Yet another time I wonder about the literacy rate...

[KiaKat]

The store I manage is in a neighbourhood that, while definitely in the process of gentrification, is not, by any stretch of the imagination, a safe place. I am *very* good friends with the local precinct.

So the store, to ensure that the wrong element stays out, has a buzzer system. Most stores in the area do. Ok, makes sense, right? Now, how do you think we let our customers know that there's a buzzer, and that they have to ring the doorbell to be let in?

A sign. A nice sign with graphics and everything, right under the 'posted hours' sign, at eye level, on the door. Can't look in the store without peering around the sign.

What do customers do? Guess. No, really. I'm sure you'll never get it.

Pull on the door. Hard.

A co-worker and I were postulating last night that one of these days, either the lock is going to break, or the glass in the door is going to shatter, from the force that these people apply to the door.

In some cases, the customers are regulars, and know we keep our doors locked. They *still* try them.

Even worse are the people who knock on the glass, trying to get our attention. The doorbell, I'm used to hearing. It doesn't startle me. The knocking? Yeah. Scares the bejeezus out of me. At some point, I'm probably going to end up hurting myself when someone does that. I guess my customers don't think I have enough bruises.

[Bright_Star]

That in this day & age that there are STILL people who don't know how to read is disturbing.

[hopie144]

That in this day & age that there are STILL people who don't know how to read is disturbing.

I've been waiting to post this!

I go to the post office yesterday, and there's a set of doors that you pull open to walk into the building. Well the one on the right has a big sign written in red ink stating 'please use other door' and an arrow pointing to the one on the left.

Seeing as how I can read, I didn't even TRY to open the right door, I automatically went to the left door.

D'you think anyone else did the same? Anyone? Show of hands....

Mmm hmm. That's right dear people. I saw at least 4 people walk in, open the door that's broken, it makes a very loud SLAMMING sound when it shuts. And every single person that still used it, turns around and looks at the door when it slams shut with a bang.

So when I walk back out of the post office, and I'm halfway to my car, I notice a man walking out, and yes, he opened the broken door....and it slammed and he turned around and looked at it.... and I said, "That's why there's a big sign saying to use the other one."

He just looked at me funny.

People.

[powerboy]

That in this day & age that there are STILL people who don't know how to read is disturbing.

Its not that they don't know how. It is more of not wanting too. They want the signs to speak to them. That's my take on it anyway.

[protege]

They want the signs to speak to them.

After seeing a guy talking to fire hydrants in McKeesport (run-down, former mill town near Pittsburgh), it wouldn't surprise me

[Ciuva]

We have the exact same problem with the doors where I work. It's a low budget hotel in the middle of the city centre. There's only people working there 8 hours a day, so that to keep people who are not guests out of the hotel, the doors are the type that are automatically locked whenever they close.

We have signs posted outside (by the door handle and beside the door) stating clearly to either use room key or to knock on the door to be let in, and signs inside stating to use a clearly marked button on the wall to make the door open. So far I can count on my fingers the number of people who have actually read and followed that sign. The doors are old and doesn't look automatic, maybe that's the problem.

My "favourite" is those people who clearly stop and read the sign, look at the button, and then proceed to try to force the door open anyway. Because of the amount of abuse that door must go through every day it even works sometimes. I have a button at my desk that opens the door as well, but most often I don't have time to react. My favourite are those that don't even try to open the door normally, just force it open (causing me to jump) EVERY TIME. Then, of course, they complain that the door is "slow", or "heavy". Of course it is! It's not MEANT to be opened that way!

We've started - with my boss's blessing - to stop opening the doors for people going out, just politely (or not so politely when it happens for the tenth time the last fifteen minutes) point out that they need to use the button. Some days ago I actually had someone turn as I said that, smile politely and nod, look at the button and... force the door open anyway.

Not surprisingly we have to repair that door approximately once a month, at least, during high season.

[Megg]

At the convenience store near my house, they keep one side of the door always locked for temperature purposes. One day, I noticed the sign was different, and talked to the clerk about it. He said I was only the second person to mention it in a month. It said: "Please utilize other portal" with a big red arrow. We joked it was because so few people actually read and understood what it meant. Sad thing is, that is probably true.

I still at it when I go there. Yep, it is still there.

[KiaKat]

I actually had someone tell me yesterday, 'hey, you know your door is locked?'

[Rapscallion]

Response: "Was that the one with the opening times on it?"

Rapscallion

[Jay 2K Winger]

It has been proven, quite often, extensively, and probably even documented by credible sources (i.e., someone other than me) that People Don't Read Signs.

It's just unfortunately true.

Someone gripes about how much some item is, it's because they Didn't Read the Sign.

Someone gripes about how a store is closed, it's because they Didn't Read the Sign.

Someone gets a speeding ticket, it's because they Didn't Read the Signs.

I once had the following exchange at my job. My register's "PINpad" (that's the little thing you swipe your credit/debit card through) wasn't working, meaning I couldn't take ATM/debit card transactions. There's another reader on my register, but the system ONLY accepts PIN numbers through the PINpad. Anyway, the PINpad had JUST gone down, and there were big lines, so I hadn't had time yet to put up a sign on my register to say "NO ATM/DEBIT CARDS."

J2K: *ringing up Customer 1* *to Customer 2* Ma'am, are you paying by cash or credit?
C2: Debit.
J2K: Sorry, ma'am, my PINpad's not working. I can't take debit.
C2: Well why don't you have a sign up?
J2K: *brain-to-mouth filter failure* Because People Don't Read Signs.
C2: That's a gross generalization! I can't believe you'd say something like that!

*C2 marches off to another register*

J2K: *turns to C1, stunned*
C1: Has she never worked in retail before?
J2K: Took the words right out of my mouth.

[blas]

That happened before at the gas station. It was a violent windy winter's day, and the one door would slam shut so hard, the owner asked that we lock it and put up a sign.

That was the most amusing 8 hours of my life. Only one out of every like...thirty customers would actually go to the other door. The rest would reef, reef, pound, pound, scratch their head, some even shrugged and walked back to their car and LEFT!

And yes, I did get "reminded" that I had left the door locked and asked why it was locked.

The biggest idiot of all was the one who ignored the sign, nearly pulled the door off its hinges, then proceeded to bang on the window and point at the locked door.

[DGoddessChardonnay]

They want the signs to speak to them.

Reminds me of the customers I had to deal with back when I was a pricing manager . . .nine out of 10 would claim that the signs spoke to them too.

"Well, the sign said xxx.xx"- repeat ad naseam.

Now why is it the signs spoke to them but never to me?

[Racket_Man]

That happened before at the gas station. It was a violent windy winter's day, and the one door would slam shut so hard, the owner asked that we lock it and put up a sign.

That was the most amusing 8 hours of my life. Only one out of every like...thirty customers would actually go to the other door. The rest would reef, reef, pound, pound, scratch their head, some even shrugged and walked back to their car and LEFT!

And yes, I did get "reminded" that I had left the door locked and asked why it was locked.

The biggest idiot of all was the one who ignored the sign, nearly pulled the door off its hinges, then proceeded to bang on the window and point at the locked door.

many many shifts at my gas station like that. we had a double side door. one opened in and the other out. when the wind would get above 30MPH the in openning one would continually blow open so we had to lock it and put up a sign. more than half of the poeple ignored a big bright sign and arrow and continue to pull and pull. thank goodness the door was very solid