The Odd, Funny, and Thought-Provoking Signs From My Travels

The best signs from almost three decades of travel

After writing two heavy articles about signs, I decided to share something more light-hearted. I had a blast rolling through my photos, looking for pictures of interesting signs I saw during my travels. Without further ado, here are the odd, funny, and thought-provoking signs I’ve seen.

The Signs That Made Me Laugh

While visiting Mole National Park, an animal reservation in Ghana, I went to the bathroom and paused at these unique gender signs. Based on the female sign, I wondered if I was going to the bathroom the right way.

The men’s sign seemed accurate with the man’s laid-back approach. I could almost see the stick figure writing his name with his urine. But back to the female sign, I was wholeheartedly confused. Maybe I lacked the amount of force it took to pee like that. Or perhaps a man who has never seen a woman pee made this sign.

While this instructional toilet sign might be familiar, the location where I saw it was not. This was taken at the peak of Jungfraujoch, the proclaimed top of Europe in Switzerland. The elevation is 11,362 feet or 3,463 meters high.

I wondered if the altitude made people fuzzy on toilet usage or if this attracted many people who were not used to Western toilets. I also wondered if I could get into that squat position from the wrong-way illustration. That person has more ankle mobility than I do.

The Westboro Baptist Church is always showing up at parties they weren’t invited to with their hateful signs. They regularly attend Pride parades and are regulars at San Diego’s Comic Con. There have been showdowns between the cosplay attendees and the church. Imagine a person holding a sign that says “God hates fags” getting stared down by Wonder Woman and Batman.

One year, Comic-Con goers found a hilarious way to drown out their hate speech with their Star Wars-themed signs. They posted up next to the hateful ones and held their signs proudly. My money is on the Jedis.

I wrote about how the signs in Liberia were almost exclusively Ebola-related. This one, I’m pretty sure, was not. I snapped the photo from the car, so it’s not the best. But it says, “Sir, please don’t pepe here again,” the other wall instructs that only dogs may pepe there.

I found it an incredibly bold move to paint that on the wall. Not just tape up a sign, but put it on there with paint. Hopefully, the man got the message and did not pepe there again.

Up in Northern California near the Oregon border, I was returning from Crater Lake. The area is one of California’s more rural areas, and I wondered where the hell I was. Thankfully, the sign reassured me. I was not lost. I was just in Bieber, California.

If you look closely, the gas prices were insane there. They were clearly taking advantage of not having another gas station for a while.

Odd Signs

When walking into the fortified Green Village compound in Kabul, Afghanistan, I was struck by the confusing sign. Ground walking is required? As opposed to sky walking?

I’m pretty sure they were indicating a ground guide was required for vehicles driving through, but I made sure to keep my feet on the ground just in case.

I love how the UK doesn’t hold back on its cigarette warning signs. I saw this box discarded in Edinburgh, Scotland. I wondered if the person who littered ended up naked in the fetal position, lamenting their loss of manhood like the fellow in the picture.

I find these warnings much more effective than the boring American surgeon general’s warning that smoking is bad for you. The UK really brings it home. If you smoke this cigarette, you’ll never get another boner again.

Thought Provoking Signs

In Germany, I saw this heartwarming take on what is usually a violent image. It was nice to see, especially after hearing about the backlash against the refugees in Europe. I wish more people threw teddy bears instead of incendiary devices.

While in Mozambique, I was struck by the reach of corporate America. In the middle of Africa, did I need to be reminded to drink Coca-Cola?

I found the sign to be a disturbing reminder of the overwhelming marketing force trying to get us to buy their products. I also wondered what local culture was being lost as worldwide brands took over.

While waiting at the bus station in Abu Dhabi to head back to Dubai, I saw this sign indicating a women-only seating area. A younger me would have scoffed at the sign and refused to sit there, cause. But an older me walked right over and plopped down with the other women.

I glanced at the men in the station and dared them to invade our sacred lady space. You, sir, are not welcome. The Middle East was the first time I experienced life outside the male gaze, and it was very relaxing.

Somewhere in the mountains of San Diego, I found myself on the Pacific Coast Trail for a day hike. I met several through hikers who had completed about 150 miles of the PCT. Seeing these people at the start of their 2,650-mile journey was fascinating, and I wondered how many would reach their goal.

I completed my six miles and drove home. I continued to think about what it would be like to see only nature for days. That night, from my comfy bed, I thought about them sleeping under the stars, wondering if I had the desire to complete such a journey. No, I decided and went to bed.

This article was written in response to the Globetrotter’s monthly challenge, signs. If you would like to read other fantastic submissions, I recommend the uplifting article by TRAVEL STORIES BY GABE, and Anne Bonfert shares about her time in Ghana, which is one of my favorite places in Africa.

Please see the link below if you want to read my other submissions.

Thank you to the incredible editors at Globetrotters, Jillian Amatt - Artistic Voyages, Adrienne Beaumont, JoAnn Ryan, Anne Bonfert, and Michele Maize, who have been so supportive and professional in the running of this publication. Please consider giving Globetrotters a follow and check out their excellent articles.