parking in New York

parking, originally uploaded by gugs.

I shot this one in Manhattan in September 2000... I found it particularly funny...

Don't gather flowers

BE7_5170, originally uploaded by gugs.

self-explanatory ? those don't really look like flowers, more like candies...

No music

BE7_5171, originally uploaded by gugs.

don't bring your radio... seen at the entrance of a nature park in Belgium

Notre-Dame II

Paris-24, originally uploaded by gugs.

second part of the instructions (see previous post). The least followed instruction is no flash photography.... it seems that point&shoot camera users don't have a clue on how to switch off the flash and also do not understand that a flash is just ruining the picture when shooting from a distance...

Notre-Dame I

Paris-25, originally uploaded by gugs.

instructions before you enter Notre-Dame (Cathedral) in Paris. This is just the first part.

No fire

BE7_5172, originally uploaded by gugs.

don't use matches, don't smoke, basically no fire allowed - seen in a nature park in Belgium

feeding animals

BE7_5169, originally uploaded by gugs.

Don't feed the animals - seen in a nature park in Belgium. The nimal in question here looks like a horse...

Merry Xmas

Aachen 05, originally uploaded by gugs.

This is definitely not a sign... but given the circumstances...

Merry Christmas to everybody

Escalator

Paris 16, originally uploaded by gugs.

another collection of do's and don't s while using an escalator

Dryer

Paris 09, originally uploaded by gugs.

instructions to dry your hands. Found in a restaurant. Press the button and move your hands in the warm air.

Meeting room

Paris 08, originally uploaded by gugs.

This is used in the Musee du Louvre in Paris to indicate meeting or conference rooms

Metro Gate in Paris

Paris 14, originally uploaded by gugs.

those signs are not 100% clear to me. They mean that if you have small children or luggage, they should pass the gate in front of you and not behind you (probably not to get injured when the gate closes)

Electric shock

Paris 26, originally uploaded by gugs.

This was on the ceiling of my hotel room ! Stay away from the ceiling....:D

Emergency stop

Paris 27, originally uploaded by gugs.

seen in France, instructions for the emergency stop: break the glass, THEN press the button ;-)

Walking on water

interdit, originally uploaded by jacdesalpes.

submitted by a French colleague, the sign says "forbidden to walk on the water"... and it looks very serious... all interpretations possible

Paris Tickets

Paris 22, originally uploaded by gugs.

Here you can buy (give Euros and receive) tickets. This suggests that you could get a ticket for a coin...

Paris Trains

Paris 24, originally uploaded by gugs.

this is the way to the trains (on the left international, on the right double deck local trains)

Safety equipment

Hong Kong 037, originally uploaded by gugs.

again at the entrance of a construction area. The text makes it clear... you HAVE to wear all the safety equipments. Protect your ears, your head, your eyes, secure yourself, wear a mask and safety shoes... can you still do your work ??

Work area

Hong Kong 038, originally uploaded by gugs.

I don't know exactly what all those signs exactly mean. I found those at the entrance of a construction area in Hong Kong central

No boarding

Paris 06, originally uploaded by gugs.

self-explanatory (just read the text) - seen in most metro stations (underground) in Paris

No walking ?

Aachen 08, originally uploaded by gugs.

this is a sign seen in Aachen, Germany. I don't know the exact message... end of "walking" area but why a woman with a child ?

Power cut Paris Metro

Paris 05, originally uploaded by gugs.

emergency switch to switch off the power of a metro station in Paris if somebody is falling on the track...

Louvres visit

Paris-16, originally uploaded by gugs.

This is a small collection of signs you'll find at the ticket booth of the "Musee du Louvre" in Paris. You cannot carry any luggage, smoke, drink or eat. The interesting cultural aspect is that food is being represented by a French "baguette", the typical French bread.

first aid

sign 2, originally uploaded by gugs.

This is a collection of signs found in Belgium, combining two different categories, first aid and tooling (maybe to repair what can be repaired ;-))

Californian law

US trip part 237, originally uploaded by gugs.

This is something you can see in hotels and restaurants in California. This is legal paranoia, to European eyes... the next step will be that tourists have to sign a document when entering the country to prove that they understand that by breathing they might inhale substances dangerous to their health.

Supermarket

DSC_0912, originally uploaded by gugs.

This is in the parking lot of my favorite supermarket... first one is showing the entrance, the second one is saying: beware of the automatic door, the second row is self-explanatory...

Clean airport

HKG_1195, originally uploaded by gugs.

self-explanatory - seen at the Hong Kong airport

Blind intersection

112_8649, originally uploaded by gugs.

this is also a bit strange to me. This picture has been taken close to the golden gate bridge in SF. The text might be explicit but the pictogram is really unclear... it has to do with bicycles and pedestrians... for the rest...

Electrostatic

sign 1, originally uploaded by gugs.

this is a classical one in environments sensitive to electrostatic discharge (typically electronic components). The only strange thing here is that I don't find the pictogram very clear. You need to read the text to know what this is all about... and then what are you supposed to do ?

Elevator

HKG_1083, originally uploaded by gugs.

this sign shows the way to an elevator, presumably used for people in a wheelchair or to transport heavy luggage.

Information

HKG_1193, originally uploaded by gugs.

a very classical and international one... interesting thing, this was in Honk Kong, where all signs also have Chinese "subtitles". Here the "i" seems to have an international value...

dressing table

HKG_1230, originally uploaded by gugs.

seen on a 747, in a restroom.

Oxymoron

sign 3, originally uploaded by gugs.

self-contradictory picture ;-)
A picture of a sign saying "forbidden to take a picture"

Baby

DSC_0910, originally uploaded by gugs.

this sign is in a parking lot under my supermarket. It is indicating a spot reserved for people with small babies...

Prepare to stop

BC 2006 print 1462, originally uploaded by gugs.

you see those very often in Canada.... never in Europe. These were in Gastown, Vancouver...

Stairs

DSC_0911, originally uploaded by gugs.

this must mean something like: do not run in the stairs, dangerous...
seen in a supermarket, Belgium

Shopping

HKG_1191, originally uploaded by gugs.

Shopping time season starting... (seen in Hong Kong airport)

Pull

HKG_1237, originally uploaded by gugs.

explanation of the word Pull in a restroom on a 747...

Road closed

BC 2006 print 0124, originally uploaded by gugs.

It was obvious that the road was closed... but the signs were not that visible... seen in Vancouver.

Open door

Funny sign, originally uploaded by JeBeKe.

This is Dutch, shot in Belgium by a colleague of mine. "This gate should always be closed! ... even if it's open ...".
Proposed by Jan Verbeke

Escalator instructions

HKG_1203, originally uploaded by gugs.

Detailed instructions about how to deal with children, dogs and how to behave on an escalator. Seen at the Hong Kong airport.

No dogs

101_2786, originally uploaded by gugs.

No dogs allowed in the Death Valley, California... anyway they wouldn't survive very long. This was last summer.

Distant restrooms

101_2860, originally uploaded by gugs.

This was somewhere in Yosemite, California... you shouldn't be in a hurry if you want to use the official amenities...

Closed Landscape

BC 2006 print 1652, originally uploaded by gugs.

Nice landscape, in Whistler, BC, Canada. But do not enter.... too many hazards. You can look at the mountain but not have a walk... very strange compared to other countries like Switzerland among others.

Trash can

DSC_0898, originally uploaded by gugs.

one of the numerous symbols found on a trash can...

Dentist

BC 2006 print 0536, originally uploaded by gugs.

something different from most of the other signs. I just posted this because I found it funny enough... seen in BC, Canada (in Barkerville, an old traditional village)

Dogs

BC 2006 print 0192, originally uploaded by gugs.

a "serious" one. Picture taken in the Butchard Gardens, in Victoria on Vancouver Island, BC, Canada

Lock out auto crime

BC 2006 print 0921, originally uploaded by gugs.

This sign is clear enough. The "strange" thing about it was that it was located in a small town in BC, Canada, where the crime level is probably among the lowest in North America.

Beware of pedestrians

HKG_1121, originally uploaded by gugs.

This could be valid everywhere. This was at a place where nobody driving a car could see it... in Kowloon

Busses

HKG_1126, originally uploaded by gugs.

simple and clear, taxis and busses. The original thing here is that there is a specific sign for double deck busses... typical in Hong Kong, an English heritage.