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
Hahaha... You are so mean (and right) dianadeluxe.
Load More Replies...Looks rather like they're suggesting you offer your child to the mountain lion! Perhapps to distract it?
Sharp kick up the backside and catch it before it hits the ground?
Load More Replies...Or play Metallica on your phone real loud. Worked for some hiker few years ago, you can google it
And hope the first Google results are good ones or it may be too late
Load More Replies...Technical question: how can you be large when you are very short? I think I'm doomed!
Well you put your hands up,also if you’re cycling,you put your bicycle up in the air.Works also on bear or moose.But if the animal’s cubs are near you’re doomed anyway.Man must never turn back on a predator,as it’s clear signal for a predator to attack.
Load More Replies...Here in Colorado we have had hikers fight them off. It wasn't fun for the hikers, for sure, but it wasn't as crazy or fatal as you think. They're not as big as you're probably imagining.
The image that comes to mind is me yelling at a mountain lion like I just encountered the world’s worst Karen, feeling entitled to eat me alive.
Good advice, but why take children on a hiking trail where there's possibly mountain lions in the first place?
A high voltage stun gun will work as well, if the lion has already made contact. They're probably not legal in Cali, but I'd rather be alive and pay the fine than mauled and die.
Load More Replies...The picure low left looks like an advice to lure the Mountain lion with your kid. O.o
If you see a mountain lion don't do anything. If the mountain lion tends to attack or eat you, you wouldn't see it.
Literally it looks like the lion just stand still until the human have a family
Oh yeah- because my little nails and teeth are really going to help with that "fight back" thing-
Signs at some National Parks it made us think twice before going out !
A friend of my dad's encountered a mountain lion on his land recently. Or rather, his son and his dog encountered it, and he came running to the yelling. The dog charged the lion and kept it distracted long enough for the dad to get his gun. Lost the chihuaha, but the 6-year-old was fine.
I do not think I am in any condition to win a fight with an animal that has "lion" in the title. Just sayin'.
Poke them in the eyes and read them a bedtime story you like as it will be lights out for you.
Does "bear spray" work on mountain lions? If not, is this a start up opportunity?
If you encounter a mountain lion and you're actually in Wales .... you're having a nightmare
I enjoy nature but but I'd be backing away towards the car if I encountered this sign.
Initially I thought they were throwing the children to the mountain lion to save their own lives.
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
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
Wear Mask Or Die !
Found This Gem At A Local Bulk Foods Store
You Don’t Know Who Is Lurking Here
Posted On A Hiking Trail At A Very High Waterfall
Hikers Beware
I wonder how many people were surprised to discover they had health issues when hiking this trail? Like, TDIL...
More Cute Than Scary
I'll Just Hold It
I’ve seen these signs but for spiders and snakes. In some countries it’s just best to check for everything!
"Not Advisable To Enter" A Wetlands Sanctuary Reserve.
Udder Terror!
Yeah boss sorry I'm late. I've been attacked by the invisible cow. Again.
Sign Near Nuclear Plant In Nj
I Think I’ll Just Take The Stairs Next Time...
I’d never jump in an elevator irrespective of the condition of it
Good To Know
Where is this - the Winchester Mystery House? (If you haven't seen it, it actually does feature a door about two storeys up which opens onto nothing but a painful fall into the rose bushes).
Do I Trust The Sign Or The Sensor?
On A Public Trail Through Farmland In The Peak District, UK
Casual Sign I Took A Picture Of In Cambodia
If you’re a tourist visiting Cambodia you should know about the killing fields. If you don’t then educate yourself before going.
In Bear Trap Canyon, Montana
Hunting Season.
Saw This At My New Job, Wish Me Luck Guys.
Any Questions?
Found On The Portal Trail. End Of Mag 7 In Moab, Ut.
Area Closed
Ominous Signs Like This All Through Amarillo On People's Property. Some Guy Named Stanley Marsh Put Them There And Then [passed Away]. That's All We Know
Do Not Hang Anything
If they need that sign then they should box in the pipes. Problem solved.
Apparently From Killington Ski Resort.
Watch For Jumping Sturgeon
LAKE CITY - Funeral plans are set for a 5-year-old north Florida girl who died after being struck by a sturgeon that leaped into the boat she was riding in with her family. The Gainesville Sun, citing a funeral announcement, reports the funeral for Jaylon Leighann Rippy is planned for Saturday in Chiefland. She died last Friday, hours after the sturgeon jumped into the family's boat. Officials say the girl's mother Tanya Rippy suffered facial injuries and her 9-year-old brother Trevor Rippy suffered a broken wrist.
Do You Know Where The Bears Are?
Outside Toilet. One Door.
I got locked in my bathroom twice and it’s so scary. I’d stay clear of this door
Oddly Poetic Sign In Sea Ranch, Ca
Um... Are We Still... Are We Still Talking About Ice Cream...?
At A Beach Along A Hiking Trail In Kauai, Hawaii
Is Not An Emergency Yahauh
*50,000 demons posses a child causing them to cry* “the ride ain’t gona stop snowflake”
Is That A Threat?
Took This Picture A Few Years Ago In Near The Border
Yeah just hang around and wait an hour for that zombie to catch up with you!
Warning Sign Near Peggy's Cove Lighthouse. Nova Scotia, Canada.
If you want to see and feel power, check out the Bay of Fundy which has the highest tides in the world. From low to high, about the height of a 3 story building. About an hour from Peggy's Cove.
"Emergency Medical Staff Has Been Infected. We Will No Longer Treat Patients. Quarantine Underway."
The Thought Of This Makes Me Want To Cook At Home Even More.
Fact.
In Alaska
Towns in Alaska are very far away by road and can be dangerous during the winter. Please do follow the sign's instructions, make sure you have winter tires, food, water, bells... etc. I am Alaskan and this really is no joke.
Found In The Adirondacks. Explosive And Acid Is A Good Combo.
That Will Make Your Hair Stand Up.
Watch Where You Step
Whatever you do, do NOT take it home with you and use it to get rid of that stubborn stump in your back yard
Yeah, I'm Not Going In There...
You Know When You’re In The Australian Outback When You See A Sign Like This..
Which direction and how far is the nearest fuel? I mean, is it already too late?
Ryan Dam, Montana.
If Polar Bear Attacks, You Must Fight Back
Heads Up!
“Wear A Mask”
I’m inclined to think that this is chinese writing but it may also be korean or japanese. Can anyone tell me?
A Happy Little Sign At My Work
That’s A Nope From Me Boss
That’s Reassuring
I Explored An Abandoned Mine This Weekend. The Floor Drops Down Into An Abyss Past This Sign.
Scary yes but also that’s a mine dude (probably one you’re trespassing in). Kind of expect them to be scary and full of hidden horrors.
Saw This On My Walk Earlier On...
On A Gas Station Outside Of Valdosta
This Sign By The Entrance To My Church.
(To answer the “why” questions) Active shooter or terror attack 😔
Stay Out Of The Water Or You’ll Get Burned.
Hold Your Breath
A Sign In Hefei. It Reads, “Early Detection, Early Report, Early Quarantine, Early Diagnosis, Early Treatment”
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!