Fact Check

Is a 'Do Not Cross This Field' Bull Warning Sign Real?

Although a photograph showing a bull warning sign is frequently shared with a claim that it was digitally altered, the sign is actually real.

Published March 31, 2017

Claim:
A photograph shows a humorous sign warning people not to cross a field due to the presence of a bull.

A photograph that has been circulating online for several years purports to show a humorous sign warning people not to cross a field unless they can outrun a bull:


Do not cross this field. Unless you can do it in 9 seconds because the bull can do it in 10.

The image, which can be found on several joke web sites, is frequently followed by comments claiming that it was somehow either faked or digitally manipulated. One often-cited reason for this belief is that the sign is written in Comic Sans font (arguably the most hated font in the world).  The quality of this photograph has also deteriorated as it has made its way around the Internet, which may also give the impression that someone has tampered with the image:


However, despite the image quality and the font, the sign is completely real. We were able to find several examples of similar signs written in an identical typeface, including one that appears to have been taken at the same location:

Similar signs could also be seen along the Great Stour Way in Kent, England, near a fishing village in called Fenit near Kerry, Ireland, and near Haigh Hall in Greater Manchester, England.

If you find yourself yearning for a sign like this, variants of it are available online.

Dan Evon is a former writer for Snopes.