In a world where traffic signs and street markers are usually standardized, some cities like to be different, adding humor to the urban landscape with creative signage. Everything from intentionally witty warnings to accidentally amusing translations that have become local landmarks and social media sensations.
From official municipal installations to beloved neighborhood oddities, these 20 signs prove even the most mundane aspects of city infrastructure can bring unexpected joy to daily life.
The ‘Watch for Pokemon’ Crossing Sign – Portland, Oregon
In Portland’s Pearl District, there’s a very official-looking yellow diamond sign that warns drivers to ‘Watch for Pokemon Crossing.’ Installed during the height of ‘Pokemon Go’ fever, the city decided to keep this playful sign as a permanent fixture.
Residents have embraced it so thoroughly that it’s become a popular spot for photography, and nearby businesses often decorate the area with related themes. It perfectly captures Portland’s commitment to keeping things weird while promoting pedestrian safety in its unique way.
The ‘Polite Notice: Zombies Ahead’ Warning – London, England
Wander around London’s Camden Town, and you may stumble upon an electronic traffic board that flickers up ‘Polite Notice: Zombies Ahead.’ This fake-but-official-looking sign – one of a series of jokey traffic notices – was originally a hack that the city council was so amused by that they left it in rotation.
The sign has become such a beloved local fixture that it’s inspired nearby shops to create zombie-themed window displays and has been featured in countless tourist photos.
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The ‘No Gravity Beyond This Point’ Sign – San Francisco, California
Atop one of San Francisco’s most famously steep hills, this unofficial-but-tolerated sign warns pedestrians that there’s ‘No Gravity Beyond This Point.’ On Filbert Street-which boasts a dramatic 31.5% grade – the sign has become a popular photo spot for tourists and locals alike.
Public works for the city concede that they’ve gotten numerous requests to make it an official sign, and it’s been known to appear on the routes of more than a few walking tour guides.
The ‘Beware of Falling Coconuts’ Warning – Honolulu, Hawaii
Along Waikiki Beach, you’ll see official warning signs advising visitors of falling coconuts, featuring cartoonish illustrations of coconuts bonking unsuspecting tourists on the head.
Official signs put up by the city parks department turn an important safety message into a sight that produces a grin. Local artists have designed their own variations of the sign, which are widely available as popular souvenirs in nearby shops.
The ‘Don’t Feed the Hipsters’ Sign – Austin, Texas
When a South Congress neighborhood coffee shop in Austin put up a wildlife warning sign that read, ‘Don’t Feed the Hipsters – They’ll Never Leave, ‘ the unofficial sign went so viral that the city council cites it in tourism materials, while restaurants nearby have menu items named after it.
And often, you’ll spot the actual hipsters taking selfies with the sign, proving that Austinites can laugh at themselves.
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The ‘Attention: Spaced Out Pedestrians’ Sign – Amsterdam, Netherlands
Not far from the city’s famous coffee shops, you’ll find an official traffic sign adorned with a wobbly stick figure sporting spirals for eyes, cautioning drivers to beware of ‘Spaced Out Pedestrians.’ The city adopted these signs as a whimsical but necessary response to a very actual problem, and they now have become collector’s items among a certain class of sign aficionados.
Miniature versions are sold by local gift shops, while tour guides include them in their ‘alternative Amsterdam’ walking tours.
The ‘Free Beer Tomorrow’ Permanent Sign – Dublin, Ireland
Outside a pub in Temple Bar, there’s a permanently attached sign that promises ‘Free Beer Tomorrow.’ It has been there for decades, long enough that it made its way into many of the travel books, and tourists return the next day to make the joke of claiming their free pint.
Clever wordplay has spawned its clones around town, creating an informal scavenger hunt of sorts for tourists seeking out Dublin’s pub culture.
The ‘Ninja-Free Zone’ Warning – Tokyo, Japan
In Tokyo’s electronics and anime hub of Akihabara, a building security sign features the usual no-smoking and no-pets icons with one addition: a banned ninja. The property manager put it up as a gag, but after it gained popularity, the signs started to pop up all over the neighborhood.
Today, local business owners use ninja-themed elements on many of their signs for a fun theme in the neighborhood.
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The ‘Beware of Attack LifeGuard’ Sign – Sydney, Australia
At Bondi Beach, you will find a modified warning sign showing a stick-figure lifeguard with exaggerated muscles and a stern expression. The unofficial sign has become so popular that it’s featured in countless Instagram posts and travel blogs.
Local lifeguards play along with the joke, occasionally flexing when tourists take photos with the sign, adding to the beach’s laid-back atmosphere.
The ‘Dragons Must Be Leashed’ Sign – Edinburgh, Scotland
A city-sanctioned sign near Edinburgh Castle warns that ‘All Dragons Must Be Leashed Within Castle Grounds.’ Part of the city’s effort to embrace its folkloric heritage, this official sign has spawned an entire series of fantasy-themed warning signs throughout the Old Town.
Local tour guides have incorporated the signs into their ghost tours, elaborately explaining the origins.
The ‘Warning: Time Travel Intersection’ Sign – Seattle, Washington
In the shadow of the Space Needle, an electronic traffic board occasionally flashes a message that reads, ‘Caution: Time Travel Intersection Ahead – Watch for Pedestrians from Other Centuries.’ What was once an unofficial modification to a standard traffic signal has become so well-liked that the city’s transportation department now regularly programs similar messages during sci-fi conventions.
Even area businesses have gotten into the act, creating themed window displays that continue the time-travel scenario.
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‘Mind the Gap Between Reality and Expectations’ Sign – Stockholm, Sweden
A clever play on London’s famous ‘Mind the Gap’ warning, this unofficial sign in Stockholm’s metro system has inspired countless photos and social media posts. The transit authority, recognizing its popularity, has incorporated similar philosophical musings into other station signage.
Local artists have created an entire series of artwork based on the concept, which is now displayed throughout the subway system.
The ‘Caution: Wet Floor When Raining’ Sign – Vancouver, Canada
In the infamously rain-soaked Gastown area of the city, there’s an outdoor sign warning pedestrians of a wet floor-unprotected area. This ‘official’ sign, installed with a sense of humor regarding the famous rainfall by the city, has inspired similar obviously redundant weather warnings for local businesses.
This sign serves to show Vancouver embracing its reputation for rain with good humor.
The ‘No Selfie Sticks in Bike Lanes’ Sign – Copenhagen, Denmark
Official traffic signs include a crossed-out selfie stick among the standard bike lane regulations in the city’s busy cycling district. Following a spate of accidents with distracted tourists, the city erected these signs – which have themselves become popular photo opportunities.
Local bike rental shops now include the signs in their safety briefings, often with exaggerated demonstrations of what not to do.
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The ‘Warning: Invisible Cows Crossing’ Sign – Wellington, New Zealand
Down a rural road outside of town, there is an official-looking sign warning drivers of invisible cows crossing the road. At first, put up as a practical joke, the sign proved to be such an amazingly popular local landmark that it took a vote by the city council to keep it in the ground.
Local farmers seem to have gotten into the joke with cow-shaped cutouts camouflaged and placed near this city sign.
The ‘Caution: Local Characters Ahead’ Sign – New Orleans, Louisiana
In the French Quarter, an official city sign warns visitors to beware of ‘Local Characters’ ahead, with an illustration of several of the many French Quarter personalities one might encounter. The sign celebrates the neighborhood’s eccentric residents and warns tourists about what’s in store for them.
Street performers often pose next to it, adding their own panache to the warning.
The ‘Beware of Well-Educated Squirrels’ Sign – Boston, Massachusetts
Just off Harvard Square, you notice a manipulated wildlife warning sign to beware of squirrels in graduation caps holding tiny books. Unofficial, it may be, but it has become so popular that local businesses have taken on the educated squirrel as an almost official mascot.
Campus tour leaders include it on the tours and embellish it with wacky stories about the neighborhood, particularly intellectual critters.
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The ‘No Parking Except for Time Travelers’ Sign – Melbourne, Australia
In the hipster Fitzroy precinct, a parking sign has a clause that allows parking ‘Only for Time Travelers from Before 1985.’ This grassroots alteration of a regular parking sign has encouraged a number of similar adaptations in the vicinity.
And sometimes, local parking inspectors will join in the fun, writing mock fines for cars whose registration date is in the future.
The ‘Warning: Silent Disco in Progress’ sign – Berlin, Germany
Official street signs warn drivers throughout the artsy Kreuzberg district that silent disco participants may be crossing the street dancing to music nobody else can hear. When silent disco walking tours started taking over the city, the city installed these signs, which have since become attractions of their own.
Local nightclubs now organize silent disco pub crawls that hit all these signs.
The ‘Beware of Aggressive Pigeons’ Sign – Venice, Italy
In the middle of the very busy Piazza San Marco, official city signs warn tourists about the square’s famously bold pigeons with a comically detailed illustration of a pigeon in a threatening stance. Complete with Italian and English text, the sign shows a muscular pigeon wearing a tiny bandana and flexing its wings.
Local vendors hawk bird feed nearby, as a rule, pointing with a knowing smile to the sign when tourists ask where to find the local avian population. The city’s tourist office claims that these signs have actually increased visitor interaction with the pigeons since everyone wants a photo with these supposedly tough birds.
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The Best Signs Are Yet to Come
Quirky street signs that remind us even the most everyday part of city infrastructure brings a smile and laughter in daily lives: both those approved by the city and homemade favorites. They show each city’s personality and remind us to look up from our phones and appreciate the humor in our urban landscapes.
Next time you find yourself wandering about a strange city, watch out for these unwarranted turns of comedy in street signage – you never know what might be round the corner.
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