$10K Fine for Eye Contact? Massachusetts Hiking Trail Signs Prompts Much Head Scratching

Some strange signs along hiking trails in Massachusetts have residents wondering what the heck is going on.

One admonished walkers to have "No Eye Contact" and threatened offenders with a $10,000 fine. Another said "No Running With Sticks." 

The weird markers prompted a flurry of social media posts, with some weighing in that such warnings were just good old Northeast humor.

"That may be the most New England thing I’ve ever seen. Love it," wrote one Reddit user. Another described growing up in Massachusetts.  "I smoke a cigarette and my neighbor does too. We’re always out at the same time. Our house is right up to their yard. I've never even looked in her direction," said the poster.

The signage may also just be good-natured ribbing about rivalry between the Boston suburbs of Belmont and neighboring Waltham.

“No Running With Sticks. Do it in Waltham — they don’t care if you put your eye out. Per Belmont Bylaw … (forgot which #)."

Whatever the reason, the signs are apparently gone now and no one has stepped up to claim ownership.

“Those signs were not Belmont-sanctioned signs and they have been removed,” a town employee told The Boston Globe in an email.

Related Stories