50 Of The Scariest Signs Spotted Around The World You’d Probably Want To Be As Far Away As Possible From
When you think about it, the goal of a sign is pretty basic, isn’t it? We put them up to give us directions, send messages, and warn us about dangers lurking around the corner. But while sometimes they hilariously fail to fulfill their purpose by looking like the most random and absurd announcements ever created, others seem to carry a somewhat threatening aura.
We’re talking about signs that remind us the world is filled with unforeseen hazards that make us want to stop and quickly run the other way. So let us introduce you to the 'Scary Signs' subreddit. This online community with over 379K members has set out on a mission to share pictures of terrifying messages from all over the world "that you don't want to be near".
Some of them are scarier than the danger itself, others are so creepy we can’t help but wonder why they got put up there in the first place. Whatever the case may be, these warnings definitely catch one's attention. Bored Panda has collected some of the most frightening posts from the group, so continue scrolling to check them out for yourself, and let us know what you think about them in the comments!
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Scary-Sad, But Comforting To Know You Can Be Safe
That's not a scary sign I "don't want to be near" - that's a fantastic sign that we're all glad to see
Sign A The Vet
Oh...ok I Understand
Since its creation in 2014, the 'Scary Signs' subreddit has amassed more than 379K members who are eager to share the daunting messages they come across in every corner of the world. Nearly every post consists of terrifying or confusing signs that warn us of potential hazards up ahead and uneasy consequences we will face if we refuse to obey.
While we're used to seeing safety signs and not batting an eye, people on this online community prove that some of them have a slightly threatening nature that everyone should take notice of. After all, most of us are hoping to avoid falling into "the drowning machine", getting attacked by aggressive geese, or encountering a venomous snake that's missing from its exhibit.
Save The Bees
More Than Sad Scary, But Still
Beware Of Falling Deer
Yet, there seem to be many factors that can make people disregard even the most frightening messages. Maybe you're an adrenaline junkie looking for new adventures every chance you get. Perhaps you think the sign is scarier than the danger itself. I mean, it's better to be safe than sorry, but who really wants to be told to watch out for falling deer? How often does that really happen?
Marc Green, Ph.D., is a human factor expert who has extensive experience in perception, attention, human factors, and related areas. According to him, warning signs often fail to change people's behavior. They can either go unnoticed or, more often than not, they are seen but ignored by the viewer. "For many years, designers focused their concern on sensory aspects of warnings: color, shape, location, pictures vs. text, size and so on. However, recent research suggests that effective warning design depends as much on the contents of the viewer's head as on the contents of the warning's message," he explained.
Trailhead In Tennessee
Well, this is a great sign. I have encountered a few similar sign in Australia, and I find them rather helpful.
Don’t Do Meth
No Bees, No Oranges
You see, when people stumble upon alarming messages, they then have to make a decision whether or not to comply. But let's not forget that people who are the intended audience of these signs are not blank slates. They rather start with a thought process containing three components: "First, the viewer has general knowledge about the world and how it works. Second, s/he has a set of beliefs and expectations based on experience with the same or similar environment, product or technology."
"Lastly, the viewer enters the situation with a goal and strategy for achieving that goal," Green continued. "The goal can be specific ('I want to arrive at my destination as soon as possible') or more diffuse ('I want to feel good about myself')." So to create an effective warning sign, the designer must understand what the observer "brings to the table".
Percy Preist Lake In Nashville, Tn
See? They drowned even if they wore lifejackets! Why should people wear masks/seatbelts/get vaccinated/wear protective gear/etc when you can still die!? /sarcasm, if that was not obvious
Scary Geese
As viewers, we’re aware that safety signs are placed there for our own benefit. Their purpose is to draw our attention to important information that might prevent us from doing harm to ourselves or the people around us. Unfortunately, sometimes they are less likely to be effective when they are placed in the wrong area or use vague messaging. This could lead to tragic accidents, so it’s always best to make sure the sign will be crystal clear to virtually anyone.
A Disease Which Has No Cure
Something About This Unsettles Me
Straight To The Point, Don't Become Soup
However, even when signs are compelling and tick every box on the list, we humans have a tendency to overlook them. Green explained that when a warning tells us to refrain from behavior that would enable us to quickly achieve our goal, we then make a cost-benefit analysis. "In some cases, the viewer might lose the goal altogether ('No Smoking' signs), or exert more effort ('Detour' signs)," he mentioned some examples of the cost.
When it comes to benefits, they can be practical (like injury avoidance), and psychological. "A driver deciding whether to comply with a speed limit sign might calculate the costs of arriving later," he added. But one benefit of compliance is feeling safe and less anxious, like thinking "I won't be as likely to get in an accident," or "I won't have to spend time and effort looking for a radar trap." Other psychological advantages could be the sense of being "a good citizen" or "a team player," Green argued.
19th Century Japanese Tsunami Warnings. This One Reads: “Remember The Calamity Of The Great Tsunamis. Do Not Build Any Homes Below This Point”
And they still built below that point. I was watching a Geographics video and most of the people who died in the 2011 tsunami were in buildings situated below the tsunami warning points.
Fight Back
Road Sign I Found In Texas
Reminds me of the time a colleague stopped for a hitchhiker. A couple of miles down the road she accidentally ran over something (squirrel I think). Hitchhiker went to have a look. While he was out of the car she decided to have a look in his bag as she felt uneasy. He had a knife and rope in there. She yeeted out of there so fast. She was traumatised for a long time afterwards. But what a lucky escape.
Another factor that affects how we see the size of the benefits is the perception of danger, which has two elements — hazard and risk. The viewer of the warning sign must take them into account when making the calculation. "If the person believes that there is great danger, then s/he will see a larger benefit in compliance. Conversely, perception of small danger means low benefit and compliance will decrease," he explained.
Sign At Lava Falls In Grand Canyon
This is what happened to a young neighbor of mine on this same trail. It was a tragedy. Heat stroke and hyponatremia were mentioned as causes. There is no shade, the lava rocks are black, the place is like an oven. Grand Canyon is beautiful, but people don't always understand how dangerous it can be.
Load More Replies...So because I'm neither fit nor adventurous, I'll be fine?
Load More Replies...The deeper valleys of The Grand Canyon have a reputation of turning into solar cookers during the summer time. Dehydration, heat exhaustion and death are very nonlinear and come on quickly there.
Thanks for the info, I was wondering what happens there, I checked the average temperature in summer and it said 27ºC which isn't much and I didn't understand how you could die from that. What you mention reminds me of a place in Crete, there's a canyon that leads to a beautiful beach but my parents and me almost have a heat stroke, a local said it was a short walk but it wasn't, at all, when the sun is high there's no shadow, no water source. A couple in a car picked us and I'm pretty sure we wouldn't have made it without them. In Greece 42ºC in Summer is normal so...
Load More Replies...I don't think it's scary.. Just giving blunt information what will happen if you continue unprepared.
I live near Joshua Tree Natl Park, an hour drive from Palm Springs. Every year, at least one person dies, because they don't get the difference from a small, suburban park. No water, no cell service.
If you see this sign in Florida, IGNORE it. You will be eaten by gators.
I'm not sure about the "hydrate with river water" without a "after you filter and boil it" 🙄 You could get diarrhea and make dehydration worse 🤷♀️
That’s probably why they said it specifically. It must be safe to drink. Some river water is.
Load More Replies...Practical for wimps, but real men never stop, so I was told. Better to abide by sign.
I’ve hiked those trails (slightly too heavy for the mule ride). It was common to see people on it coming down from the South Rim in Flip flops carrying fountain drinks in styrofoam cups as their water supply thinking “it’s a National Park, what could go wrong?”
Or, just believe the sign and enjoy the remainder of the canyon instead.
The rapids called Lava Falls are rated at 10+ on a 1 to 10 scale. May of 1975, I got tossed off the bow of a 22 ft snout boat as it entered the right side of Lava. Got picked up about half a mile downstream. It was one helluva ride. I do NOT RECOMMEND TRYING TO DO THIS. I was damned lucky.
Growing up in a deep wooded swamp, we learned these survival techniques as youngsters. Being in situations with suburban/city tourists always makes me uncomfortable because they simply don't understand the severity.
I remember last year, a young couple, their baby, and their dog were all found dead on a trail in my state. They’d gone for a hike in August and hadn’t brought enough water. It astounds me that people can think they can tackle actual hikes without being prepared. It was especially foolish of that couple to take their one-year-old daughter with them on a hike, too. In California, in August… sigh :(
Load More Replies...Yeah. In Australia, they'd probably put up a sign saying "Leave contact-information of your relatives. Have fun on top, mate". (Seriously, are you complaining about "obsession with safety" in this occasion? I bet all the dead they have to retrieve did so, too...)
Load More Replies...You Will Die
At A Nearby Wolf Sanctuary
Lastly, our personal, social, and cultural backgrounds also affect our decision-making. Green explained that even when two people make the same cost-benefit analysis, they could go two different ways — one might ignore the sign while the other doesn't. "People accept different danger levels, have different attitudes about their ability to control danger and are differentially affected by social and cultural norms," the expert added.
So for warning signs to be persuasive, designers should focus more on the psychological factor. Sure, the bright glaring colors and terrifying symbols catch our attention and might stop us from falling into dangerous threats, but harmony between human behavior and design would reduce accidents even further.
Bronx Zoo
Just Another Day In Alaska
Just think if people closed their bins properly and didn’t litter (or encroach on bears habitats) then they wouldn’t come looking for food in houses / public spaces.
"The Drowning Machine"
I bet that somebody stupid will go in hoping to make a great TikTok video
Uh Oh. Keep Out Of The Danger Noodle Room
This Slide
Bush Fire Rating Signs All Over Australia
Yikes
Trust Me, I Won't
Nope.
The School Lockdown Song
Worst sign ever. Nothing like a funny shooters song 🙈 for the little ones. Awful.
How Fast Is It Going To Move?
This Got Dark Real Quick
Common all around the UK for a while. Now, probably prompted by research findings, we have signs written by children, with childish drawings, that say 'Twenty is Plenty'.
Crocodile Enclosure At Sydney Aquarium
You Get The Gist, Even Without A Word Of Swedish
At Least They Give You A Choice.
Not Sure If This Counts
At My Apartment Complex
Yeah I Think I’ll Pass
Apartheid-Era Sign Near Johannesburg, South Africa (1953)
I had the misfortune when I was young to have a brief conversation with a white "Rhodesian" (young man) and yes, attitudes really were that vile.
Crossing A Swing Bridge In Nz
Think This Belongs Here!
Careful When Skiing
Heart Rate Increasing
Slowly Puts Shovel Back In Trunk
Ok, Let's Just Go To The Public Pool?
Water somehow always enters my nose while swimming. I’d avoid this pool no matter what
No Worries, 3 Layers Of Glass Still Remain To Protect You From The King Of The Jungle!
Yeah but how did it break? Accidental damage or was the lion testing the fence like a Dino in Jurassic Park. If those lions are looking to escape we need to know!
Cute Cartoons Don’t Make Creepy Messages Better
“Holy Water Removed Temporarily”
Saw This Walking Through My University After Hours
Note: this post originally had 107 images. It’s been shortened to the top 50 images based on user votes.
Did I just waste my time? Yes. Did this traumatize me? Yes. Do I regret reading this? Absolutely not.
One I was sure I'd see: Trespassers will be Shot! Survivors will be Shot Again!
Did I just waste my time? Yes. Did this traumatize me? Yes. Do I regret reading this? Absolutely not.
One I was sure I'd see: Trespassers will be Shot! Survivors will be Shot Again!