Read the Sign, PLEASE!

Finally, a real rant. I've worked for the state park system in varying capacities for 22 years. During that time, I have discovered that a) People don't read signs and b) If caught breaking a rule, will immediately resort to "well then, maybe you ought to have a sign stating that!" It does no good what-so-ever pointing out to them that the rules and regs are posted on every bulletin board or that the sign is there, they just failed to read it. This behavior runs the gamut from not stopping to pay the fee at the entrance to unleashed dogs to parking in the campground for day use (thus avoiding paying the fee) to ignoring closing times to not closing the lid on the outhouse hopper. As I get older, I get more sarcastic about these things, but luckily I manage to keep my comments inside my head until I get home. I am now going to treat you all to the snide remarks that run rampant in the space between my ears. None of this is meant personally to any individual, by the way.

1. We post signs for a reason. If it wasn't important, do you think we'd clutter up the landscape with useless garbage?
2. Stopping to pay the entrance fee is not optional. It is, in essence, stealing from the park. And stealing from the park is kinda like stealing from the church poor box. Also, just because no one is watching you does not make it OK to skip the "Stop! Pay fee" portion of your park visit.
3. Yes, the "pets must be leashed" sign does mean your dog and no, it is not seasonal. And yes, we do require an actual physical leash.
4. Picking up after your dog means exactly that. Bagging the poop and then leaving it on the trail (or in a tree or on the roof of the outhouse) is not picking up after your dog.
5. When the sign says "Camping parties only" that means just people actually paying to use the campground, not people partying in the campground. And cough up your use fee, too, while you're at it.
6. Park closes at sunset means just that. We close and lock the gates and we go home. Sunset does not mean dark, by the way and it does change on a daily basis. There is probably an app for that, too, by the way, in case you can't figure it out on your own.
7. Of course the outhouse stinks if you leave the lid up! Big, smelly hole that human waste gets excreted into with a lid. Close lid, keep stink in hole. C'mon people, it's not exactly rocket science!
8. Carry in, carry out. In other words: you brought, you take it home with you. This does not mean cramming your trash into the hibachis, down the outhouse hole, or into the branches of a tree.
9. "Attention Park Users: Hunting is allowed in this park" means exactly that. If you don't want to get shot: wear orange or stay out of the woods. Don't assume that just because its a park, that hunting isn't allowed. Better to be safe than sorry. And don't cop an attitude that's its someone else's responsibility to see you: yes it is, but it's your responsibilty to make it obvious. And no, harrassing the hunters just because you don't agree with hunting isn't cool. Think about it for a minute: you're pissing off people with loaded weapons, is that really wise?

I guess what I'm trying to get at here is that when you're visiting a park and you see a sign, please remember that it's probably there for a reason and you should probably read it. If for no other reason than to avoid annoying the park staff.