I Had to Read These Signs Twice (11 Photos)

October 18, 2026

By Vidar

Read the sign. Then read it again.

A warning about smartphone zombies, a sign that asks you not to read it, and a crosswalk button that promises to restart everything. Eleven signs where the joke is in the words, from a New York subway platform to a shop window in St. Catharines, Ontario.

More: Funny Signs (8 Photos)

📵 “Beware of Smartphone Zombies”

The triangle shows two people walking with their heads down and their phones up. The plate underneath gives them a name. Most of us have been one of them this week.

💡 Word Fact: The Germans have a word for it. The Guardian reported that “smombie”, a mix of smartphone and zombie, was voted Youth Word of the Year in Germany.

More: Clever Signs (9 Photos)

📜 “Near Misses Throughout History” — By Michael Pederson in Sydney, Australia 🇦🇺

A small black plaque on a park step, in the style of a heritage marker. It records that on June 5, 2016, Amy Keane tripped here, stumbled all the way down and landed on her feet. She raised her hands in triumph, but nobody was there to see it.

💡 Artist Fact: Colossal wrote that Pederson, who works as Miguel Marquez Outside, makes his signs look like official warnings and notices in both design and placement, so people read them before they get the joke.

More: Clever Art by Michael Pederson (17 Photos)

🔗 Follow Michael Pederson on Instagram

🎉 “Congrajlashins”

A marquee sign with an honest explanation for a common shortcut: people write congrats because they can’t spell congrajlashins. Hard to argue with.

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⚫ “Luke, I Am Your Father”

The drain vent already had the shape of a famous helmet. One speech bubble on the wall next to it did the rest.

💡 Nerd Fact: The famous line is a misquote. ACMI notes that in The Empire Strikes Back, Darth Vader actually says, “No, I am your father.”

More: Cute Signs (10 Photos)

😐 “Please Do Not Smile at Strangers” — 14th Street Station, New York City, USA 🇺🇸

It uses the same lettering as real subway instructions, which is why it works. Barry Popik’s write-up says art students put it up in February 2011 at the 14th Street F train, and that it was never an official MTA sign. Gothamist shared it the same month.

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🔒 “Private Sign, Do Not Read”

A blue board on a post by a forest track, hand-painted in white: private sign, do not read. By the time you get to the second line, it is too late.

More: Cute Signs (10 Photos)

🐦 “Closed. Frig Off.” — St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada 🇨🇦

Two lines on a shop window in St. Catharines, each with a small white bird on top: “closed.” and, underneath, “frig off.” The snowy street outside is reflected in the glass. It is a shorter way to say come back tomorrow.

📷 Photo: Gogerr / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)

🧠 “Lost My Brain”

It looks like any lost-and-found flyer on a tree, with a drawing of what went missing. Then the line at the bottom: “Please don’t contact me, I’m happy.”

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📞 “Is It Me You’re Looking For?”

“Hello?” at the top, Lionel Richie in the middle, and his line from “Hello” underneath. The tear-off tabs at the bottom carry more of the lyrics, so you can take one with you.

More: Funny Signs (20 Photos)

🧭 “Ignore Sat Nav & Engage Brain” — Linthwaite, England, UK 🇬🇧

A sign for drivers who follow the GPS a little too far. The small print on Lees Mill Lane adds: no through road, security barrier in place, release fee £100.

📷 Photo: Tim Green / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0)

🔁 “Reboot Universe”

Where the label would normally say push to cross, this one offers something bigger. One press, and everything starts over.

💡 Button Fact: The joke has a point. A Durango Herald column recalls that The New York Times found most of New York City’s walk buttons had long been switched off and called them “mechanical placebos.” Residents answered with fake labels over the buttons, “Reboot Universe” among them.

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