I've noticed many of the newer larger stores leave their signs lit all night long, I suppose so you'll notice their location even after hours. So you can't use a lighted sign as an indication of whether a store is open. After-hours cleaning, training, stocking, and inventory crews often give the appearance of a store being open. Since I can't read the "closed/open" sign from 100 meters away, I sometimes have to drive all the way through the enormous parking lot, stop, get out, walk to the front door and squint at the "hours" sign, discover the store is actually closed, and retrace my steps. Not a huge inconvenience, but unnecessary.

Why not some standard means of indication, such as a small green light near the big "WalMart" sign that indicates if they're open, or something like that?
-- musicator, Mar 20 2004

Yep, closed. http://bz.pair.com/fun/closed.html
[37Kb image] [bristolz, Oct 04 2004, last modified Oct 05 2004]

Signs, nothing; they leave the whole interior lit up, too, all night long. Must cost them millions of dollars, and for what?
-- phundug, Mar 20 2004


Personally, I look for darkened storefronts with lots of people about.
[marked–for–expiry]
-- dpsyplc, Mar 20 2004


I think musicator's point is that those same stores leave their lights on all night, a little frustrating when you stop by fifteen minutes after they closed. We have encountered this problem several times recently.
-- DrCurry, Mar 21 2004


great illustration, bris.
-- po, Mar 21 2004


Thx. A bit different style I was experimenting with using an amazing, innovative tool with the markers: a ruler.
-- bristolz, Mar 21 2004


I don't know if I'd like [bris] as a short cut
-- theircompetitor, Mar 24 2004


[That's because you're a guy; less threatening to a gal, I imagine. The full account name has an unintended meaning in English slang, too, but we had that discussion before.]
-- DrCurry, Mar 24 2004


And extra unintended 'cause I haven't any, well, much anyway.
-- bristolz, Mar 24 2004


they have open signs...u know the little neon ones?
-- poptart, Mar 25 2004


Bris, more than the average number, surely?
-- egbert, Mar 25 2004


At least they could put a sign behind the closed door that said something like: "HA HA WE FOOLED YA" . That might just make you a bit light hearted about the inconvenience they just put you through
-- tasman, Jul 16 2004



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