Funny signs

Sometimes I run into a sign that I just don’t understand or sometimes they are just plain funny. I was skiing in Hemsedal in Norway a couple of months ago and took this picture of an in-case-of-fire sign next to the hotel elevator at Skogstad Hotel:

Emergency Sign at Hotel

It all starts out very informative:

  1. In case of fire
  2. Do not use elevator
  3. Use the stairs

But if we look at the stairs-graphics in the bottom-right corner we see two men running very confused in opposite directions – one running up and another running down the stairs ;)

P.S. Now that we are talking about signs, I just thought that I would share with you this wonderful photo that Line Pedersen from the company Ordkløveren, was so kind and mail us after a trip to London:

Just Add Water shop in London

For those of you from Denmark Line have a full page article in the paper edition of Computerworld this week called “E-mailen lever sit eget sløsede liv” (freely translated: “The e-mail lives its own sloppy life”), about how companies should pay more attention to which language they use in e-mail correspondence with customers – Congratulations :)

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16 Responses to “Funny signs”

  1. Ordkløveren Says:

    Tusind tak for reklamen for mine udtalelser i Computerworld … også selvom I har debrandet mig til en Lene…. 8-)

    Med al respekt for alverdens Lener, så er Liner jo af en helt anden støbning, hæhæ.

    God blog I har her!!!

  2. Thomas Watson Steen Says:

    […] også selvom I har debrandet mig til en Lene…. 8-)

    Sorry about that Line… I’m trying to time-box and teach my self to write blog-posts faster – This is what happens :(

    To the non-Danish speaking audience I can just say that I by accident called Line Pedersen, Lene in the post above – the typo has been corrected now :)

  3. Ordkløveren Says:

    Dear Thomas – Line is one happy smile again! Good luck with the writing speed. :-))

  4. Alex x3 Says:

    Hahahahahahahaha xD ohh the missunderstandings are just plain funny xD, hmm i wonder.. vel vel, tusen takk, noen måtte jo tulle med norge også ^^ hehe

  5. philip hargrave Says:

    shit!!!

  6. TY Says:

    Did you ever think they could use the signs for both upper and lower levels?? Ahhhh then it would kind of make sense but funny none the less. lol

  7. Clarence Says:

    Just better hope that the fire is not in the stairs!

  8. KabonFootprint Says:

    Made me remember on some funny sign back home, it says:
    “In case of fire, don’t panic and use the stairs” with a funny graphic.

    Maybe we would not be in panic if we are the cartoon in the graphic :)

  9. Jan Says:

    in case of fire
    do not use elevator
    use water

  10. I am bored Says:

    That is funny. I like the first one.

    Use stairs not elevator. That is just great.

  11. Richard Acquaye Says:

    the fire drawing looks like a vagina :P

  12. mattprime86 Says:

    um, it shows a man running up and down because sometimes fires are at the bottom of the stairs and you have to run up…
    or would you run down into a fire?

  13. Sign Makers Says:

    A perfect example of why a sign should be produced correctly – especially a safety sign! It doesn’t really matter if some can understand and some can’t understand – they should be understood by all! Looks like it could do with a refurb too! ;-)

  14. Become A Firefighter Says:

    I totally get the top part where it shows that you shouldnt be using the elevator during a fire. However, I definitely agree that showing the people walking up and down the stairs in opposite directions is VERY confusing. Why would you go up the stairs in a fire? I guess if you were underground and needed to go up to the exit. But that’s all I can think of. In that case just make two different versions of the signs one for above ground and one for below.

  15. Sign Maker Says:

    I love the way the Use the Stairs sign says run eitherway if theres a fire! Some great images!

  16. kent @ make people laugh Says:

    Thanks for sharing the funny signs. I think for the opposite directions image it could be up or down could be the way out. Keep up the great posts.