Normative Signs: The Poetry of "Ought"

I love normative signs that use graphics to convey great danger. Drawing one of these must be the highlight of a sign artist’s day.

I assume that the graphics are a non-trivial part of the sign — that is, the sometimes-gruesome graphics are used for persuasive emphasis.

This sign, portraying grave physical danger, is posted near the gate of a pay-parking lot at a Toronto hospital.

This one is an absolute classic. If there were a Hall of Fame for normative signs (*sigh*) this one would be among the first inductees.

Nearly aphoristic in its terse simplicity, the phrase “post no bills” is part of our cultural lexicon. It’s in the Urban Dictionary, and — giving you a sense of how old the phrase is — it’s the title of a silent film from 1896.

I also find “post no bills” interesting for its continued use despite the fact that most people, I’m guessing, couldn’t tell you what a “bill” is. (In case you’re wondering, it’s short for “playbill,” which is another word for a poster advertising a play.)

This photo was snapped at a construction site in Toronto.