SIGNS HAVE MEANING

   I know a guy that is president of a small Texas bank.  He had a sign placed at the bank entrance that guns were not allowed inside.  The bank was robbed three times in the subsequent year.  In desperation the president had a sign  installed at the entrance that guns were allowed inside and armed people were on the premises.  That was four years ago.   The bank hasn't been robbed since.
   I know of an instance where a guy bought a new sofa.  He placed the old sofa in the front yard next to the street with a sign that it was "Free for the Taking."  Three days later the sofa was still there.  He changed the sign to "For Sale $100."  The sofa was gone the next day.
   Years ago I worked for an American oil company.  I was sent to Iran as an equipment and materials specialist (fancy words for warehouseman).  Anywhere from 20 to 30 local laborers were on site at any particular time depending on what work was needed.  I was there only a few days when I saw a local native worker hunched down in the shade of the gasoline dump puffing on a cigarette butt he picked up.  I told my assigned interrupter to get that man out of there.  He replied, "Me no.  Maybe go boon."  I told him to have one of the native foremen to get him out, which he did.  He didn't know better.  I handed pen and paper to my interrupter and told him to write very clearly "No Smoking" in the local language which he did.  Late that night I made several signs very carefully copying the characters from the paper.  I hung the signs in appropriate locations including the door to the warehouse.  Next day when my interrupter came to work (late as usual) I saw him look at my sign.  He broke out laughing.  He was laughing when he came in to the office.  I asked, "What's so funny?  Can't you read it?" He said, "Yes, I read.  Only I read.  All them no read."  Dah!
   Signs do have meaning.  It depends on how you word them.