Funny Public Signs That Tell Us Things We Never Thought We’d Hear

Every now and then, a business manages to turn heads with a sign so unexpectedly funny that you have to pause and take a second look.

At first, it seems like just another standard message—but then it takes a hilarious turn that either leaves you laughing out loud or scratching your head, wondering if it was intentional. Here’s a collection of some of the funniest signs ever spotted out in the wild. Let’s dive in…

“Leave the camels out of this.”

Camels can actually survive almost a week without water, thanks to their uniquely oval-shaped blood cells that help them conserve moisture efficiently. Unlike camels, humans have round blood cells and need to hydrate much more often—so this sign? Definitely not something to trust when it comes to water needs.

And hey, maybe it’s those round cells that partly explain why we’re so drawn to a good drink now and then. Science leaves us with some curious mysteries!

“Tacos are important.”

This sign sets up an unfair comparison. While education opens doors to fulfilling careers, unique experiences, and lasting relationships—key ingredients for success today—it still can’t compete with the sheer joy of sinking your teeth into authentic carne asada from a taco truck piled high with all the fixings. Let’s be real: some pleasures are just unbeatable.

“Sign guy needs better pay.”

Totally agree—this sign creator definitely deserves a raise! And yeah, that joke hits different if you were into early 2000s heavy rock. For everyone else, just enjoy the youthful mystery of it.

Back then, that song was the pinnacle of edgy and raw. Fast forward a couple decades, and you can almost picture it showing up in ads for hearing aids or all-you-can-eat buffet specials. Time has a funny way of mellowing even the loudest anthems!

“What happened here?”

Haha, right? Fire on water sounds totally wild—but sadly, it’s happened before, like with the infamous Cuyahoga River fire back in the ’70s. Pollution made the water so toxic it actually caught fire!

As for these new “fire fountains,” I’m guessing you’re spot on—probably a dry, unattended fountain or maybe some flammable stuff spilled nearby. Weirdly enough, something like that could double as a quirky little fire pit. Not your typical water feature, but definitely eye-catching!

“I wonder what the story is behind this.”

Totally agree! That sign is a masterclass in subtle assertiveness—calling out the noise without outright confrontation. It’s like saying, “Hey, your secrets aren’t so secret,” but with a touch of humor and class. Room 2037 clearly knows how to set boundaries while keeping the vibe light. Honestly, I’d love to see more places handle things that way instead of letting tensions simmer.

“Is this facts or no?”

Be honest, have you ever shared an unforgettable story after eating a Caesar salad? If not, then this sign holds up. I love a good Caesar salad, and if given the chance, I could talk about the best ones I’ve had for hours—but let’s be real, no one wants to hear that.

It’s a bit of a jab at salad lovers like me, but hey, alcohol works too.

“Utah has its issues, but its traffic signs are top notch”

I often question just how much signs like this actually grab the attention of drivers below—but this one makes a valid point. Traffic lanes aren’t personal property; we don’t own them, and we’re only in them for a short time. Still, it’s surprising how territorial people can get behind the wheel.

Rather than letting irritation take over, try approaching driving with a spirit of cooperation. After all, we’re all headed somewhere—so let’s make the ride easier for everyone.

“This sounds a little aggressive.”

This might come off a bit harsh, but it’s probably doing the job of keeping people from pocketing golf balls. Sure, rules exist for a reason, and signs like this help enforce them—but can they really hold up legally?

I’d like to believe that if I ever broke a rule, I’d get a fair shot to explain myself in court. But this sign feels more like a threat of instant, old-school justice than anything resembling due process.

“This man is a genius.”

This sign has the subtle power to spark a small religious showdown—or at the very least, a spirited debate. But something tells me the guy behind it isn’t too concerned. He’s clearly focused on turning a profit and has plenty of revenue streams to prove it.

Honestly, if he’s clever, he’ll rearrange the money every now and then. That way, someone might spot their faith falling behind and feel inspired to drop a generous donation to even the score.

“A flowchart.”

This is clearly meant to be tongue-in-cheek and probably comes from something that annoyed Ed enough to inspire a color-coded flowchart. Nice work, Ed.

As a flowchart fan who never just skims them, I bet I’d spend way too much time analyzing this one to make sure I didn’t miss anything—only for Ed to pop up and say, “I’m right here, dummy.”

“Treat them right.”

If you’re going to handle avocados, you’ve got to be gentle with them. They don’t respond well to rough treatment.

A soft touch is all it takes to check if they’re ripe. Squeeze too hard, though, and you risk damaging them for the next buyer. No one wants to bring home a bruised avocado—it just won’t make good guacamole.

“At my local yarn shop in Syracuse, NY.”

I’m surprised they even have to say that. Sure, faces enjoy a gentle touch every now and then, but a little tact goes a long way, right? Nuzzle your shirt collar or something—leave the yarn alone.

And if you ever feel the urge to rub something on a store shelf, just remember that others probably had the same idea—and acted on it before you.

“McDonald’s getting aggressive trying to hire those 14 year olds.”

That’s a totally fair question—they’ve got a good point. I can only imagine how much business they got once everyone was sure the ice cream machine was actually working.

It’s kind of ironic when you realize it’s playing off the classic joke that McDonald’s ice cream machines are always broken. Strangely, I’ve only run into that issue when I’m hitting the drive-thru around 3 a.m.—which, honestly, makes sense at that hour.

“Well, what are you going to do?”

It’s a slide, and kids aren’t exactly famous for being careful. They lack much sense of self-preservation, and even if they had it, a slide is just too irresistible.

Whether the slide has a problem or not doesn’t matter to a kid buzzing on sugar. If you truly want to keep them from sliding down, you’ll need an adult ready to intervene.

“It’s too late now.”

Once you’ve reached this paragraph, you’ve already bypassed the private sign, creating a bit of a dilemma. What’s done is done—there’s no unseeing it, just like you can’t put the toothpaste back in the tube or unring a bell.

It does raise an interesting question, though—what kind of legal recourse could someone have if their sign is read without permission? Maybe that’s something for the civil courts to figure out.

“Just beware.”

It seems like the only thing to beware of here is some friendly licks and wagging tails—definitely not a very intimidating guard dog. This sign sort of acknowledges that, knowing there’s nothing to be cautious about, but still wishing there was.

Without the dog, this sign would actually be a little unsettling. You’d be left wondering what hidden danger it’s warning about. But with this cute pup on the job, all the mystery disappears.

“What a great deal!”

This sign seems like a psychological experiment into how attracted people are to signs in vivid colors that imply some sort of sale. When you actually read the text, it just gets more hilarious.

Not only is the maximum discount apparently zero, it only applies to some stuff. Does that mean that everything else will actually ring up higher than its marked price? I kind of want to go into this place.

“A genius sign about ice cream.”

RickRolling has transcended being a simple “gotcha” joke and is now part of our cultural heritage. We’ve all been the recipient of a RickRoll, most of us have delivered a RickRoll or two, and signs like this are a reminder that the practice is alive and well.

So if you’re ever RickRolled, don’t be mad. Be happy that you got a chance to participate in a core human experience.

“A wonderful question.”

It would have to be an udder failure. A milk dud is already akin to candy. Being an udder failure would make sense all around for a cow that can’t produce milk.

Really, if we’re going to take this question seriously, we need to ask a farmed. I think the reality here is grim. Wouldn’t a cow that can’t produce milk just, uh, get slaughtered for beef? I don’t know, I’m not a farmer.

“Chris sounds like a savage.”

Who knew Chris was such a savage? I wonder how they allowed this sign to go up since it’s so out of pocket. Chris should reconsider his lifestyle if this is what he’s going around doing to his family and friends.

The worst part is that Chris apparently sees nothing wrong with this practice and is in fact proud of it. Otherwise, why would he sponsor a sign like this?

“When Google messes up.”

Usually, Google Maps is pretty accurate. They must have mistakenly made this person’s farm the destination of Isla Gorge. The farmer got so upset that he had to put up this sign so tourists would stop going on his farm.

I wonder if people using Apple Maps or Waze also wound up in Isla Gorge. I hope this property owner finally found peace, possibly by suing Google for emotional distress.

“Take a look at this.”

I’m willing to bet everyone got that first line wrong unless they’ve already seen this trick on a sign before. Morpheus would be proud to know people are using his meme for inspiration. No one is safe.

My initial reaction here is embarrassment that I was tricked, but then again, if pretty much everyone reads the sign the same way, it says more about the human brain than it does about any individual person.

“Genius sign.”

Yeah, let’s all avoid using “avoid it like the plague” from here on out. That no longer applies. The concept of ‘plague’ used to refer to old school stuff that we’d never experienced, like a global pandemic that changed the course of history.

Now, we know a little bit about what it’s like to live through something like that. We didn’t call it a plague, sure, but it sure felt like one.

“Yes, be Batman if you can.”

If you’re capable of becoming Batman, that would be the best thing for you to do. He’s one of the only humans who can defeat Superman. Why wouldn’t anyone want to be that? Still, being yourself is perfectly fine as well.

Realistically, unless you believe in multiple Batmen, this sign is only applicable to one person in the world, and that’s Bruce Wayne. I don’t think any random person just has the option of transforming into Batman.

“Attention, dogs.”

Wow, why aren’t all signs like this? I feel like every dog needs to see something like this before entering the park. Maybe then they won’t urinate on mothers or try to bite people. Great job, city of South Burlington.

In any case, it’s nice to see an acknowledgement that dogs aren’t the ones to blame for their humans’ bad behavior. Even if a person doesn’t pick up after their dog, it doesn’t mean that dog isn’t a good boy.

“Yeah, don’t ride the moose.”

Do you know how massive a moose is? They stand at least 10 feet tall and can even swim underwater to eat plants. It would be pretty hard to climb on the back of one, so this sign might be pointless.

I’m also wondering if there’s a story behind this sign, because warning people not to ride a moose doesn’t seem necessary. Then again, after a couple of drinks, it might seem like a great idea.

“Perfect for the wives.”

If this is a bar, this is one of the best ways to attract married men. Drinks and time away from shopping is all they need. As long as the wife is okay with it, then this is perfect. I wonder how much business increased after putting this up.

If you’ve seen Nathan For You, he had a similar concept for a business – and it was actually one of the most plausible ideas on the whole show.

“Just… just read this one.”

I’m not sure if there is a typo going on here or what, but surely they weren’t suggesting what it sounds like they’re suggesting. This is a perfect example why you should always have someone proofread your work.

That said, charity boxing matches, dunk tanks, and other physically punishing fundraisers are pretty popular. Maybe they really do mean what they say – or at least know that this sign will intrigue people into attending.

“This wet floor sign at the Toronto aquarium.”

Seeing a shark fin pop up over the top of the water is a terrifying signal anywhere except in a bathroom. This has to be one of the most creative wet floor signs I have ever witnessed.

Considering the fact that wet floor signs pretty much everywhere in the world have an existing template (those tall yellow folding things), it’s doubly impressive that the aquarium decided to show this much attention to detail.

“This is one of my favorites.”

Reddit user csidlauskas wrote, “My husband is in the process of redoing our lawn. He recently began killing off all our grass. I didn’t want our neighbors to think we were neglectful homeowners, so I made a sign…”

It’s true, neighbors have a certain way of wondering if you are every going to fix the lawn. This is a tasteful way to let them know you have it under control.

“Who’s feeding this cat?”

Cats are master manipulators, we all know that. Much of this manipulation comes from them scheming different ways to get food that they’re not entitled to.

Not to be prejudiced, but I think orange cats might lead the way in this category. Their life goal is to eat, eat, and then eat some more. Occasionally they might take a break from this to explore new food sources.

“Hope she left some music for him too.”

It’s a good think she cracked his window – and the treats will help him understand that even though mommy temporarily abandoned him, he’s still a very very good boy.

You can only leave your boy in the car for so long before he’ll need to use the potty or stretch his legs though, so hopefully she comes back soon to take him for that walk he’s going to need.

“That’s not quite how it works, bro…”

I’m going to give this sign maker some serious benefit of the doubt, because it’s entirely possible that his sister is pregnant, he’s going to be a dad, and the two events are unrelated.

That hypothetical, along with the possibility that he just messed up the wording, are honestly the only two scenarios that aren’t horrifying. Anyway, congrats to this guy, and congrats to his sister. Let’s hope for the best.

“Fair enough.”

I think people tend to get more bitter and cynical as they age, and this naturally leads to seeing the Grinch’s side of things more and more.

The poor guy just wanted to be left alone, only to have the whole town gather together every Christmas to sing songs about how much they hated him. I think that would make anybody a tad antisocial and resentful.

“So what’s the purpose of this store?”

This reminds me of Spencer’s or one of those terrible mall shops that used to be so common. Somehow, the stores that promise only cheap, useless junk are the most alluring.

When teenage me got my minimum wage paycheck, you’d better believe I was investing more in Heineken flags and inflatable aliens than I was in mutual funds and real estate. Maybe that’s the reason I’m the way I am today.

“OH, YEAAHH!”

If you’ve never walked through a screen door, you’re probably judging this dog pretty hard. If, like me, you have walked through a screen door like the Kool-Aid Man, you might feel more sympathetic.

Look, sometimes the screen is hard to see, okay? How can something that’s literally made of woven threads be so freaking expensive to replace? Why must I be such a lumbering beast? Sorry, got off topic a bit.

“So many questions.”

The most plausible scenario here is that the bathroom was out of order for normal reasons, but the only available sign didn’t really reflect the reason for the closure.

I mean, it gets the message across – don’t go in here. It carries the added allure of making people wonder what that private event might be. Some bathrooms are pretty nice places, after all.

“Proceed with caution.”

This is good advice, because Venus flytraps are incredibly cool, and without reminders like this, it’s almost too tempting not to activate their murder jaws.

It also opens up the intriguing possibility that some flies might be smart enough to read (I mean, they’ve got like a million eyes), but dumb enough to ignore this sign’s advice about something that might kill them. Anyway, long story short: Venus flytraps are rad.

“Found this in my school cafeteria.”

Is this sign cringe or hilarious. Well, obviously it’s cringe, but it’s so cringe that it almost crosses over into being ironic – like when a parent mocks current slang terms.

They’re just telling the kids that while they can’t force them to eat fruits and veggies, they can force them to put them on their trays. I’d add a few more points if they’d managed to fit “rizz” into this somehow.