Did You Read the Sign, or Just Ignore It?

A friend and one of Vocals' great inspirations, Mikedred, wrote a story last month called “Do Not Read This.”

I had on my list of future stories, one about signs and how people just seem to ignore them these days. Mike’s story motivated me to get on and write it.

As Mike pointed out, we see a sign that says “Wet Paint”, and against all logic, we have to touch it to see if it's true. I remember many times giving my wife a verbal sign, not to touch the toaster or frying pan because they were hot. What does she do – touches it! She's not stupid, but like many of us, there is this in-built rebellion when it comes to obeying signs.

Why don’t we obey signs?

People don’t obey signs for all sorts of reasons. If they don’t perceive a high level of risk, they may simply ignore it. When a driver sees a stop sign but no cars or people around, they might decide to roll through. They believe the risk is lower than stopping.

If a sign blocks their goals or what they want to achieve, they might ignore it. This is especially true if they believe the chances of getting caught or punished are lower than the rewards of not obeying.

For example, I am in a hurry; that handicapped bay is right in front of the store where I want to go. If I park there and pretend to have a limp when I get out, I should be fine.

Sometimes, when someone sees others ignoring signs, they might choose to do the same. Sociologists call this mimicry. Speeding on the highway would be a classic example of this. Everyone else is speeding, and they are not getting caught, so I will do it as well. They are not going to catch everyone.

Sometimes it is purely cognitive. A person from another country may not obey a sign because they don’t understand it. Worse, the sign may be so confusing that no one can understand it!

Here are four signs that make no sense at all:

In a London department store,

BARGAIN BASEMENT UPSTAIRS

In an office,

WOULD THE PERSON WHO TOOK THE STEP LADDER YESTERDAY PLEASE BRING IT BACK OR FURTHER STEPS WILL BE TAKEN

Outside a second-hand shop,

WE EXCHANGE ANYTHING - BICYCLES, WASHING MACHINES, ETC. WHY NOT BRING YOUR WIFE ALONG AND GET A WONDERFUL BARGAIN

Message on a leaflet,

IF YOU CANNOT READ, THIS LEAFLET WILL TELL YOU HOW TO GET LESSONS

People may not follow a sign if they're distracted by something else. They could be caught up in what they're doing or looking at, which makes them overlook it.

The worst offenders are those who believe the signs are for everyone except them. These individuals often dislike authority and rules. They frequently ignore signs because they don’t want to conform to societal norms.

The psychology of signs

Signs play a vital role in society. They tell us what to do and what not to do. They manage traffic with signs like “STOP” and “Do Not Enter.” They also warn us of dangers, such as “Wet Floor” and “Steep Drop Off.”

Additionally, they remind us of social norms, like “No Mobile Phones.” Sometimes, they provide us with useful information, such as street signs or exit signs in a parking lot.

We assume that a person with sensory organs will understand a sign. If you have eyes, you can read a sign, but that does not mean you will obey it. If you have hearing aids, you can hear a siren, for example, but that does not mean you will obey it.

Signs only work on people who are willing to obey them.

From my observations, that is becoming increasingly less so.

Dogs don’t read signs; at least, I don’t think they can. They can hear a siren and will no doubt react to it. If they are trained to sit when they hear it, they will sit. If they are trained to run when they hear it, guess what, they will run. It's a pity we can’t train people in the same way.

We need signs to maintain social order. From the moment we are awake until the moment we go to sleep, we are guided by signs.

Can you imagine the chaos if everyone were to urinate wherever they wanted?

Have you ever driven on roads with no signs? Try driving in a major Chinese capital city; it is a free-for-all. closer to home, look at the chaos when the traffic lights are faulty.

Some take an interpretation of a sign. A classic example is with the STOP sign. This means stop!

It does not mean close down until you are almost stopped. That is not stopping.

A parking sign, such as the one below, indicates no parking from 4:00 to 6:00 pm. Try convincing a parking inspector that 5:50 pm is almost 6 pm. Many of us have attempted to make this interpretation stick without success.

Earlier, I pointed out that the biggest rule-breakers are those who think signs don’t apply to them. They feel the signs are meant for everyone else. Let me conclude with an example that I see frequently.

I live opposite Blue Bay Beach. There is a main beach with a prominent sign that reads, “No Dogs.”

I see people walking down the path. They check the sign, glance at their dog (Yes, that’s a dog!), and look back at the sign (You can’t go here, Fido!). They also look around to see if anyone is watching, then head to the beach.

It's a small detail, but a dog beach is just a hundred meters away in either direction. Dogs can be off-leash there.

They read the sign and assess the situation. They think they won’t get caught. They might even say, “You look like a dog, Fido, but you’re just a human on all fours with a tail!"

To quote the lyric from the Five Man Electric Band song – "Signs"

Sign, sign

Everywhere a sign

Blockin' out the scenery

Breakin' my mind

Do this, don't do that

Can't you read the sign?

Till next time,

Calvin