# What is this sign in Italy? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 4, 2013, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-sign-in-italy/662636 "2013-07-04T14:52:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![kapri](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/4491bb/32.png) [@kapri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kapri)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2013, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-sign-in-italy/662636/1 "2013-07-04T14:52:12Z")
Hello! I have come back after a long time away because I thought the smart folks here might know the answer to this question. A friend of mine took this photo of a sign in Florence, Italy, a few months ago, and we have been wondering what it could mean. I think the panda sticker was added later by a passer-by. Does anyone have any idea what this sign means? [Karen Price | Flickr](http://www.flickr.com/photos/98495823@N08/) ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2013, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-sign-in-italy/662636/2 "2013-07-04T14:54:52Z")
It’s too bad it’s not bigger. I wonder if it’s just a regular “Wrong Way/Do Not Enter” sign with all the extra stuff added as a joke. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2013, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-sign-in-italy/662636/3 "2013-07-04T14:57:45Z")
Found it in this blog, don’t know if it’s the same one though. [http://pavlikroadtrip.blogspot.com/](http://pavlikroadtrip.blogspot.com/) ---
**Author:** ![aNewLeaf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ac91a4/32.png) [@aNewLeaf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aNewLeaf)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2013, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-sign-in-italy/662636/4 "2013-07-04T14:57:48Z")
I think much of that was added by passersby. I’ve seen stop signs in the US with similar vandalism/personalization. Probably started as a Don’t Walk or No Pedestrians, I’d guess. ---
**Author:** ![Mops](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mops/32/16494_2.png) [@Mops](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mops)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2013, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-sign-in-italy/662636/5 "2013-07-04T14:58:53Z")
A standard ‘do not enter’ sign [Do not enter sign - Wikimedia Commons](http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Do_not_enter_sign) , hacked as a rather charming dig at the police. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2013, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-sign-in-italy/662636/6 "2013-07-04T15:01:03Z")
I’m going to guess it’s the work of this guy. [http://www.turismo.intoscana.it/allthingstuscany/tuscanyarts/street-signs-clet/](http://www.turismo.intoscana.it/allthingstuscany/tuscanyarts/street-signs-clet/) I couldn’t find that example on this page, but all signs (ha!) point to him. Same style, same city, same media. ---
**Author:** ![Lucas\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lucas_jackson/32/303_2.png) [@Lucas\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lucas_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2013, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-sign-in-italy/662636/7 "2013-07-04T15:18:06Z")
It’s just a standard Italian “As an officer of the law, I enjoy playing soccer (with panda balls) but it does make me sleepy” signs. ---
**Author:** ![kapri](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/4491bb/32.png) [@kapri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kapri)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2013, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-sign-in-italy/662636/8 "2013-07-04T15:18:15Z")
I think you’ve got it, Joey P. Thanks! That was quick. ---
**Author:** ![md2000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/73ab20/32.png) [@md2000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/md2000)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2013, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-sign-in-italy/662636/9 "2013-07-04T15:23:04Z")
“The police would love you not to enter here. (Panda in a manhole? Where?)” ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2013, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-sign-in-italy/662636/10 "2013-07-04T15:52:35Z")
“Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor’s panda.” ---
**Author:** ![the\_O](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@the\_O](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/the_O)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2013, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-sign-in-italy/662636/11 "2013-07-04T20:43:38Z")
It’s still Do Not Enter, but the gentleman is bent forward, awaiting…? ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2013, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-sign-in-italy/662636/12 "2013-07-05T00:03:28Z")
Do not love the Pandas. ---
**Author:** ![Xema](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/9de053/32.png) [@Xema](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Xema)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2013, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-sign-in-italy/662636/13 "2013-07-05T00:09:08Z")
Though you’d love to continue chasing the decapitated panda head, this is unfortunately not allowed past this point. ---
**Author:** ![njtt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ecd19e/32.png) [@njtt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/njtt)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2013, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-sign-in-italy/662636/14 "2013-07-05T01:41:23Z")
It looks to me as though the panda was added later, by someone else, after the sleeping policeman. The panda may be a simple sticker. ---
**Author:** ![robert\_columbia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e79b87/32.png) [@robert\_columbia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robert_columbia)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2013, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-sign-in-italy/662636/15 "2013-07-06T18:58:57Z")
> [@panache45](#): > > “Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor’s panda.” Unless said panda aforementioned panda.