An observation has stumbled into my busy brain: the sign stick figures of Northern Ireland are always rushing along!

This exit sign is so much more descriptive even without words! How do I know its an exit sign? Well for one, the arrow is pointing towards a door you can’t see in the picture, and also that square, bright hole the man is running towards, well thats a door! Imagine that.

However, I have a few questions… Does the man look to be running simply to emphasis that fact that you travel out of this door or should you be hurrying out of these exits? Am I just imagining a man in a full sprint and everyone else sees a man leaving through a door? Well, I’ve noticed I tend to walk a little faster when I see these signs. My subconscious has taken control! The signs are working! Was this the plan the entire time?

When I saw this sign, I imagined a mother dragging her child behind her, late for school again, and nagging all the way. She would be saying things like, “We’re going to be late again and I’m going to have to explain to your principal why, and I just don’t have the time for this! You know, I have to get to work too.” This is probably something I saw in a movie. They don’t look like their in full sprint but more of a power walking stride. Either way, they are in a hurry.

Is this supposed to encourage mothers to walk their kids to school? Or is it supposed to encourage kids to hurry up and get to school on time? Or once again am I just imagining a meaning that isn’t there?!