Should signatures be readable by law.

[Nagel 10]

As the title says really, should signatures be readable instead of the silly squiggles many people do? who do they think they are, modern artists or something!?

 

What is your proposal, to make unreadable signatures an offence? What would be the punishment?

 

A fine, or imprisonment for repeat offenders?

 

How would it work? If I got a doctor's prescription with an unreadable signature would the pharmacist phone the police to have him arrested or would I have to phone 999?

 

Or would I just go to the local police station to make a statement?

 

Then what if I signed the statement and the police thought my signature was unreadable and arrested me. Nightmare!

[Pidgeon 10]

Its been so long since I signed anything since the introduction of chip and pin, I cant remember how my signature goes.

[ECCOnoob 1,052]

It's such an antiquated method of ID anyway

I shouldn't think they will be around much longer.

 

I think they will continue to be around long enough. You cant sign documents/letters/contracts/agreements by chip and pin. You cant sign cheques/transfers/bills with chip and pin.

 

Signing means much more than just ID. Its often a sign of declaration to something. Unless thumbprints are going to be the new way of signing off something - I think pens will still have their uses.

[melthebell 864]

No because that would just be writing your name. Hardly unique is it?

 

The point of a signature is supposed to be that only you can it accurately and almost exact each and every time.

 

I can't......lol

[Janus 28]

As the title says really, should signatures be readable instead of the silly squiggles many people do? who do they think they are, modern artists or something!?

 

I don`t think it matters if a signature cannot be read, but there ought be a name at the side of it or somewhere on the document/letter. So, I think I know where you are coming from with the question.

 

An example-royal mail offer the recorded delivery service. It is possible to obtain a copy of the delivery slip with signature (online or from RM directly). Royal mail do not have to request that the signatory writes their name under the signature, even though there is an area on the card for the name. So, you can put the effort in to get the copy (as proof, for whatever you are involved with) but you may still not be in a position to state the name of the person who signed for it. Can be frustrating in some cases, and I guess you have had a need to know the information yourself for some reason-hence the post.

[Guest]

As the title says really, should signatures be readable instead of the silly squiggles many people do? who do they think they are, modern artists or something!?

 

Erm no, they're writing a signature. Signatures are just that...signatures, something unique to yourself.

[jfish1936 10]

I was a GP. Due to amendment of the Education Act in my area, anyone missing even an hour's school for "medical reasons" needed a doctor's certificate -- until the legislators realised what they had done, and changed it back to the 3 days it had been.

I signed all these unnecessary certificates, clearly and legibly, as:

Ludwig van Drake

(He's Gonald Duck's uncle)

Months later, visiting the School Medical Service office, I found they had a file for my certificates in my real namw; but they also had a file for Dr. van Drake!

"Did you ever check his credentials?"

"Oh, no! That wasn't necessary" !

[Super Hans 10]

I think they will continue to be around long enough. You cant sign documents/letters/contracts/agreements by chip and pin. You cant sign cheques/transfers/bills with chip and pin.

 

Signing means much more than just ID. Its often a sign of declaration to something. Unless thumbprints are going to be the new way of signing off something - I think pens will still have their uses.

 

Yeah but to what end? You sign a document, send it off...you break the agreement, they say "Well you signed it". You say "Nah that wasn't me"...now days they'd probably have other ways of proving it was you, but back in the day it was all about the signature.

 

Signatures are just a hangover from a different era.

 

Even if you sign something to agree to the contract, it's still...ultimately, to ID you as you should you break the agreement.

 

You could sign your name, you could sign a squiggle, you could sign a picture of a house. As long as you consistently do it, it doesn't matter.

 

Even on my passport I didn't sign my actual name because the pattern I can make with my particular pattern of squiggle is much more idiosyncratic than just writing my name.

 

And the woman as a representative of the Government at the passport office didn't care/mind/object when I did it, so I took that to mean it's perfectly valid.

[Jeffrey Shaw 92]

On deeds and documents, practice is that one signs and then (below) write/type name in block capitals.

Why shouldn't that apply to every signature, then?

[Super Hans 10]

On deeds and documents, practice is that one signs and then (below) write/type name in block capitals.

Why shouldn't that apply to every signature, then?

 

Isn't that usually when your name isn't printed on the document?

 

Like you don't have to do it on a bank card or a driving license or a passport, I sell credit cards and they also just have to sign, they don't need to write their name in blocks because their name is already printed on the form.

 

It's an example of what I'm saying really, if signatures were meant to be readable you wouldn't need your name printed anywhere.

[Jeffrey Shaw 92]

Yes, I agree. I was suggesting a possible general adoption of the practice.