Back in the plague days, people would hang black cloth over their windows as a sign that someone had died inside. Not only were they alerting the authorities that a body was ready to be removed, they were also warning neighbors that the living had been exposed to the illness. In effect, they were telling everyone that only the dead live here.
Today, it suffices to put a lawn gnome in front of your building.
Today, it suffices to put a lawn gnome in front of your building.