Hostel bathroom sign details banned activities

An unusual sign has been spotted at a hostel in Stockholm, Sweden. Ida Modliba, 22, said she laughed when she first spotted the sign after she and her boyfriend checked in at the Castle House Inn in Stockholm's Old Town.



The sign, in one of the communal toilets, warns hostel guests in no uncertain terms: "No smoking or wanking. It is a criminal offence to smoke or wank on these premises." It is accompanied by a crossed-out cigarette (just a cigarette).

"I started Googling to check if 'wanking' could mean different things in different situations. But it looks like it means only one thing," Modliba said. Wanking is a chiefly British, and rather vulgar, slang for masturbating.



"We have put up several different signs with various informative messages. I thought that one was funny," hostel manager Henrik Thydén said. Not everyone saw the humorous side, however. One guest commented on Booking.com: "I found the sticker on the door offensive and disrespectful for the guests."