Warning Signs

July 18, 2012 5:41 AM

Warning Signs: A Flickr set of real and imagined warning signs.
posted by OmieWise (17 comments total)

See also Stick Figures In Peril and a previous post on warning signs.
posted by knile at 5:49 AM on July 18, 2012

Double (though from 2006).
posted by ryanshepard at 6:03 AM on July 18, 2012

Bicyclists beware of pedestrians with sticks.
posted by Splunge at 6:08 AM on July 18, 2012

The imagined ones have appeared before, but it's still fun to see where those future flavored warnings ("Nonstandard Spacetime") become the banal technological present: Motivation Hazard; Memetic Hazard; Lack of Internet Connectivity.
posted by postcommunism at 6:10 AM on July 18, 2012

Brought to you by Red Flag.
posted by psoas at 6:24 AM on July 18, 2012 [1 favorite]

There's a sign over by the State Hospital in Austin near the delivery entrance that says CONTRABAND PROHIBITED, which seems like a tautology to me. I should go grab a snapshot.
posted by Devils Rancher at 6:54 AM on July 18, 2012 [4 favorites]

Double (though from 2006).

Yeah, looks like there's been a bunch of content added since the original. WARNING: CLEMENCY ZONE.
posted by cortex at 7:29 AM on July 18, 2012 [4 favorites]

Why does it not surprise me that so many of these are British?
posted by randomination at 7:50 AM on July 18, 2012 [1 favorite]

I must post the existential threat sign.
posted by BlueHorse at 7:50 AM on July 18, 2012

Shame it's not a group
posted by Myeral at 8:03 AM on July 18, 2012

Some of these would be useful in The Laundry.
posted by the man of twists and turns at 8:14 AM on July 18, 2012 [1 favorite]

Motivation hazard: a poppy. Well done.
posted by justsomebodythatyouusedtoknow at 9:25 AM on July 18, 2012

Needs a
WARNING: OUTSIDE CONTEXT PROBLEM
sign.
posted by EndsOfInvention at 9:51 AM on July 18, 2012

My favorite near-to-philosophical road sign was when 20 y.o. me took a big trip overseas to England and Germany. At one point in London I spotted a sign that just said 'Priorities Change Ahead', which seemed like the best description of a spectacular vacation-trip-slash-world-adventure that I could think of.

Well, second best, after the sign we saw earlier that day that said "19' FIRE COCK".
posted by FatherDagon at 9:53 AM on July 18, 2012 [2 favorites]

When I was honeymooning in England, we saw a sign that read "CAUTION: Oncoming traffic in middle of road." I thought that was alarming, then realized it just was the same sign as "One lane road ahead," but phrased to put you on your toes much more acutely. But a couple of months later, my brother won the Best British Road Sign contest by spotting one that read "This intersection has been modified in accordance with the Pedestrian Fatality Mitigation Experiment." (It's an experiment! Hypothesis: you won't die!)
posted by KathrynT at 10:03 AM on July 18, 2012 [1 favorite]

I liked "Unsuitable for Buses." It's understated in the most British way possible...
posted by schmod at 10:06 AM on July 18, 2012

My favorite warning sign is from Bodiam castle: "Please mind where you are walking as there may be bats on the floor."
posted by zanni at 10:05 AM on July 19, 2012