I came across this warning on some test equipment years ago. I still get a grin out of it today. I don’t know who wrote it, but no one ever messed with equipment that bore this label.
Have you seen any warning signs that make you laugh?
Cheers!
Nigel Blackwell
Nigel Blackwell was born in rural Oxfordshire in England. He has a love of books, a PhD in Physical Chemistry, and a black belt in pointing out the obvious. As a teenager he toured Europe, and hasn't stopped traveling since. He loves seeing the wonders of the world and meeting the people in it, and hasn't been anywhere that doesn't have the potential for a story. He now lives in Texas with his wife and daughter, where they enjoy the sunshine and listen to the coyotes howl at night.
Love it. Can’t say I’ve seen a warning label, or any kind of label, that compares.
Does this label come as a sticker? Too late for my children, but I wouldn’t mind ten gazillion or so for the grand kids.
Hm. At least half will be used for the Hubster.
Hi Sherry. This is available as a sticker. Just print off a copy, add glue and voila!
Cheers!
Love it! I have actually seen that one before – I think it was in one of the engineering journals. Or possibly the x-rated Red Lion engineering newsletter from the University of Manitoba back in the 80s…
It’s still one of my favourites. The sign, not the Red Lion, although the Lion was pretty funny despite (or perhaps because of) its male bias and total lack of political correctness.
Hi Diane. It was about 84 or 85 when I saw this. It probably came from somewhere else because no one owned up to writing it. The Red Lion sounds like a laugh, not that I’m politically incorrect you understand … 😉
Cheers!
Me no speakie the deutschlanderlanguage.
It’s pretty easy. Following the British approach all you have to do is fake the accent and speak very loudly. When people don’t understand what you’re saying, just speak louder. Though in all honestly that may be the reason I once returned from Spain with a black eye.
Cheers!
I can’t think of any entertaining signs that I’ve seen but the one you posted is pretty darned funny. It took me a minute to realize it wasn’t actually in German. Clearly I need to get out more.
Yeah, you should try it from time to time. Getting out that is. Take a Weeble or two, I’m sure they’d enjoy the fresh air, just don’t let them take any of your charms!
Cheers 🙂
It’s been since college since I had German, but I’m thinking this reads something like:
Keep your clumsy mitts off this machine. It’s very expensive and is meant only for experts. If you aren’t one of those, this is off limits to your ass!”
Am I in the ballpark??
Hi Jenny
Yep, you’re right in the ballpark. All you have to do is read it with a bad german accent and you’re there!
Cheers!
Keep your hands in your pockets & watch the blinking lights! Love it. Hilarious, Nigel!
Glad you liked it Julie 🙂
Cheers!
That’s awesome, Nigel! I recently busted out laughing at several warning signs, mainl because of their location. Being someone who learns by doing (and seldom reads directions) I came upon a whole drawer of unread, still in plastic appliance manuals that said things like, “Danger! Read before use!”
Yeah, funny because nothing dangerous played out. 😉
Hi August. Now that is funny, a drawer full of unopened “Danger read before use” notices. Brilliant. And I’m glad to hear that you haven’t been electrocuted, burned, blown up …
Cheers!
Hi Nigel. Thanks for the laugh. I had seen a similar sign on a Navy base around 1980. I can’t remember for sure but it might have been on an o-scope where some Navy CT and ET people were working. That’s my earliest memory of that type of sign. It might have been at the old Communications Tech school in California. They had a taste for non-conventional humor.
Hi Jay
I’ve never seen it anywhere other than one place in the UK, but your comment and Diane’s makes me think it was international all along. Most of the other signs to keep people off our equipment were far more direct!
Cheers
Nigel, This one is new to me. Reading it with an accent was difficult but doable and added much to the meaning and my personal amusement. 🙂
Hi Brinda
Opps! Askimet classified your email as spam. Sorry about that!
Glad you tried to read it aloud, I think it gets funnier when you try and pronounce the words.
Cheers!
“nicht fur gerfingerpoken ud mittinggraben” Love it! Though I think that if any did poken their gerfinger in a machine’s innards, they’d learn about it anyway! 😉
Hi Val
I think the designers of some of the things I’ve used left stray wires and voltages around just to make sure people leant not to poke around inside.
Cheers!