What does ワソマソ mean?


I'm trying to translate some of the signs in the anime FLCL, and I came across
this sign on the side of a train in the first episode:

ワソマソ  
出入口

The second part means "doorway", correct? But what about ワソマソ ? What does
'Wasomaso' mean? Or am I reading it wrong? Thanks for your help!




This is probably `ワンマン` (note `ン` instead of `ソ`). `ワンマン` is wasei-eigo from
"one man". For example, `ワンマンショー` (one man show), or `ワンマンライブ` (meaning a live
performance with just one band, not necessarily one person).

In the context of buses, `ワンマン` means that a bus is being operated by a driver
alone, with no conductor (i.e. every bus nowadays). It used to be a rule to
have this sign if there was no conductor.

So this is not a phrase ("one man doorway"), but a two-purpose sign showing
the doorway and stating that the bus is `ワンマン`.

Of course, this being FLCL it's possible that it actually **does** say `ワソマソ`,
as a joke. A Google search reveals that it is sometimes used jokingly.

