Why do people insist upon writing illegible signatures?

yes.

Because the legibility of a signature has nothing to do with its effect. The necessary quality of a signature is that it be distinctive and difficult to reproduce. Since legibility relies on similarity and reproduction as its primary qualities, signatures are bound to tend towards illegibility in order to enact their function.

After a million repetitions, my signature isn't even writing any more. I sometimes think I should correct it, but the motion has gotten so far from being actual writing it would take a monumental effort.

I have my original SS card from the 1950s the evolution from penmanship to scrawl is amazing.

As a kid I worked part time in a supermarket one of my jobs was receiving steward and signed for dozens of deliveries a day-- sloppiness came quickly.

That's why you either type the name of the individual below the signature line or leave a blank line to print the individual's name. It's not the signatory's fault that you prepare documents in non-standard form.

The one that really takes the cake is former Secretary of the Treasury Jack Lew. Can you imagine if this would have appeared on our currency?

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2013/01/09/the-best-thing-about-a-treasury-secretary-jacob-lew/

I can remember when a signature was of grave importance. Today, the signature has fallen by the wayside. With PIN codes and other types of verification, the signature has become less relevant. Likewise, handwriting seems to be at an all-time low. This is also doing-in the signature.

I can remember the days when signatures were actually checked--when banks kept signature cards. Seals were important, too. A degree, diploma, or other import document had numerous signatures and raised seals. Some of these things exist today, but they not seem carry the same weight

In a certain way, I long for those days.

I meant "important document." My keyboard acts strangely when posting here...seriously.

by line wrote:

That's why you either type the name of the individual below the signature line or leave a blank line to print the individual's name. It's not the signatory's fault that you prepare documents in non-standard form.

I don't prepare the documents myself; I am merely making an observation. I find it amusing, however, that you jumped at the chance to criticize me for "my" role in the process. I hope it had the desired effect and made you feel better by virtue of false superiority.

outsiderunner wrote:

I meant "important document." My keyboard acts strangely when posting here...seriously.

I can't take anyone seriously who place no importance on import (and export) documents.

it shows their creativity

Don't worry, many kids don't learn cursive in school anymore. Soon all they will be able to do is text and make an X as their mark

Got Cursive Skills wrote:

If someone reading the document didn't already know the signatory, it would be impossible to decipher the chicken scratch to a degree that it was identifiable.

Think of that as a security feature, genius. If you don't already know who's authorized to sign the document, or their signature, then you don't need to know.

If this presents a problem for you, print the name under the signature like they've been doing for the past 150 years or so.

-The Caption

outsiderunner wrote:

I can remember the days when signatures were actually checked--when banks kept signature cards.

Mine still keeps signature cards, at least as of 2011 or so. I got snooty with a teller and she actually made we wait while she pulled it for comparison.

-Bueller

jaybird wrote:

it shows their creativity

This, especially if you want to get into medical school...;)

Unless you're a doctor, a dead famous person or something like that, the legibility of signatures is irrelevant. It's not even all that important to prevent people from forging them, because nobody is actually going to check it against your other signatures - if a forgery occurs you'll be the one to discover it, and you don't need to prove it, all you have to do is say, under oath if necessary, "nope I didn't write that."

The real force of signatures is your act of signing. If you draw an X or a squiggly line it's still your signature, and you still agreed to whatever was said above it, and you'd be hard pressed to challenge it legally.