Um... a polite bathroom sign? I need help.

[lellah]

Someone keeps spitting chewing tobacco in the urinal at my job.  It's a big mess to deal with, and I've had to call a plumber on more than one occasion.  My boss requests a sign forbidding this action.  I have no idea what to write.  "Please refrain from spitting tobacco in the urinal" is to the point but would be rather eyebrow-raising to some of our more refined clientele.   Anything more euphemistic starts to sound gross quick.  Ideas?

[Thipu1]

How about an Email to all employees about this issue?

[Slartibartfast]

NOT A TRASH CAN
NOT A SPITTOON

depending on your office dynamic, you can add something like "the plumber is offering us frequent flyer miles" or something like that 

[lellah]

It's not an employee.  It's almost certainly a client, but we literally cannot figure out who it is. 

[Sterling]

How about :"By Request of the plumber: Please use this urinal for the purpose it was designed and do not attempt to flush anything else"

[Outdoor Girl]

I was going to say that I didn't see anything wrong with what you wrote but then Sterling's reply popped up.  I'd go with that.

[TootsNYC]

I like the idea of telling people *why*.

So, I'm going to suggest:

"Spitting tobacco, even juices, into the plumbing fixtures clogs the pipes. Current plumbing bills: $150 + $150. Please don't spit here."

Place it over the urinals AND over the sinks.

[JenJay]

The "Ladies, please do not flush sanitary products" is widely accepted so I'd go with a twist on that - "Gentlemen, please do not flush tobacco products." You're not singling out the chew user(s) but they'll get the message, too.

[Oh Joy]

How about :"By Request of the plumber: Please use this urinal for the purpose it was designed and do not attempt to flush anything else"

I'd suggest being more specific.  When I was younger, I knew to not flush sanitary napkins but thought (very wrongly) that other feminine products were supposed to be flushed.  Your offender may not understand that his tobacco is a problem even though it's not bodily waste.

[DottyG]

JenJay just said exactly what I was thinking.  We females have signs; there's nothing wrong with the guys getting a similar one as well.

[Sharnita]

I think I might post a sign saying something along the lines that the plumber had recently mentioned issue with tobacco products in the urinals causing problems.  I think that if you are too vague people assume that it must be somebody and something else causing the problems.

[Lynnv]

I think I might post a sign saying something along the lines that the plumber had recently mentioned issue with tobacco products in the urinals causing problems.  I think that if you are too vague people assume that it must be somebody and something else causing the problems.

I would fear that this sign would make me think that someone was flushing cigarette butts or something similar.  It would not occur to me that spit (even icky chewing tobacco spit) would be a problem.  So I do think you have to spell it out, at least a little further than phrase "tobacco products."

[NyaChan]

Why not just be straightforward? -  "Please do not spit chewing tobacco in the urinals."

[O'Dell]

Why not just be straightforward? -  "Please do not spit chewing tobacco in the urinals."

This. You know exactly what the problem is. Make a sign that addresses it. If it turns out that there are additional problems, you can adjust the sign.

If you do decide to print additional explanation or instructions on the sign, maybe print that in smaller type.

[YummyMummy66]

Sterlings' response is great.

I had a plumbing problem and my plumber told me that no matter what a package states, the only thng that is made to be flushed down the toiled besides the waste is toilet paper.  Nothing else should be flushed into the system.