After nearly two weeks of demonstrations, people are still turning out in huge crowds to protest the killings of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor, and to support black lives. The weather has been nice for most of these gatherings, but some cites (like Portland, where I live) have seen a fair amount of rain. Even if water falling from the sky doesn’t dampen your enthusiasm, it can wreak havoc on your sign, rendering it soggy and illegible.
Luckily, my partner has been protesting in this rainy climate for quite a few years, and had an elegant solution for protecting cardboard and paper signs from the rain: You just need a clear plastic garbage bag. You may have already packed one to use as an emergency poncho, so just throw an extra one in there the next time you head out. Then, if the sky starts to look a little sketchy, you can slip the sign in the bag, and secure it at the bottom with some tape (duct tape works great, but I’ve also seen painter’s tape work in a pinch). If you don’t have tape, you can get a little help from the bag’s drawstring, or you can simply hold the plastic in place at the bottom of the sign.
In terms of bag brand, any will do. Just make sure you get the “kitchen” size; anything smaller may be too short, and leave part of your sign exposed to the elements. I would, however, look for a “scent-free” option, as scented trash bags can be distractingly smelly (and headache-inducing), and a distracting, stinky sign is almost as bad as a soggy one.
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.