Travel Theme: Exits

Have you noticed that, whenever you visit an attraction of any kind, the sign labelled EXIT almost invariably directs you through the gift shop? Not a great problem for me, but, can you imagine walking through it with a kid or three in tow?

Why do we call it an ‘exit’ anyway? It was originally just a stage direction; Latin for ‘He (or she) leaves’. I suppose it first appeared in theatres and the like, and then sort of gradually came into use elsewhere … maybe because ‘Exit’ used less paint than ‘Way Out’?

Why, though, have a sign in Latin? So that people who don’t speak English know where the escape hatch is? I doubt it; other people have ‘salida’, ‘exodos’ and my favourite, which I really think we should adopt in this country … ‘sortie’

I recalled the story of the man who fell asleep on a German train. He woke, and asked the Englishman travelling with him what was the name of the last station they passed.

‘I saw the sign!’ was the reply ‘It was a place called Ausgang!’

Making an Exit 

This week’s contribution to the weekly ‘Travel Theme’ See more at https://wheresmybackpack.com/2016/06/25/travel-theme-exits/