Seeing is believing

@pandaeyes (2065)
February 6, 2010 8:49am CST
We had a Beware of the dog sign on our gate when we had an Alsatian years ago . A little boy asked me if there really was a dog and he sounded like he wasn't convinced . when I assured him there was. My sign was hand painted .Maybe a more 'official' printed sign would have been more persuasive. If you see something written in print, do you think it must be true? Signs and fliers ,posters and even headlines are very official looking. What does it take to make it seem like it must be a serious statement? I think that If I write a sign saying 'no admittance' on my gate, it will be cast aside and people will just walk on in but If I have a sign printed up with the exact same words, people will think, 'that looks official, better not go in there'! Of course it depends on the message, if my sign says 'Beware of the Dog' ,it must surely raise a question in the observers mind, ...should they risk it?
1 person likes this
1 response
@1corner (744)
• Canada
6 Feb 10
Hey there. Sometimes I do wonder if these signs were put up to keep people from entering their yards, but I for one won't risk it. Not a big loss to me if I get duped, but if there was a dog and I get bitten, it would be such a hassle. But why go into other people's compounds in the first place, anyways? The only acceptable reasons to me for entering others' properties are to deliver mail, or to conduct a census. With kids, unless they've had a ball or some other toy land in their neighbor's yard, or been invited by their kid-friend who lives there, they shouldn't even consider trespassing. Official-looking or not, signs were put there for a reason. I won't go where I'm not expected to be, whether there's signage, credible or not.
1 person likes this
@pandaeyes (2065)
7 Feb 10
heh I once went through a gate and came rushing back the other way very fast as a dog leapt towards me. There wasn't any sign though and I was delivering home shopping catalogues.