Who Makes These Signs?

On my drive home from Carlisle, PA last Sunday I stopped at a state rest stop in Timberville, Virginia. I entered the ladies room stall and shut the door only to be met with two signs.

“Protect your valuables, hang on purse hook” followed by “Purse Hooks” and then one hook.

I can only say that men must write these signs because I am certain a women would never write these.

First, if there is a hook women think, “Thank God, because then I don’t have to try and hold my purse in my naked lap while I pee.” We see a hook in the middle of the door an just know it is the place to hang a purse or anything else.

The way the top sign is written it sounds like we should hang on the purse hook. No where does it actually say, “Hang your purse on this hook.” My valuables are my family and my dog. I don’t want to hang them on any hook, let alone a purse hook. But for some people their purse does contain their valuables and the advice of hanging your purse half way down the door is good since no one can reach over the door and steal your purse.

The way the sign reads it sounds like I can protect valuables not even with me in the stall if I hang on the hook. Imagine that?

On this particular door the only hook was the one half way down the door so there was little need for the sign telling your it was “Purse Hooks” which was grammatically incorrect since it was a singular hook.

I know we need signs for the impaired, like those who spill hot coffee in their laps as they drive away from McDonalds having just bought hot coffee, but really state of Virginia you can save yourself at least one sign. Yes, it is safer to hang your purse in the middle of the door and good on you for offering a purse hook, but trust us, we women know what to hang there.

I might bring a totally invaluable plastic bag into the ladies room and I will still hang it on that hook because not one lady wants to touch anything after it sat on the floor of a road side rest stop ladies room.

The purse hook sign would have made more sense if there had also been a coat hook on the back of the door near the top. Then you might want a sign differentiating the two hooks. Not the case here. If I was wearing a long coat I would have had to throw it over the top of the door or hang it on the purse hook where it would have touched to floor. If it touched the floor I might as well just throw it away right there in the ladies room because I do not want to ut that coat on my body after it touched the public bathroom floor at a state run rest stop in rural Virginia. No offense Virginia, but I don’t want my coat to touch the floor in any public bathroom.

I worry about people who make signs for a living not thinking through all the possibilities of meaning for their signs. If I had a pocket full of cash, which is valuable to me, it is best to leave it in my pocket and not try and hang it anywhere. If I was wearing an expensive ring, it is safer on my finger than hanging on the purse hook. I know people are stupid, I’ve seen the interviews done at political rallies. So let’s not put up signs which proves how stupid people are, either the sign makers or the person trying to hang themselves on the hook thinking it will protect their valuables.