Even if you’re an internet veteran and you’re used to seeing all kinds of things while surfing the web, some images are so bizarre and amusing that they make you do a double-take. And they make you worry about the future of humankind even more than you already do. One online community that encapsulates this feeling well is the popular r/trashy subreddit.
There, you’ll find all sorts of examples of people behaving in awful but comedic ways. In some cases, folks end up behaving so trashy that someone has to put up signs for things (not) to do that should be common sense. We’ve collected some of the most peculiar pics to share with you, from signs meant to remind people to avoid nasty behavior to ones designed by questionable people themselves. Scroll down to check them out.
#1 The Fact That This Sign Is Necessary
Image credits: microwaveableviolin
#2 Could’ve At Least Made A New Sign
Image credits: oconnoru
#3 The Fact They Even Needed To Put This Sign Up
Image credits: Hankman66
The main goal of a sign—any sign!—is to successfully transmit information to its intended audience. The content itself can be incredibly varied. It might be an official warning about wild bears in the area. It might be information about today’s lunch. It might be a company’s rebranded logo trying to attract new customers. Or it might be a general plea to behave like a civilized, polite, kind human being inside the shop.
No matter the content, though, what you want and need are clarity and brevity.
#4 You Know This Sign Was Only Put Up After Someone Grabbed A Fistful Of Potato Salad. Seen In Waldwick, Nj
Image credits: willduan
#5 Imagine Having To Make This Sign
Image credits: thatsmadbro_
#6 It Got So Bad They Had A Sign Made
Image credits: seehispugnosedface
Broadly speaking, you want to include enough information in your sign so that your audience understands your intent, but you don’t want to overwhelm them.
So, again, clarity and brevity are key. Ideally, you’ll cut out all unnecessary info and leave what’s irreplaceable because you only have a moment or two to get your audience’s attention. It’s harder than it looks.
#7 This Guy On The Next Street Over From Me Who Puts Up Signs Trashing His Next Door Neighbor. It’s Been Going On For Years Now And The Signs Change Every Few Months
Image credits: Solarpanels46853
#8 This Yard Sale Sign
Image credits: LeeOCD
#9 For When The Problem Is So Bad That You Have To Post A Sign About It
Image credits: FreshPowder556
How much context do you want to include? How long of an explanation is too long? If you want your customers to act a certain way (e.g. to use utensils instead of their hands for the potato salad), you want your signs to be short, snappy, and direct while avoiding walls of text.
That being said, if your signs raise more questions than they answer due to their brevity, the situation might also backfire.
#10 Stopped At A Gas Station And Saw This Sign On The Entrance Door
Image credits: timmy0101
#11 If We’re Doing Small Town Bar Bathroom Signs, Here’s One I Saw Recently
Image credits: SuperGuitar
#12 I’ve Never In My Life Seen A Sign That Has To Instruct People To Not Hit On The Employees. Yikes
Image credits: madlaceann
If you get a bunch of customers asking the staff for further explanation for the signs you’ve put up, it is a waste of everyone’s time. Sure, it might be fun to explain the context in person the first few times, but after the hundredth case, your staff will be annoyed and exhausted.
No sign or rule will cover every possible outcome, but you can at least use them to answer the most common questions or complaints.
#13 Sign On The Door Of The Brand New Dollar Store In My Neighborhood
Image credits: TrixieAaa
#14 A Sign In Our Local Bars Bathroom
Image credits: Kryzilla
#15 This Sign
Image credits: pinkglitterblunt
The r/trashy subreddit has been one of the most well-known pillar communities of Reddit for more than a decade now. Even if you don’t browse Reddit, you’ve probably come across some of the viral content its members have featured in your own social media feeds at some point in time.
The sub was first created in the middle of the summer of 2012 (which feels almost like a century ago). Now, more than twelve years later, the online group boasts a massive following. Currently, nearly 3 million people from around the globe follow it for the freshest demotivating and cringy content.
#16 Toilet Sign From A FB Group
Image credits: Timmah_Timmah
#17 They Definitely Made This Sign With This Sub In Mind #seeninthelaundromat
Image credits: redditguevara
#18 Was Told To Post This Instead. Blows My Mind How People Clearly Just Disrespect These Signs
Image credits: cassandrasoleil
If you plan on being an active participant on r/trashy, then you should put in a bit of time to get acquainted with the type of content all the other members share. Luckily, the friendly moderators who keep the entire place running smoothly have a handy list of rules in the sidebar that should help you get started.
#19 “That Sign Can’t Stop Me Because I Can’t Read!”
Image credits: Guest_4710
#20 I’m Afraid How Many Times This Happened To Wear A Sign Needed To Be Put Up
Image credits: JoJosOrdinaryAdv
#21 Store Sign In My Hometown. It’s Really Become A Problem
Image credits: DisregardThisOrDont
The rules are there for a reason. When you run an online community of any size, you want to have a high bar for quality if you plan on attracting more followers. For one, any content you share on r/trashy shouldn’t have any sensitive, private information in it. For example, you should not post photos with people’s or business’s names. Vehicle license plates are also off the table.
#22 Anti Maskers In Mendocino, Ca. “Land Of The Free Signs On The Other Windows And A Menu Of Cheeseburger, Fries, Coke. ‘Merica!
Image credits: RedditInSF123
#23 Can Not Believe My Salon Has To Deal With This On Such A Regular Basis That They Had To Make A Sign For It
Image credits: Deafening_Madness
#24 The Janitors At My Work Recently Put Up These Signs Inside The Bathroom Stalls
Image credits: Slyhntr316
According to the mods, the posts need to be a “celebration of trashiness.” That means that, at their core, they have to be funny. At least on some level. “If it makes you angry then it doesn’t belong here,” the moderators explain, adding that you can share that kind of rage content on other communities.
#25 The Need For This Sign
Image credits: chiefflerpynerps
#26 Church Sign
Image credits: PinkChubbyMonkey
#27 Found This In My Gym
Image credits: wildreab
All members who post are also expected to put in some effort with their titles. Any social media screenshots that you share also have to be presented in context so that the audience doesn’t feel lost. In other words, you want to make the pics as friendly and approachable as you can. Meanwhile, the sub is no place for parody, satire, memes, or photos of literal trash.
#28 Found This In My Apartment’s Stairwell. Give Them Their Granny Back!
Image credits: MrBulldopes
#29 Found This One In The Wild. Fishersville Va
Image credits: bhardee24
#30 As Someone Who Just Started Their Own Little Outdoor Garden, I’d Be So Angry
Image credits: bobekyrant
Which of the signs that we’ve featured today in this list surprised you the most? Were there any that honestly caught you so off guard that you had to re-read them to check if you weren’t hallucinating? What is the strangest sign that you’ve ever personally seen or had to put up in real life? What is the trashiest behavior you’ve ever witnessed?
We’re always happy to hear your take, Pandas. If you have a spare moment, share your thoughts in the comments at the bottom of this post.
#31 This Is At My Local Park That Has 5 Baseball Fields. The Parents Need To Control Themselves
Image credits: MrPortal123
#32 People Throwing Objects At A Dog And Scaring Him
Image credits: blackcovenant666
#33 Local Thrift Store
Image credits: harrmic7
#34 This Frat’s Sign During Parent’s Weekend
Image credits: caraknowsbest
#35 Local Pharmacy Felt The Need To Post:
Image credits: Dkmunyan
#36 This Sign They Sadly Had To Post At Work
Image credits: TheConfusingWords
#37 Sign In My Bathroom At Work. I Work In Construction, Sad That This Sign Is Necessary
Image credits: Thawayshegoes
#38 Stealing The Sign Reporting Your Shoplifting
Image credits: reddit.com
#39 Ruining A Sign Meant To Protect A Child Because You Didn’t Like The Wording
Image credits: IdkINeedAnAlt
#40 A Lovely Sign In Skokie Il
Image credits: Strugglingstudent17
#41 This Sign A Kid Is Holding Up At A Football Game
Image credits: J-Cock
#42 What….. Why??
Image credits: Skinnycow13
#43 The People For Whom This Sign Needed To Be Created Are Trashy Indeed
Image credits: SteeleurHeart0507
#44 Gotta Love Seeing This In The Neighborhood
Image credits: craigfolg1
#45 This Sign In A Tanning Place A Few Years Back
Image credits: no_power_over_me
#46 Found In London
Image credits: xClouddd
#47 Found This In The Pockets Of Clothes At Kohl’s In The Kids Section, Specifically A Replica Army Blouse. Don’t Spread Propaganda To Children
Image credits: Gracelander101
#48 Let’s Bring The Kids In To This
Image credits: kassinopious
#49 She’s Not Missing Or Anything
Image credits: curbstyle
#50 Stealing From A Self-Isolating, Vulnerable Neighbour
Image credits: maylesa
#51 My Gym Is Trying To Catch A Phantom Pee-Er
Image credits: 4_tha_ents
#52 Local Sandwich Place Here In Fresno. Ca
Image credits: Jeffro187
#53 Dryer 39 Forever Unclean
Image credits: champagnepossi
#54 Adam Didn’t Tell Them He Was Moving
Image credits: Free_Hat_McCullough
#55 Lmao My Town Is Dealing With A Lot Of Snow Right Now And My Apartment Tenants Are Not Handling It Well
Image credits: hoodayum
#56 Saw This On Another Subreddit I Thought It Belonged Here Too
Image credits: acadiawaterbottle
#57 This Sign
Image credits: Flojoe420
#58 Found This Beautiful Sign While On A Walk
Image credits: chanhill130
#59 “Questionably Moist” Is Now Part Of My Daily Lexicon Thanks To This Sign
Image credits: TittyKittyBangBang
#60 Stop Sign In My Town
Image credits: masterz13
#61 The Guy On The Left Has Had A Slew Of Signs Like This
Image credits: 3aTroop
#62 I Found This Sign Posted All Over My Hometown
Image credits: reddit.com
#63 House In My Town With A Stolen McDonald’s Sign In Their Yard
Image credits: deadwire
#64 Having Your Daughter Hold Up Anti-Vaxx Signs
Image credits: Ponchossweater
#65 This Sign At My Doctors Office. Who Does This?
Image credits: polygonai
#66 Dollar General Sign In Ville Platte
Image credits: RigorMortia
#67 The Behavior That Made This Sign Necessary
Image credits: Corgi_with_stilts
#68 Sign In My Work’s One Bathroom
Image credits: ruralmagnificence
#69 Local Taco Johns Had To Post This Sign. As If Fast Food Workers Don’t Already Have It Rough
Image credits: AlbinoInterior
#70 Was Working On A Particularly Smelly Elevator In This Building When I Noticed This Sign
Image credits: reddit.com
#71 Update For A Post Someone Made The Other Day From My Town. Our Newly Single Neighbor Has Added Christmas Lights So You Can See Their Sign At Night Time!
Image credits: myhairsreddit
#72 Gas Station Bathroom Sign. Sad That We Need To Be Told
Image credits: CharlieLicksNoses
#73 Found This Gem At Our Local Exxon Station
Image credits: mwalker85
#74 Oh The Irony
Image credits: alicoi
#75 Notice At Anime Convention Due To Attendees’ Body Odor
Image credits: reddit.com
#76 Let’s Just Get This Out In The Open
Image credits: LeeOCD
#77 Someone Stole This Old Lady’s Chair
Image credits: Chukook12
#78 That’s Definitely Illegal, Chicken Shack
Image credits: Heliophobe
#79 My Local Vets Office
Image credits: ButtFunk69
#80 People Won’t Stop Throwing Trash On Trees
Image credits: sayke
#81 Just Why
Image credits: Boomer12324
#82 Wow Well Done Karen You Really Saved The Day
Image credits: Flaky_Wonder8263
#83 Sigh
Image credits: agentalexk
#84 Part 2 Of Pennsylvania Billboard “Toned Down”
Image credits: MulanSavedUsAll
#85 Opened Nextdoor To See This
Image credits: avpbeats
#86 Kinda Sad, But Kind Of A Genius Marketing Strategy
Image credits: moe_fugger
#87 Travel To Country And Complain About Bad English
Image credits: el_raton