I Tentacle Wins
Swimming in Baja? Prepare to boo-hoo when you jam wit da jellies! Seriously now, this might just be the most frightening warning sign we’ve ever seen – that bold black & orange “WARNING” graphic is ridiculously redundant. To sum up: enter the ocean at your own peril, and do NOT touch any tentacles. Actually, that’s good advice for anyone, anywhere, even if they’re not swimming. (image via lecates)
Spiral Trap
No, this is not a close-up shot of your washer/dryer’s instruction manual but careless swimmers WILL be put through the wringer. According to the photographer’s image tags, the sign refers to dangerous currents and an unseen undertow but we suppose it could also be used in inland regions affected by tornados. Now there’s a twist! (image via Ruth Hartnup)
Enemy Mine
Minimalism in signage is all well and good but there are always cases where a lack of clarity could lead to a loss of life. Here’s one of those cases – collapsed coal mine shafts that emit toxic fumes – where stick figure simplicity succumbs to the need for maximum impact. The photographer’s close-up and cropped image excludes the text preceding the bold red “-ING” but we’ll “hazard” a guess: “NO BREATHING”. It’s a warning AND a prediction. (image via Upupa4me)
Trunk History
If a tree falls in the forest, does anyone hear it before it flattens them? Maybe they should be looking up instead of, say, reading scary signs – just a thought. You’ll find this organic variation of the classic “Falling Rocks” warning sign on the Hawaiian island of Maui. Wowie! (image via Forest and Kim Starr)
Icy What U Did
Again with the deadly trees? Geez, what did we ever do to… er, never mind. We love trees, trees are great, they give us so much! Peaches, for example – who doesn’t like peaches? To quote Steve Miller, “really like your peaches wanna sha…” don’t do it, Steve! Can’t you read the sign? Any way you slice (or saw) it, one thing’s for certain: the Ent isn’t just near, it’s HERE. (image via Ruth Hartnup)
Need more “signs” that the world is caring more about environmental degradation? Check out Litteracy: Creative International No-Littering Signs!

