 10, 2002, 11:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/warning-do-not-enter-when-alive/127787 "2002-09-10T11:52:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2002, 11:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/warning-do-not-enter-when-alive/127787/1 "2002-09-10T11:52:30Z")
Every day I drive to work and pass a house with this sign on the fence. It has started to irritate me and intrigue me. What the hell does it mean? My first thought was that the fence was electrified. But that can’t be the case – there are no signs warning about an electric fence (and I think that, legally, there would have to be). There are no insulators anywhere, no obvious connection to a power source, and the fence itself is coated with insulating plastic. There is no way this is an electrified fence. There is no single electrified wire on it, either. So what does that sign mean? Is this a rest home for Zombies? A subtle way for the owner to tell everyone to go the hell away? A subtle warning against salesmen? I’d go up and knock, but I’m afraid of what I’d find. Plus I’d have to go through that fence to get to the door. And I’m still alive. ---
**Author:** ![dantheman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dantheman/32/9421_2.png) [@dantheman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dantheman)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2002, 11:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/warning-do-not-enter-when-alive/127787/2 "2002-09-10T11:58:23Z")
Maybe it’s a live set? Like they’re actually filming something there? 😕 ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2002, 12:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/warning-do-not-enter-when-alive/127787/3 "2002-09-10T12:50:18Z")
Home-made sign, right? If so, it’s a slightly incoherant “No Tresspassing/Violators Will Be Shot” type of thing. Some, but _not all_, mentally ill people have trouble organising sentences. Do not test this theory. Stay away from the joint. ---
**Author:** ![ninevah](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/46a35a/32.png) [@ninevah](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ninevah)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2002, 12:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/warning-do-not-enter-when-alive/127787/4 "2002-09-10T12:52:29Z")
Maybe the door’s electrified… ? ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2002, 1:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/warning-do-not-enter-when-alive/127787/5 "2002-09-10T13:56:36Z")
> [@](#): > > Home-made sign, right? Nope – very professionbal-looking and well-lettered. It still doesn’t mean that the maker knew his grammar, so I’m going to take your advice and not go up there. This is certainly not a Live Set. It’s an ordinary house, and the sign has been there two years that I know of, and (from the looks of things) a lot longer than that. That film should’ve wrapped by now. ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2002, 2:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/warning-do-not-enter-when-alive/127787/6 "2002-09-10T14:24:42Z")
Sure sounds like a threat… something along the lines of if you come in here you might as well be dead. I personally would rather be offed by someone with better grammer skills. ---
**Author:** ![garius](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e19b73/32.png) [@garius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/garius)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2002, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/warning-do-not-enter-when-alive/127787/7 "2002-09-10T15:41:24Z")
of course if you were offed by said grammatically deficient person, you would no longer be “alive” so would be perfectly justified in being on the premises ooh the irony… ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Amazing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@Captain\_Amazing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Amazing)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2002, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/warning-do-not-enter-when-alive/127787/8 "2002-09-10T16:42:20Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by garius \* > \*\*you would no longer be “alive” so would be perfectly justified in being on the premises \*\* Well, no…there’s no prohibition against being on the premises when alive, just entering. The person, after shooting you, would still be justified in throwing you out. Of course, if you then reentered, you’d be fine. ---
**Author:** ![Ferrous](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Ferrous](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferrous)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2002, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/warning-do-not-enter-when-alive/127787/9 "2002-09-10T16:48:37Z")
In the Buffyverse, that could be construed as an open invitation to vampires. Bring your stake. ---
**Author:** ![Mullinator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c2a13f/32.png) [@Mullinator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mullinator)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2002, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/warning-do-not-enter-when-alive/127787/10 "2002-09-10T18:09:09Z")
Perhaps they misspelled the word “Olive” and have something either against Italian foods or various darker toned ethnicities. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2002, 1:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/warning-do-not-enter-when-alive/127787/11 "2002-09-11T01:52:35Z")
When I drove by on the way home I noticed that the sign actually reads **Danger! Do Not Enter When Alive!** , which is someho scarier. The only thing I can think of is that maybe the fence _was_ electrified at one time, but they emoved the wire and the other signs, but left the main one up. I have no idea what they’re protecting. It’s an ordinary yard, with no animals in it. There are kid’s toys (maybe that’s why they took down the wire, if they did.) You can see most of the yard, which is well-tended. ---
**Author:** ![Caught\_Work](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/919ad9/32.png) [@Caught\_Work](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Caught_Work)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2002, 2:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/warning-do-not-enter-when-alive/127787/12 "2002-09-11T02:07:25Z")
Did they steal it from a power generator and think it would look cool in their yard? ---
**Author:** ![Caught\_Work](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/919ad9/32.png) [@Caught\_Work](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Caught_Work)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2002, 2:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/warning-do-not-enter-when-alive/127787/13 "2002-09-11T02:13:42Z")
Did they steal it from a power generator and think it would look cool in their yard? ---
**Author:** ![elephant\_shoes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/c77e96/32.png) [@elephant\_shoes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elephant_shoes)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2002, 2:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/warning-do-not-enter-when-alive/127787/14 "2002-09-11T02:52:35Z")
But wouldn’t a sign about being wary of electric fences not have to follow some kind of – regulation, or something? It’s got to be right there in the the manual: _Your sign must be legible and easy for others to understand._ No?? Is this really about electric fences? Oh, the intrigue. What’s up with these people and this sign??? **Cal** , is there any way you can take a picture of the sign, and post it somewhere? I’m feeling a little Nancy Drew-ish over here. ---
**Author:** ![Zyada](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zyada/32/3028_2.png) [@Zyada](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zyada)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2002, 11:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/warning-do-not-enter-when-alive/127787/15 "2002-09-11T11:32:50Z")
I’m voting for teenage mentality with a macabre sense of humor ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2002, 12:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/warning-do-not-enter-when-alive/127787/16 "2002-09-11T12:00:19Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Zyada \* > \*\*I’m voting for teenage mentality with a macabre sense of humor \*\* My vote’s for schizophrenia. But then, my vote’s _always_ for schizophrenia. 😉 😃 ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2002, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/warning-do-not-enter-when-alive/127787/17 "2002-09-11T17:18:16Z")
> [@](#): > > Cal , is there any way you can take a picture of the sign, and post it somewhere? Sorry, I’m technologically backward. No digital camera. No flatbed scanner. If I can, I’ll post a shot, but don’t hold your breath. ---
**Author:** ![Enderw24](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ba9def/32.png) [@Enderw24](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enderw24)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2002, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/warning-do-not-enter-when-alive/127787/18 "2002-09-11T17:55:35Z")
Maybe the owner was just trying to keep the Uruguayan rugby team away. ---
**Author:** ![CoderSlave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/bbce88/32.png) [@CoderSlave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CoderSlave)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2002, 4:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/warning-do-not-enter-when-alive/127787/19 "2002-09-12T04:55:41Z")
WELL, If I new where the place was I would volenteer to go talk to the owners. I have nothing to live for anyway. ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2002, 5:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/warning-do-not-enter-when-alive/127787/20 "2002-09-12T05:46:13Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by CalMeacham \* > \*\* > > Nope – very professionbal-looking and well-lettered. It still doesn’t mean that the maker knew his grammar, so I’m going to take your advice and not go up there. > \*\* professionbal, smofessionbal. You’re not so far from here, so I bet they got the sign from the place that made banners for a local church. The banners asked people to join them this weekend in a “cebration.” What the hell is a cebration? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/warning-do-not-enter-when-alive/127787.md?page=2)