They had to make a sign for that

[Emmy]

The gym I used to go to had two rather disturbing signs.  One said "no spitting in the water fountain" and the other said "no spitting on the track" (it is an indoor track).  Spitting outdoors is unpleasant enough, especially if it is somewhere that gets heavy foot traffic, but I wouldn't have thought people would actually spit indoors.  I figure if there are signs, people must be doing these things.  Unfortunatly on the indoor track, people didn't obey the sign because I could still see spit on the track when I walked around it.  Needless to say, I took my own water rather than drinking out of the water fountain because I image people didn't obey that sign either. 

Another disurbing sign my friend and I saw was when we were on vacation and went to a park with old Indian ruins.  Tourists were allowed to hike down a trail and see these ruins up close, which I thought was pretty cool.  By the enterance to the trail, where the guest center and bathrooms were, there was a sign saying that the ruins were not to be used as a toliet.  We just looked at each and said if there is a sign there must be people doing that, we couldn't believe it.

In both cases, I can't believe how inconsiderate and disrespectful some people are.  I'm sure there are other signs out there that would not have ever been made if every person was a decent considerate human being. 

[Chocolate Cake]

People can be disgusting, eh?

The only sign of this ilk I ever saw was at a Chinese buffet restaurant.  The sign said, "Only take as much as you'll eat.  Help us stop food waste."   The waitress explained that too many of their customers would leave behind plates and plates of perfectly good untouched food on their table when they left.   I guess it was case after case of, "Eyes bigger than the stomach" and it was costing the restaurant a lot of money.

[freakyfemme]

I've got two more:

1.  "Please do not put butter or jam on bread prior to toasting" (in the dining hall at school--the next thing you know, there's going to be some idiot who thinks that margarine, marmalade, and peanut butter are fair game, lol.)

2.  "Please do not clean your brushes here." (over the downstairs drinking fountain in the art building).

I know these probably aren't as egregious as "Please do not use ruins as a toilet," but bear in mind that the kinds of people who attend university are *supposed* to have been the best and brightest in their respective high schools, and should therefore have the basic common sense to know how to make toast, and to figure out that maybe other people don't want to drink nasty paint water.  I think it's just entitlement, though....those people don't think they should have to wait a few minutes for their turn at the sink, which is theoretically MORE convenient, because both the painting studios (the downstairs one that the CEGEP kids use, and the upstairs one that we use) are equipped with large sinks that can easily accomodate a few people at a time....and that's *definitely* a good thing, because I don't know about the downstairs studio, but the upstairs one has white walls, shelves, and a white podium in the centre of the room (the floor is just cement, though), but the entire place is permanently stained in a rainbow of colours, not from carelessness or malice, it's just impossible for a white painting studio to *stay* white forever, you know?  It doesn't bother Pablo or the other profs, but the idea is for the mess to stay confined to the appropriate areas. 

[goblue2539]

A majority of the warning labels on products scare me.  Like not to plug in the computer near a water source.  Or not to give an infant a grocery bag to play with.  Gives me the chills. 

I think it was Jeff Foxworthy who had a bit on this regarding Lamaze class.  They had to tell them not to have sex after the woman's water broke.  He wanted to know who tried it in the first place.  Ugh. 

[fklwmn]

People can be disgusting, eh?

The only sign of this ilk I ever saw was at a Chinese buffet restaurant.  The sign said, "Only take as much as you'll eat.  Help us stop food waste."   The waitress explained that too many of their customers would leave behind plates and plates of perfectly good untouched food on their table when they left.   I guess it was case after case of, "Eyes bigger than the stomach" and it was costing the restaurant a lot of money.

Ha! I hate signs like this @ all you can eat buffets. I am a SUPER SUPER SUPER picky eater. So when I go to restaurants, I never feel like I can try something new b/c odds are that I won't like it. The one place I feel like I CAN try new things? an all you can eat buffet place. I'll only take a bite or 2 of the stuff I'm not sure about, but I might have 2 bites of 12 different things. If I taste it and I don't like it? I am not going to eat it, I'll leave it and go back for something I *do* like.

That is the ONLY reason I eat at buffet places, so if they even make me THINK they are watching the amount of food left on my plate, I won't eat there. Honestly, buffets almost always cost more than I'd pay for a regular meal - and when I eat dinner out I always have AT LEAST one meal's worth of leftovers. I'm not greedy, and I don't take more than I'll eat. But if I don't like the way it tastes, I'm not going to eat it. I feel like I've paid extra for that priviledge buy partaking of the buffet in the first place.

[ShadesOfGrey]

In both cases, I can't believe how inconsiderate and disrespectful some people are.  I'm sure there are other signs out there that would not have ever been made if every person was a decent considerate human being. 

I agree with you on the second case (boils my blood actually, I just want to shout "How low-class, disrespectful and uneducated do you have to be to DO that?" but then, I would be almost as uncultured as the offenders) but on the first, I am a little hesitant. Many runners have a tough time swallowing/have saliva build-up, and spitting is actually quite common.  If you are running on a track, I can see why they would think it ok to spit (even though it is indoors).  I do think it's gross to do indoors, but I dont think there are many other options...

[Virg]

Simple Explanations:

"Like not to plug in the computer near a water source."

You'd be surprised how many people don't know that electricity and water don't mix.

"They had to tell them not to have sex after the woman's water broke.  He wanted to know who tried it in the first place."

I actually understand where this one comes from.  There are those who suggest (be it right or wrong; I claim no knowledge either way) that sex can possibly induce labor, and some couples who are playing the waiting game for Junior's arrival will try to hurry things along by getting amorous.  I find it easy to believe that some folks misinterpret that to mean that sex will also speed labor along once it's begun, hence the warning.

Virg

[LissaR1]

Yup.  It's one of the reasons I don't run indoors- I'm a spitter.  It just gets to the point sometimes where I have to spit, especially if I'm at all congested.  It's gross enough to do it outside, but inside... ew. 

But I totally understand why that sign was required, and I have more sympathy for the runners than the people who need to be told not to use the ruins as a toilet.

[Sterling]

I think the sign as the buffett didn't mean  a few bites I think they were getting at "Don't fill us 5 plates of food per person and then leave it."  I have that rule at my house.  I don't believe in cleaning your plate but I also don't bleive in piling crap on your plate just because its there.  Eat a little and go back for more IF you really want it.

Now on to warning labels.  Curling irons say "For external use only" and chain saws stake "Do not use while unclothed"

You can guess the reasons why.

[goblue2539]

Simple Explanations:

"Like not to plug in the computer near a water source."

You'd be surprised how many people don't know that electricity and water don't mix.

Actually... I'm not, sadly.  But, I was kind of hoping if they quit putting the warnings out we could get back to that Darwinism thing.

Thank for the explanation of the other though.  That makes it a little bit easier to bear.  

[fklwmn]

I think the sign as the buffett didn't mean  a few bites I think they were getting at "Don't fill us 5 plates of food per person and then leave it."  I have that rule at my house.  I don't believe in cleaning your plate but I also don't bleive in piling crap on your plate just because its there.  Eat a little and go back for more IF you really want it.

Now on to warning labels.  Curling irons say "For external use only" and chain saws stake "Do not use while unclothed"

You can guess the reasons why.

Oh, I might well end up with 2 or 3 plates mostly full of food that I didn't like @ a buffet... depends on how adventurous I am feeling that night. But on each plate is one or 2 bites of a bunch of different foods. My feeling is, places that are monitoring your leftovers aren't doing so carefully enough to tell if you havea plate full of one food or a plate full of small amounts of six foods. They just see the plates full of food being thrown out.

[Lunadiana75]

Peace Corps volunteers have a lot of rules we have to follow (no driving, wear a helmet on a bike, no traveling outside site without telling Peace Corps and so on).  Another volunteer was complaining about these restrictions until I pointed out that for every rule there was, some fool or fools in the past who had caused the administration to make these rules.  

[behindbj]

My personal favorite (it makes me smile everytime I see it):

On my hairdryer:  Do not operate while in shower.

Why not?  Darwin's getting tired of thinking of new ways to cull the herd.

behindbj

[Brentwood]

Actually... I'm not, sadly.  But, I was kind of hoping if they quit putting the warnings out we could get back to that Darwinism thing.

Thank for the explanation of the other though.  That makes it a little bit easier to bear. 

If they quit putting the warnings on, it would just result in more lawsuits.

"They didn't TELL ME not to stick a fork in the toaster while it was plugged in!"

[Suze]

I found one on a "SLINKY" box that said -- do not use in a moving vehicle"