Signatures are a tricky thing. They don’t stick with you for life, but each one does stay with you for a very long time. I remember the first time I had to come up with a signature for an official ID card, I spent a good 30 minutes practicing on a piece of paper. Was I perfectly happy with it? No, but it looked serious and it was easy for me to write.
Somebody who probably regrets having made a joke signature on their ID is Reddit user Brad Johnsen, a.k.a. Bradimal, who signed the card with 3 cat heads. Unbelievable! As huge cat fans ourselves, we love what he did and we decided to ask him all about it (scroll down for Bored Panda's interview). However, the signature did come back to bite Brad on the behind later on in life. The Redditor instantly regretted his joke the moment he had to sign sheaves of mortgage paperwork. He had to ‘draw’ his signature more than 30 times. I bet anyone’s hand would hurt for a week after some serious labor like that.
Brad’s signature on his ID card is very unusual, and this came to bite him on the bottom later on in life
Brad’s story got a whopping 21,100 upvotes on Reddit’s TIFU (Today I [Effed] Up) Community. His post also got nearly a thousand comments and Brad received 3 Gold Awards and 7 Silver Awards for his candid explanation of how he messed up.
This signature is adorable, but it had some consequences
Image credits: bradimal
After all, it isn’t every day that someone’s actions from more than three years ago come back to haunt them, is it? The Redditor revealed how him signing his ID card with 3 cat heads meant that he had to use this adorable signature to sign his mortgage papers.
The man had to sign more than 30 documents by drawing cat heads
Image credits: bradimal
“The decision to make my signature 3 cat heads was pretty spontaneous. I was getting my driver's license and they wanted a signature I asked the lady behind the counter if anything can be my signature,” Brad told Bored Panda.
“She seemed puzzled by the question. I said, like, what if I just drew a dinosaur? She said: "That's none of my business, please sign the pad." So I hesitated a second trying to think of something good and that's when it hits me: cat heads. I love cats and I had 3 cats at the time so I drew them.”
Brad, who is 38, told Bored Panda that he named his cats Pepè De La Hoya, Sanchez Fluffington, and Eric.
“Then the lady looked at the signature and rolled her eyes and asked me: “Are you sure you want this to be your official signature?" I said "absolutely." I do still regret it a little bit. When I did this I was younger and not thinking about future Brad. Today's Brad has to sign important documents and talk to people who wear suits,” Brad explained why he did what he did.
“When I made cat heads my signature I never thought I would own a home. I was working as a janitor at a motorcycle shop at the time. I could just go to the DMV right now and get a new license, but I really like the picture on my old license, so cat heads it is.”
Brad also had this to say: “I would say novelty should always take priority over mediocrity. And it's hard to stand out if you follow the rules, have fun with your signature. It's yours and it can be anything you want.”
Here’s what people had to say about Brad’s story
Obviously, Brad is far from the only person on Earth who went a little overboard with his signature. However, Keep Solid has some handy advice for anyone who wants to create a more ‘serious’ signature for business and other official, grown-up things.
According to the website, you can start off by writing your full name, underlining it, making your capital letters stand out. What’s more, you can use unusual symbols or flourishes. Or you can simply use your initials. If all else fails, go for 3 cat heads just like Brad and impress everyone, from your friends to your boss. I mean, what could go wrong?