To celebrate the end of another work week, I have prepared a post that I hope will make you chuckle. While on our Hawaii trip, we came across some peculiar signs that we had never seen before, so we decided to take pictures of them to share with you all.
We found the first one (photo to the left) on our first day on the island, at Hapuna Beach. Thankfully, it is a well-known beach that receives hundreds of visitors a week, or else we might have turned around and left the minute we saw this sign. A UXO is any unexploded, explosive weapon, such as a bomb, grenade, land mine, or bullet. Let’s be honest, stepping on one would pretty much be the worst thing that could happen to you while on vacation.
We came across the second sign while admiring the beautiful banyan trees along Banyan Drive in Hilo. “Do not drop off unwanted pets at park.” Is that really such a big issue that it needs to be addressed with a permanent sign?
But then we started seeing chickens and cats roaming around, and we suddenly understood the need for the sign.
Throughout our trip, we spotted the three signs below several times. Some form of warning is probably necessary, especially the ones about jumping or diving, but could that warning be made in a slightly less gruesome way? The “hazardous cliff” one was a bit mind-boggling because it was usually placed smack dab at the edge of a cliff. If you were standing close enough to the sign to read it and the ground broke off without warning, there would be absolutely nothing you could do. How about placing a sign a hundred feet back from the cliff that reads, “Potentially unstable cliff ahead, proceed with caution at your own risk”?
And then there were the homemade signs from the locals that make you realize that Hawaii is more than just a tourist destination. Unfortunately, it’s not uncommon for locals to attempt to deter tourists from visiting some of the best spots on the island with fake “Private Property” or “No Trespassing” signs. While those signs should not be tolerated, you have to appreciate the ones that kindly ask visitors to be respectful of the island. The sign below is found at the Green Sand Beach and reads “Welcome to Mahana Bay. Please do not take sand or graffiti the walls. Mahalo, the locals.”
Jenny
Interesting signs. Never noticed from all my visits. However, there are lots of stray/feral cats and chickens on all the islands. I really do believe they are meaning people who leave their unwanted dogs. So sad.
Anonymous
I love in south africa, and we have signs here that, I’m sure, make all tourists laugh. I’m used to them, so don’t think much about them…
But they are like:
Warning! Elephants next 10km
Or:
Feeding of baboons is prohibited, and liable to a fine or imprisonment.
Or another one,
Caution! Possibly adngerous wild animals. Stay in your vehicle at all times.
Ellie
Wow, those would be some interesting signs to see on the road, but I suppose they are necessary. Have you seen any of those animals you mentioned in the wild? That would be very neat.
Ellie
Anonymous
Wild baboons are very common, they can be very dangerous, and often travel around in large troops, so it can be intimidating to come face to face with them.
I travel around rather a lot, and frequently come in contact with other wild animals, but mostly, they tend be shy. I did once have an elephant step into the road right infront of my car, she was flapping her ears at me, and slowly advancing. But as with most animals, they’d prefer not to have to fight, so when I graciously reversed my car, she stood watching me for a while, and when I was far enough away, she moved into the trees again. I used another route. She probably had a young calf hiding in the vegetation on the side of the road. That’s the usual rain they become aggressive.
Ellie
Thanks for sharing those stories. I love hearing about what life is like in other areas of the world. Our “wild” animals here in Tennessee definitely seem tame in comparison. The worse we have are poisonous snakes, cougars, and small bears.
Ellie
Candi
Hmmm interesting! Though I wish I could have that unwanted pet sign to put by our main road through our community! Dogs and cats/kittens are always dropped off along the road and they are at the mercy of the local storefronts and houses nearby to figure out what to do with them. So sad people do this to animals! I especially hate it when they do it during winter and the animals are always so cold and hungry.
Anonymous
Ellie, thank you for posting. These signs are scary or sad. I would of turn around and run!LOL. I received your nice thank you card…Jane
Ellie
Oh I’m so glad! Thank you again.
Ellie
Regina Shea
Those are weird signs but they sure get the point across. How are you feeling?
Ellie
Thank you for asking, Regina. 🙂 Definitely feeling better than I was a couple months ago, although mornings can still be rough, and sleeping and walking have become increasingly uncomfortable. Counting down the days until we meet our son!
Ellie