Behind Every Sign, There’s A Story: 45 Hilarious Disclaimers That Were Put Up For Weird Reasons
By Louise T
Have you ever stopped in your tracks to read a sign repeatedly because of how weird it seemed or how confused it left you? Don’t fret; you’re not alone. We feel the same way sometimes. They say, “the more you see, the less you understand,” and we can’t deny it.
But this saying applies to the weird and hilarious signs you’d see in this post. However, some of these signs were put up because of unpleasant issues that made several companies and businesses pay for lawsuits and go to court.
Here are 40+ images retrieved from all over the internet about weird signs we bet you have never seen before. We promise to keep you entertained while these images leave you surprised.
All Except Bears
We don’t know what this bear did, but one thing is sure: it must have caused a lot of trouble for them to put up a sign like this. Whatever it was, this inn is never letting a bear walk into their front door again.
The good news is that if you have a crocodile as a pet and have been thinking of the perfect pet-friendly inn for your croc, then search no more. Comfort INN is the perfect place for your semi-aquatic reptile, so bring him over.
Dear Onion Thief
Who remembers M*A*S*H, the American sitcom centered on interrelationships, stress, and trauma going on in the Mobile Army Surgical Hospital? If you’re a huge fan of the series like us, then you must remember this epic insult by Corporal Klinger.
This is one threat the onion thief should take seriously; you just never know what might happen. Don’t ever try to steal the onions of an onion lover. In our opinion, this is the perfect karma for thieves. Are we right?
You’re Bored
We are all guilty of this. Who doesn’t go to the fridge to grab a snack even when they’re not hungry? This person decided to put this sign on the refrigerator to control the urge to eat all the time, and we wouldn’t mind trying this.
Let’s admit it. Boredom makes us do the craziest things sometimes. So, before you think you need to grab a quick snack when it isn’t even noon yet, we suggest you shut the door and play a game to help your mind forget you’re “hungry.” Spoiler alert: you’re not really hungry.
Bitter Truth
One thing we are very certain of is that this machine must have done a lot of damage to several people in the past, which is why it earned this disclaimer. The sign is a good one, but the “doesn’t care” part hurts.
The sad truth is that at least you were warned. Like it or not, this machine does not care about you, and if it catches your flesh, it won’t let go. In other words, use the machine at your own risk.
Fart Squirrels
Skunks are creatures in the family mephitidae with black hair and visible stripes of white. You’re probably aware that these creatures can let out the most unpleasant smell. Before you say you weren’t warned, here’s a sign to keep you from making bad decisions.
The sign describes them as “fart squirrels,” in case you forget yourself for a second there and assume it’s a cute little squirrel. So before you try to pet it, be prepared to be sprayed and end up smelling like rotten eggs.
Duck, Before It’s Too Late!
This is one hilarious sign. The person who posted this photo said everyone kept hitting their heads on the wall as they walked down his stairs, and he decided to hang this portrait of a duck to serve as a warning.
But what are the odds that one person would be too busy staring at the picture and end up hitting their head anyway before they realize they are meant to “duck” in the first place? The odds are pretty high, right? We thought the same too.
Your GPS Is Wrong
Most of us often believe our GPS (Global Positioning System) is always right and that we can’t ever get lost as long as we follow the map. We don’t like to be the bearers of bad news, but these maps can be misleading 10% of the time.
We bet several people would end up getting lost here if somebody had to put a sign like this. Thanks to this sign, many people must have been saved from stress. We wonder where this path leads, but we wouldn’t want to find out, though.
Max Loves The Library
This sign is a sad one. Max’s owner and the library do not want Max in the library, but the cat probably enjoys the smell of books and loves to lie under the table while listening to the gentle humming of the photocopy machine.
We suggest they let Max into the library because he is nice and loves the place. But if Max has been causing a lot of trouble for the library and his owner by going, then we totally support this sign.
Do Not Feed The Builders
When you go to the zoo, you see signs like this one, telling you to stay away from the glass because of unforeseen circumstances. Well, this construction site decided to use this sign to prevent people from feeding the builders.
We have no idea if the builders are gluttonous or will ask for a mile if you give them an inch. All we know is that you shouldn’t feed them. If you do it, it’ll be at your own peril! They’re not working for free, though. They can afford their meals.
Dogs Are Welcome
Finally, someone said it. As humans, we don’t always realize how messed up our behavior is until someone spells it out for us, and that’s what they did here. They would prefer dogs over humans, and we can’t blame them for it.
The horrifying things humans did at this hotel are enough for anyone to get banned permanently. Imagine setting fire to the blankets because you wanted to smoke in bed! As if that wasn’t enough, they also damaged the furniture and stole the hotel’s towels. Shame on humans!
Nimbus 2000
The structure of the brooms reminds us a lot of the famous movie franchise Harry Potter, where we saw people flying away on brooms. It’s no surprise someone thought it was the same broom from the movie and tried to do it in real life.
Unless you’re a witch or wizard who practices witchcraft, we see no reason why you would think this broom is suitable for flying. But we can’t deny that this looks a lot like the Nimbus 2000. Harry would be delighted!
Poor Sagan
We sometimes wonder how people come up with these signs. This cat’s doctor advised him not to drink alcohol or drive a car as long as he’s on his antibiotics. As if any of those are even possible in the first place!
The woman who posted this said she ordered the prescription meds for her cat. However, this is a common medication used by humans, too, so they must have been referring to humans. But it is still hilarious to imagine a drunk cat.
Body Wash Extinguisher
We thought it was a fire extinguisher and were confused as to why we needed an extinguisher in the shower. If this image had you fooled as it did us, this is a shower gel from Lush called Snow Fairy.
We are pretty sure the reasoning for this label was the fact they had a lot of people confused about their product. But rather than helping out as clearly as possible, they left customers more confused than they were initially.
A ‘Level 5’ Warning
This is another post about geese, and we have to admit, these birds don’t know when to give up. Geese are territorial birds, and for them, peace is never an option. Our best guess is the goose at Platform 2 is a Canadian goose.
They are violent, so if you love your life and hate getting into fights, then you should do as the sign says. But if this is a ‘Level 5’ goose warning, what other levels are there, and how violent can these birds get?
Out Of Bounds
This is a nice sign that protects animal rights and habitats. But what if you stink and must shower urgently, but there’s no empty shower? How about removing the owl from the shower and putting a nest box for it on the outside?
Except this is the UK, where disturbing an owl’s nest can award you with a 6-month prison sentence. Whatever the reason for this sign, either fear of arrest or just plain kindness, we know there’s a story behind that “definitely.”
Sense Of Humor
Well, this whole issue escalated more quickly than we would have liked. The escalator at this mall broke down, and they decided to make a joke while directing people to use the lift instead if they had other places to be.
Now, this sign is a favorite of ours. Although the issue was quite serious, it was taken care of in a very calm and funny way. Whoever wrote this sign deserves a huge bonus because he had people smiling after they read it.
This Is A Tent Pole
There are different types of poles, like tent poles, dancing poles, and even the South and the North Poles. But we are sure that someone has been using this pole for something other than its original use. And they’re probably being naughty while at it.
We love this sign so much! We wonder how many people had to dance on this pole to make them put it up in the first place. If you’re looking for the perfect way to disappoint your father, then we suggest you try this.
The Tamale Lady
If you are not from San Francisco, then it’s possible you don’t know who the Tamale Lady is, but we’ll gladly help out. The Tamale Lady goes through local bars, offices, and stores to sell the tastiest tamales you’ll ever eat.
Everyone loves the Tamale Lady because her food is always hot. One thing about tamales is that it never tastes as good as hers, no matter how well you prepare them. If you aren’t the Tamale Lady, then we are sorry. No solicitation for you.
No Valet Parking
The reason for this sign is quite straightforward. We are sure this restaurant must have gotten into quite a bit of trouble in recent times, and plenty of customers reported stolen cars. So they had no choice but to put up this sign.
Here is what happened — the car thief took advantage of the lack of valet parking to steal unsuspecting customers’ cars. But this restaurant decided to give them a warning and made it clear they do not have valet parking in a very sarcastic way.
Chocolate Balls Or…?
This is the funniest sign on this list, and we are sure you will have a good laugh too. Whatever this pastry shop was hoping to achieve with this, they certainly did it. They surely must have made a lot of customers smile.
We aren’t even going to start explaining what this sign means. The interpretation is totally up to you. But please, do not try to grab your own balls, this pastry shop has got you covered, and they will grab them for you.
No Offense
The only thing we find offensive in this post is the number of fonts used to write this warning sign. But it is rather surprising that people go to public libraries and end up complaining about a certain material or book being offensive.
We wonder what sort of people would even complain about offensive books at a library when all the books can’t share your ideals and opinions. Well, we suggest people like that build personal libraries with their preferences only. They’ll never be offended, then.
Use The Other Door
We know you must be wondering if this post is a joke and if geese are truly dangerous. Well, the answer is, perhaps. Don’t be fooled by the bird’s friendly face because they will go after you no matter what.
It’s best if you listen to this sign and use the other door than to end up being sorry. We are sure it must have attacked a good number of people. And judging by his stance, he’s waiting for his next victim.
Crying On The Job
This sign clearly shows this company must be pretty corrupt and heartless. From what we can see, they don’t really care about their associates. Companies give snack breaks, nap breaks, and lunch breaks but never have we heard of a crying break.
The only reason the workers must be crying is that they hate their job and wish to be anywhere else but at work. Too bad crying is not allowed. To work at such a company, you must be an expert at masking your feelings.
Maybe It’s Microwave Safe
We have seen a lot of weird signs on this list, but we are getting mixed messages from this one here. It says “microwave safe” and “dishwasher safe,” only for the bottom line to read “not safe for microwave” and “hand wash only.”
We are very confused about what exactly we should believe. There are a lot of contradictions in this small instruction, but then again, it’s a plate distributed by a book distributor, so maybe it’s not that surprising. Talk about a product saying, “yes, you can… maybe you can’t…well, no, you absolutely can’t.”
Stress Balls
If you’ve been to a shrink’s office or suffer from stress and anxiety, then you must know what a stress ball is. They’re those balls your shrink tells you to squeeze every time you feel anxious and need to calm your nerves.
This sign is telling people to avoid squeezing tomatoes because they’re not ‘stress balls.’ We’re not sure of the reason behind this warning, but we know something must have transpired in the past. Someone probably squeezed a tomato too hard.
Use The Stairs Instead
The only explainable reason we’ve been able to come up with as to why this sign is here is that someone probably fell into the elevator shaft by stepping in when the elevator was not there. How is that even possible?
We have no idea how a person enters an elevator when the elevator is not there. Maybe they were on their phone? They are practically asking everyone in the building to use the stairs. If you’re going to this building, please check twice to avoid any injuries.
Common Sense Isn’t Common
We thought it was common sense to remove the tablet from the blister packaging before you take it, but some people seem to disagree with us. No matter how usual common sense is, not everyone you meet has common sense.
This is quite shocking. This erratic behavior is seen in wild dogs or animals, and not a human. We would love to know the whole story behind this sign because we don’t want to believe people take their meds with blister packaging.
Don’t Even Try
Sometimes when you see a cute little bird or animal, you always get the irresistible urge to pet or pick it up. We can’t blame you because we are also guilty of doing that. Their friendly expression, most times, is just too strong for us to resist.
If you hate your fingers and face, you will probably ignore this sign. If not, you’ll abort any mission that involves picking up the turkeys. But we wonder what happened to the people who tried to do so in the first place.
Being an Idiot
Whatever the reason for this, it’s too late because we are sure some idiots must be operating one at this very moment. This sign was meant to inform people that only professional or “intelligent” humans had the right to handle these tools.
But we doubt anyone took heed to this warning because no tool should be handled by dummies, but sadly many tools are. The biggest part of being a dummy is not knowing that you’re a dummy. So we guess this sign won’t work one bit.
Endoscopy Vending Equipment
This sign is so random it hurts our heads. Someone stole chocolate bars from this vending machine, and the owner decided to put up this sign as a warning to whoever stole the chocolate that he knew exactly how they did it.
Who has a piece of endoscopy equipment to carry around? Sometimes these signs remind us that there are a lot of weird people out there who would do anything to get what they want. We still can’t believe they went this far for chocolate!
Escalator Safety
We find this post very strange. We know seeing is believing, but sometimes these signs make us believe that just about anything is possible – even the presence of aliens in our universe. It’s just unfathomable to explain humans and the strange things they do.
The more you see things on the internet, the less you understand humanity. Who in the first place would even attempt competitive dog grooming on an escalator? Judging by this sign, we are sure several people are guilty of it. Crazy, right?
Homeopathy At Its Finest
This must surely be homeopathy at its finest – a treatment based on highly diluted substances like this one, which practitioners claim can help the body cure itself. How else would a product like this be in the market in the first place?
The strange part is it has an instruction for use that suggests the cream should be used only at night. As if that’s not enough, the safety of the product has not even been determined. They’re basically asking us to use it at our own risk. Well, no, thanks.
Cats Allowed
We learned a lot from this one sign here. Firstly, a leopard actually weighs more than we imagined. Secondly, a Eurasian lynx weighs far less. But if only felines are allowed, why is the weight limit set at 200 pounds?
This weight limit is very discriminating against lions and tigers, who weigh more than other felines on this list. But since it’s a 2-pet limit, you should have a cheetah and either a lynx or clouded leopard to max out your number of cats.
Good Ol’ Memories
We know people do the craziest of things, from dog grooming on the escalator to using tomatoes as stress balls. People just never run out of ideas. But this one is something we have never seen or heard of before.
Who in their right mind would attempt to roller skate in a field? This sign was erected here to remember the 1965 classic by Roger Miller called “Ya can’t roller skate in a buffalo herd.” This definitely brings back memories from good times.
Made In China
The previous post confused us about whether or not the plate was dishwasher safe, but this time around, it’s a chopping board, or so it says. When you import a product on the internet, be prepared to be greeted with mixed signals and confusion.
The sign boldly reads “wood chopping board,” but the warning says not to use it as a chopping board. We hope you are just as confused as we are by this one. What’s the purpose of a chopping board if you can’t use it as a chopping board?
Very Unnecessary
We think this sign is very unnecessary and irrelevant. And we can’t really blame the people who put up these signs. We’ve seen people take up to four empty spaces with just one car, so this is just one of those cases.
We really would love to know why this sign was put here in the first place. Maybe it’s justified because we’ve seen people do worse with empty spaces. Who knows? Maybe someone tried to park their car where there was a car parked already?
Do Not Slap Pandas
If you don’t read the tags or labels on your clothes, then we suggest you start doing so. You will definitely find several weird and hilarious tags on them, just like this one. This shirt from RedBubble reads, “do not slap pandas.”
We have no idea what this sign means and wouldn’t even think of slapping a panda. The only panda we know is the “Kung fu Panda,” and he packs a mean punch. You have been warned; slap a panda at your own risk.
One Chip Challenge
The Paqui one-chip challenge is a social media challenge that involves consuming a spicy tortilla chip that contains capsaicin, a powerful compound naturally found in chili peppers that can result in health problems such as heart attacks and throat damage.
Although this challenge has never killed anyone, the side effects can lead to severe health conditions. So before you do this challenge for internet likes, please don’t say you weren’t warned. And remember to leave the store premises before you put your health at risk!
Clear Liquid Only
Before a colonoscopy, you are required to be on a strictly clear liquid diet that includes popsicles, clear broth, coffee or tea (without milk or creamer), and Italian ice. But none of these clear liquids can contain red, blue, or purple dye.
Because you are on a clear liquid diet before your colonoscopy, people assume yogurt is a clear liquid and end up taking it before their examination. But just as this sign has mentioned, yogurt is NOT a clear liquid at all.
No Cruising
This has to be the most bizarre warning on this list. What if we go grocery shopping and return home on the same route an hour or two later? Does that mean we are also guilty of cruising? How do they come up with these signs?
We don’t see how it is possible to use a particular route and not return via the same route within a 6-hour time frame. Whatever the reason for this sign, one thing is for sure: you should never get lost in this area.
Not “Washdisher” Safe
We promised that you’d see the weirdest photos in this post, and we weren’t joking. If reverse psychology were a sign, then it would be this. Apparently, this sign was meant to read “not dishwasher safe” and not “not washdisher safe.”
Whatever this person thought before they printed this label, it must have deeply gotten to them for them to make a mistake like this one. Well, if it’s not washdisher safe, then it’s okay to use the dishwasher. Does that make sense?
Not Recommended
We know you must be wondering why a photo ID is needed to purchase whipped cream and why there’s a prohibition on the sale of whipped cream to minors. We have heard how people get high from inhaling adhesives, gums, and cough syrup.
The newest rave is huffing the nitrous oxide out of whipped cream cans. Although not “highly” recommended due to its many side effects and addiction, it’s a proven fact that you can get crazy out of your mind by inhaling a whipped cream can. But don’t try this at home! It’s really dangerous.
No Eating Of Fish And Chips
We see no reason why this sign prohibits eating fish and chips out of a paper bag in this shop. From what we know, eating fish and chips from a paper bag is far more hygienic and healthier than eating them from newspapers.
The ink on the newspaper may have harmful colors, binders, additives, and preservatives that can pose a risk to our health. So except something extremely wrong happened here concerning serving chips in paper bags, we do not agree with this sign at all.
Well…Fine?
Do you ever get anxious whenever somebody texts you telling you they have something they want to talk about? Even if you haven’t done anything wrong, you still get those uncomfy butterflies at the pit of your stomach. Imagine seeing this sign.
Seeing a mysterious sign like this one would put our anxiety through the roof! It’s a warning telling you you’re supposed to be warned of something but it doesn’t say what. If we saw this, we’d be scared of literally anything, as anything could be a potential threat!
Don’t Be Giving Ideas!
To finish this list, we brought a sign that wasn’t even that funny – until somebody left this comment on social media. Naughty people will always keep their mind in the gutter, and that’s exactly what happened here. This is a serious sign, but…
…people on the internet still managed to look at it through a humorous lens. We’re not going to explain the joke – it’s not appropriate! But we’ll say that, perhaps, this company should consider designing a new sign with different wording.