Commuters Not Welcome

Custom signs posted in public space by citizens of Toronto, whether they aim to be in jest, to express disdain, or to spread awareness, are an interesting part of our urban fabric and often get us thinking.

Until today, I'd never seen this "No Commuters" sign, which was photographed near the Metro Toronto Convention Centre on Front Street (not far from Union Station), and seen without context I wasn't sure how to interpret this one.

At first I thought it might be someone's failed attempt at humour or a political message. Clearly it couldn't be a statement posted by a devout downtowner who doesn't want to share Toronto with 905'ers (because all you inner city folk love us suburbanites, right?).

In all likelihood, this is simply a case of poor choice of graphics and words. I'm guessing MTCC management has made and posted this sign as an attempt to discourage commuters from short-cutting through their premises. Good luck making an indoor route off limits to pedestrians so near a major commuter hub, in a city with crazy cold and crazy hot weather.

Thanks to blogTO Flickr pooler hypersapiens for sharing this photo with us.

Update: A few people have documented this sign previously, and it appears to have been posted since at least February of 2007.