Wet paint sign

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, 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. Many people will touch a place where one is hanging to see if it is really true.
Wet paint syndrome
Wet 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.
Wet Paint Syndrome is also the name of an art studio in Spartanburg, SC.
 
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