Beyond help

At the office, we often encounter a sign in the (default) French language, pasted on coffee machines, at the lifts, lavatories, and so on: HORS SERVICE - out of order.

Given this frequent precedent, what would one make of the following sign, in large black letters on a white background, stuck prominently on an office door?

"HORSE SERVICE"

The notice may be given any one of several different interpretations:

1. 'Out of order' in misspelt French; or
2. Service given here, which is normally provided by a horse; or
3. Your horse serviced here (for those who have foregone the use of cars and public transport); or
4. The writer is out of his mind; or
5. The writer is just trying to be funny.

Well, actually, the poster has provided an unintended and interesting result. Anyone who visits the office has a different reaction to the notice. Some colleagues go straight to option 5, and really do see the funny side. Others cannot make heads or tails, and actually ask for the meaning. When they get an answer that is even more cryptic than the message itself, they confirm in their minds what they were already sure of anyway. Interpretation no. 4 - this man is beyond help. There have also been a couple of No.1's, the bad French option. Up till the moment of going to press, there have been no requests for services to horses or by horses.

I have to say, it's not only an amusing experiment, but it also provides quite an insight into people's sense of humour... :-)