A Little Too Familiar

Some of you know that I collect polite paper signs. Meaning I snap pictures at inopportune moments in places where I probably shouldn't....

BECAUSE....

I'm convinced that these signs are all-kinds-of-revelatory about the places where they are found, the people who live in those places, how much power those people feel like they have, what they're willing to ask of each other (and strangers) and the degree to which politeness (as opposed to directness or authority) figures into these requests they offer.

So you can kind of imagine where I was when I snapped this picture. (I know, awkward.) But I was thinking to myself: I think this is really too much for a restaurant to ask of me. I know that lots of places want to give you that "down-home" or "make yourself at home" feeling....but asking me to participate in a ritual of keeping - up - the - bad - plumbing? Doesn't feel (to me at least) that welcoming. It feels downright strange.

Despite all my misgivings, I was going to comply (since the sign is polite, and, I kind of like the awkward all-caps-ness of "hold"), BUT when I tried to HOLD it longer? It didn't work. At all.

Polite over-requests for un-doable tasks? Don't make for repeat customers.