Why we all need signs

[Morticia]

Got an email today from a guest who wanted to let me know I embarassed her daughter by asking her to please not go into the laundry room (which I did when I saw her coming out of it). 'There was no sign telling her to stay out. She spent the rest of the vacation afraid to come downstairs.'

 

[JunieBJones (JBJ)]

ARGGGHHHH!!!!!!!!1

 

[Morticia]

ARGGGHHHH!!!!!!!!1.

ARGGGHHHH!!!!!!!!1

Yup. You got it right there. If I put up a sign that says 'Private' or 'Staff only' EVERYONE will be in there wondering what they're missing out on.
There was also no sign telling her to stay out of the basement, but I don't think she went there. No sign telling her to stay out of my room, but I didn't see her there, either. No signs telling her to stay out of other guest rooms or out of the shed, well you get my point...

 

[JunieBJones (JBJ)]

Can't legislate "stupid."

 

[EmptyNest]

O gheeez o wheez...give me a break! Who do these people think they are or we are??? It is YOUR house for pity sakes. Tell her to get over it!!!

 

[Morticia]

O gheeez o wheez...give me a break! Who do these people think they are or we are??? It is YOUR house for pity sakes. Tell her to get over it!!!.

You know I've been thinking about this all morning. I think a little embarassment will go a long way in that young girl's life in helping her to think thru a situation rather than just acting on impulse.

 

[user 26]

it seems i have to put little signs EVERYWHERE ... funny to go into what is my bathroom and have a sign ((required by the state inspector guy)) 'employees must wash hands before returning to work' ....
at the door, the checkin times and the sign that says 'sorry, no public restrooms' ...
don't forget the HOT signs on the teapots and coffe pots!!!
but you know ... all the signs that say 'private' and 'employees only' are IGNORED when people are curious. or need 'to go' so, yes, signs .... sorry. then there can be no reproach saying 'there was NO SIGN telling me NOT to go there.' i have found people going down into my basement! or trying to .... til i interrupt them. why?! will have to post a pic of that dark and narrow staircase ... makes no sense to me.
sounds more like daughter went some place she knew she should not have gone and then told mom this so that she wouldn't be scolded. just a guess, really. this a different girl than the one you just told us about?
i need a sign ... sometimes .... on myself ....
WARNING! DANGER! INNKEEPER IS FRIED!!

 

[Proud Texan]

it seems i have to put little signs EVERYWHERE ... funny to go into what is my bathroom and have a sign ((required by the state inspector guy)) 'employees must wash hands before returning to work' ....
at the door, the checkin times and the sign that says 'sorry, no public restrooms' ...
don't forget the HOT signs on the teapots and coffe pots!!!
but you know ... all the signs that say 'private' and 'employees only' are IGNORED when people are curious. or need 'to go' so, yes, signs .... sorry. then there can be no reproach saying 'there was NO SIGN telling me NOT to go there.' i have found people going down into my basement! or trying to .... til i interrupt them. why?! will have to post a pic of that dark and narrow staircase ... makes no sense to me.
sounds more like daughter went some place she knew she should not have gone and then told mom this so that she wouldn't be scolded. just a guess, really. this a different girl than the one you just told us about?
i need a sign ... sometimes .... on myself ....
WARNING! DANGER! INNKEEPER IS FRIED!!.

... all the signs that say 'private' and 'employees only' are IGNORED when people are curious.

Lock the doors.

 

[Proud Texan]

O gheeez o wheez...give me a break! Who do these people think they are or we are??? It is YOUR house for pity sakes. Tell her to get over it!!!.

You know I've been thinking about this all morning. I think a little embarassment will go a long way in that young girl's life in helping her to think thru a situation rather than just acting on impulse.
.

You know I've been thinking about this all morning. I think a little embarassment will go a long way in that young girl's life in helping her to think thru a situation rather than just acting on impulse.

AND...You shouldn't have to apologize for someone else's inability to train their child to respect other people's property and privacy!

 

[JeannineIrish]

it seems i have to put little signs EVERYWHERE ... funny to go into what is my bathroom and have a sign ((required by the state inspector guy)) 'employees must wash hands before returning to work' ....
at the door, the checkin times and the sign that says 'sorry, no public restrooms' ...
don't forget the HOT signs on the teapots and coffe pots!!!
but you know ... all the signs that say 'private' and 'employees only' are IGNORED when people are curious. or need 'to go' so, yes, signs .... sorry. then there can be no reproach saying 'there was NO SIGN telling me NOT to go there.' i have found people going down into my basement! or trying to .... til i interrupt them. why?! will have to post a pic of that dark and narrow staircase ... makes no sense to me.
sounds more like daughter went some place she knew she should not have gone and then told mom this so that she wouldn't be scolded. just a guess, really. this a different girl than the one you just told us about?
i need a sign ... sometimes .... on myself ....
WARNING! DANGER! INNKEEPER IS FRIED!!.

I guess some people have not been taught that if a door is shut you just don't walk in. One time I had a sign on our kitchen door because we had friends of guests coming back after the wedding rehearsal dinner (will never do that again, but that's another story) and they got PO'd because it sounded rude.
You're damned if you do and damned if you don't. We have tried to limit our signs. We have two outside, one pointing to the entrance to the Guest House and another with Private because it is a door into the back of the house close to the guest entrance that goes into our sitting room and people were always trying to come in that door.

 

[Samster]

You need the "Private" signs...let the chips fall where they may

Better than getting an email like that.

 

[Morticia]

You need the "Private" signs...let the chips fall where they may

Better than getting an email like that..

You need the "Private" signs...let the chips fall where they may

Better than getting an email like that.

You know, tho, I think I'd rather insult one nosy teenager than 1000's of non-nosy guests with signs everywhere. Because this new sign would be 2 feet from the 'Stop!' sign for the kitchen. I couldn't even have locked that door because it was in the middle of the day. I'm still running in and out of there with this and that and I'm NOT putting myself out for one kid's hurt feelings.

 

[Samster]

You need the "Private" signs...let the chips fall where they may

Better than getting an email like that..

You need the "Private" signs...let the chips fall where they may

Better than getting an email like that.

You know, tho, I think I'd rather insult one nosy teenager than 1000's of non-nosy guests with signs everywhere. Because this new sign would be 2 feet from the 'Stop!' sign for the kitchen. I couldn't even have locked that door because it was in the middle of the day. I'm still running in and out of there with this and that and I'm NOT putting myself out for one kid's hurt feelings.
.

Do what you want with this guest but I still think that nice brass "Private" signs send a message about what is your space & what is guest space. It also gives you a better come back if you find someone where they don't belong. I have them on all the doors to our private space. Seems to be working & it cost me less than $30.

 

[EmptyNest]

You need the "Private" signs...let the chips fall where they may

Better than getting an email like that..

You need the "Private" signs...let the chips fall where they may

Better than getting an email like that.

You know, tho, I think I'd rather insult one nosy teenager than 1000's of non-nosy guests with signs everywhere. Because this new sign would be 2 feet from the 'Stop!' sign for the kitchen. I couldn't even have locked that door because it was in the middle of the day. I'm still running in and out of there with this and that and I'm NOT putting myself out for one kid's hurt feelings.
.

Do what you want with this guest but I still think that nice brass "Private" signs send a message about what is your space & what is guest space. It also gives you a better come back if you find someone where they don't belong. I have them on all the doors to our private space. Seems to be working & it cost me less than $30.
.

I am with you... nice brass plate with PRIVATE is unobtrusive and yet it says I cared enough to spend on BRASS plate which means I am serious Rather than a computer print out.

 

[Samster]

You need the "Private" signs...let the chips fall where they may

Better than getting an email like that..

You need the "Private" signs...let the chips fall where they may

Better than getting an email like that.

You know, tho, I think I'd rather insult one nosy teenager than 1000's of non-nosy guests with signs everywhere. Because this new sign would be 2 feet from the 'Stop!' sign for the kitchen. I couldn't even have locked that door because it was in the middle of the day. I'm still running in and out of there with this and that and I'm NOT putting myself out for one kid's hurt feelings.
.

Do what you want with this guest but I still think that nice brass "Private" signs send a message about what is your space & what is guest space. It also gives you a better come back if you find someone where they don't belong. I have them on all the doors to our private space. Seems to be working & it cost me less than $30.
.

I am with you... nice brass plate with PRIVATE is unobtrusive and yet it says I cared enough to spend on BRASS plate which means I am serious Rather than a computer print out.
.

They do look nice & the ones that I got weren't expensive. They were also shipped pretty quickly. I got them here.

 

[Morticia]

You need the "Private" signs...let the chips fall where they may

Better than getting an email like that..

You need the "Private" signs...let the chips fall where they may

Better than getting an email like that.

You know, tho, I think I'd rather insult one nosy teenager than 1000's of non-nosy guests with signs everywhere. Because this new sign would be 2 feet from the 'Stop!' sign for the kitchen. I couldn't even have locked that door because it was in the middle of the day. I'm still running in and out of there with this and that and I'm NOT putting myself out for one kid's hurt feelings.
.

Do what you want with this guest but I still think that nice brass "Private" signs send a message about what is your space & what is guest space. It also gives you a better come back if you find someone where they don't belong. I have them on all the doors to our private space. Seems to be working & it cost me less than $30.
.

Do what you want with this guest but I still think that nice brass "Private" signs send a message about what is your space & what is guest space. It also gives you a better come back if you find someone where they don't belong. I have them on all the doors to our private space. Seems to be working & it cost me less than $30.

Short story about 'private' signs...my friends have them on THEIR laundry rooms (2). They've had guests break their washer (but not know which guests so $900 out the window for a new washer) and also empty the washer of inn laundry to do their own. And their laundry rooms are not labeled anything except 'Private'.
I get the point. A 'Private' sign should indicate that a guest is not welcome in that space. But, how many have you had thus far who just itched to poke a nose into your space because of the private signs? (I was going to say who itched to poke a nose into your 'private' spaces but I was laughing too hard at the moment to type that. I have since regained my composure...)

 

[Samster]

You need the "Private" signs...let the chips fall where they may

Better than getting an email like that..

You need the "Private" signs...let the chips fall where they may

Better than getting an email like that.

You know, tho, I think I'd rather insult one nosy teenager than 1000's of non-nosy guests with signs everywhere. Because this new sign would be 2 feet from the 'Stop!' sign for the kitchen. I couldn't even have locked that door because it was in the middle of the day. I'm still running in and out of there with this and that and I'm NOT putting myself out for one kid's hurt feelings.
.

Do what you want with this guest but I still think that nice brass "Private" signs send a message about what is your space & what is guest space. It also gives you a better come back if you find someone where they don't belong. I have them on all the doors to our private space. Seems to be working & it cost me less than $30.
.

Do what you want with this guest but I still think that nice brass "Private" signs send a message about what is your space & what is guest space. It also gives you a better come back if you find someone where they don't belong. I have them on all the doors to our private space. Seems to be working & it cost me less than $30.

Short story about 'private' signs...my friends have them on THEIR laundry rooms (2). They've had guests break their washer (but not know which guests so $900 out the window for a new washer) and also empty the washer of inn laundry to do their own. And their laundry rooms are not labeled anything except 'Private'.
I get the point. A 'Private' sign should indicate that a guest is not welcome in that space. But, how many have you had thus far who just itched to poke a nose into your space because of the private signs? (I was going to say who itched to poke a nose into your 'private' spaces but I was laughing too hard at the moment to type that. I have since regained my composure...)
.

They can itch until they get really bad hives!!

No one has crossed the line and gone in those areas of our house yet and that includes behind a squeaky, swinging door into the kitchen that is rarely locked. Hopefully, it will stay that way. When I'm out of the house, those doors are LOCKED and usually with a dog behind them.
People will do what they want to do. The cheekiness of their intrusiveness may also depend on the types of guests in different B&Bs or areas of the country.
There are also "Staff Only" brass signs on that site for only $4.99 and some other ones. You might want to check it out.

 

[Copperhead]

This topic has me singing the 1972 song Signs - "And the sign said Long Haired Freaky people need not apply, so I tucked my hair up under my hat...."
I personally believe people think that the sign applies to everone BUT them.
On the other hand you may get a guest like mine - I had a sign on a door that constantly was left ajar. The sign read "Please keep this door closed." Got a call from a guest who said they could not get out, when I showed up, opening 'the' door, a look of astonishment filled her face. She was just following my request - thought there must be another way out!

 

[JunieBJones (JBJ)]

Speaking of signs..."here's your sign" as the saying going from Georgia
Guests arrive. I have two rooms tonight. I put four brownies on a plate with a stack of napkins and place the plate on the dining room table. Behind it is a vase of fresh flwoers and the sign BREAKFAST IS SERVED AT 9AM.
Couple from o/s so I offer the kettle and tea which they oblige.
I walk past and where is the plate of brownies? The other guests will be here any minute.
In the parlor, eaten. They tell me they will now go explore as they "won't have to eat for a while thanks to your brownies!"
DOH!
I honestly do not think they thought it was for everyone, but it was ON THE MAIN TABLE with a STACK OF NAPKINS and a little tent fold card "help yourself" "Sodas in fridge"
DH said his usual anti-THAT COUNTRY remark "Does it surprise you?"

 

[Samster]

Speaking of signs..."here's your sign" as the saying going from Georgia
Guests arrive. I have two rooms tonight. I put four brownies on a plate with a stack of napkins and place the plate on the dining room table. Behind it is a vase of fresh flwoers and the sign BREAKFAST IS SERVED AT 9AM.
Couple from o/s so I offer the kettle and tea which they oblige.
I walk past and where is the plate of brownies? The other guests will be here any minute.
In the parlor, eaten. They tell me they will now go explore as they "won't have to eat for a while thanks to your brownies!"
DOH!
I honestly do not think they thought it was for everyone, but it was ON THE MAIN TABLE with a STACK OF NAPKINS and a little tent fold card "help yourself" "Sodas in fridge"
DH said his usual anti-THAT COUNTRY remark "Does it surprise you?".

In their defense, if they didn't know that there were other guests coming in right after them, they might think that just 4 brownies were for them...2 apiece I think that most people would.