A wet paint sign is a warning sign that informs the public that paint which has recently been applied to a surface such as a wall, bench, or railing, is yet to have dried. Wet paint signs also serve as a legal disclaimer in the event one's clothes are damaged by the wet paint,[1] and to protect the interests of the owner of the property that has just been painted so the public will not damage the recent paint job.
The assumption from those who place the signs in their location is that the warning will be heeded by the public, and the simplicity of the message is easy to comprehend. However, those who cannot read the language that the sign is written in may not understand it as easily.
The wet paint sign is seen by others as a universal sign inviting people to touch the surface to see if it is still wet.[2][3][4]
Wet paint syndrome
editWet paint syndrome refers to the tendency for people to try things that they are told not to in order to satisfy their curiosity, despite a chance for personal harm. This is based on the familiar urge to touch a surface marked with a wet paint sign in order to check to see if it is really wet. For example if a sign were hanging up, someone might touch next to the sign.[5] This behaviour is common is adolescents who test the rules of adult society.[6]
References
edit- ^ The Family Lawyer (Aug 1, 1968), Sign Language, Hartford Courant
- ^ J Greenfield (1959), "Tung oil", Journal of the American Oil Chemists' Society
- ^ Lee, Karl, Musings of an Old Man:Old Men Shall Dream Dreams, AuthorHouse, Bloomington, IN, 2007 page 120
- ^ Swindoll, Charles R., The Grace Awakening, Paternoster, 1990, p.29
- ^ Aaron Peckham (2005), "wet paint syndrome", Urban dictionary, Andrews McMeel Publishing, ISBN 0740751433
- ^ Martin Symonds (1966), "The Oppositional Adolescent", Science & Psychoanalysis, Grune & Stratton
Category:Safety equipment Category:Building Category:Signage
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