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Ravine
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Username: Ravine

Post Number: 155
Registered: 01-2006
Posted From: 69.220.62.66
Posted on Wednesday, June 14, 2006 - 2:46 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

O.K., I guess it's my week to find weird stuff. So, there I was, making a short trip from the house, to score some quick carry-out for The Little Woman. And... What the hell am I seeing? I get a little closer. There, hanging from a power line at W. Chicago & Terry, four pairs of athletic shoes, each shoe laced to its mate so as to be weighted at each end, the better for hanging, obviously. You know, maybe our young citizens should have better things to do, but it was actually sort of cute and funny, and at least it wasn't destructive or evil in intent. (Unless there is something unseemly involved that I am not imagining.) I just hope that the nearby residents don't end up having the opportunity to find out just how many pairs it takes to bring down the line and plunge the poor unsuspecting Terryites into darkness. I'm quite sure that some of you, oh my brothers and sisters, will have some funny "takes" on this...
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Andyguard73
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Username: Andyguard73

Post Number: 85
Registered: 03-2006
Posted From: 141.209.33.145
Posted on Wednesday, June 14, 2006 - 2:54 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

At home in Port Huron you see it somewhat often. A lot of the time it's Canadians. They come accross the bridge and go shopping at the mall or downtown, buy new shoes, and then rather than report that they purchased anything from the states when they get to customs on the way home, they just ditch their old shoes and wear the new ones home. Wierd, but kind of funny.
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Pam
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Username: Pam

Post Number: 246
Registered: 11-2005
Posted From: 67.107.47.65
Posted on Wednesday, June 14, 2006 - 2:58 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)


quote:

O.K., I guess it's my week to find weird stuff.




The forces of the universe are conspired against you, nothing to worry about. :-)
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Solarflare
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Username: Solarflare

Post Number: 436
Registered: 11-2003
Posted From: 63.69.106.29
Posted on Wednesday, June 14, 2006 - 3:28 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Nothing weird about that. They're everywhere.


quote:

I walked out of my house, and lo and behold, someone had used an aerosol-paint device of some kind to apply cryptic letters and symbols to the abandoned building across the street! What is this balderdash?!"




;)
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Mackinaw
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Username: Mackinaw

Post Number: 1738
Registered: 02-2005
Posted From: 70.237.11.26
Posted on Wednesday, June 14, 2006 - 3:29 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

That's interesting, Andy. I wonder explains the abundance, and I count the occurences in the hundreds, of this act in Ann Arbor. Shoes hung over powerlines everywhere, even in busy areas. A fraternity thing? I really don't know.
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Blessyouboys
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Username: Blessyouboys

Post Number: 458
Registered: 07-2005
Posted From: 69.209.163.226
Posted on Wednesday, June 14, 2006 - 3:31 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Actually i've heard many of times that it is an "underground" signal to score some dope. An urban myth like flashing your headlights? Probably. But hey, ya never know.

(Message edited by blessyouboys on June 14, 2006)
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Susanarosa
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Username: Susanarosa

Post Number: 900
Registered: 11-2003
Posted From: 208.39.170.90
Posted on Wednesday, June 14, 2006 - 3:32 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

http://urbanlegends.about.com/ cs/factoids/a/sneakers.htm

The most probable...

quote:

Tucson Electric Power officials added that in any given week, 5 to 10 pairs of sneakers are removed from power lines all over the city of Tucson: "The highest periods of activity seem to be after school lets out for the summer break," as well as holidays.


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Rocket_city
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Username: Rocket_city

Post Number: 60
Registered: 04-2006
Posted From: 141.217.214.203
Posted on Wednesday, June 14, 2006 - 3:32 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Yah, this is common all over the place. I remember first seeing it when I went to MSU a few years ago. There's a tree along M-33 up north somewhere near Fairview I think, that has hundreds of shoes hanging from it. I think Ann Arbor has a few locations where there are shoes hanging from powerlines as well.
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Hysteria
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Username: Hysteria

Post Number: 434
Registered: 02-2006
Posted From: 216.223.168.132
Posted on Wednesday, June 14, 2006 - 3:39 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

They recently cleaned up a lot of these shoes on power lines where I live. The news reported the shoes as a marker of gang territory.

I have seen the tree up north, Rocket_city ... if it is the same one you are referring to. I am thinking of a tree north of Kalkaska on 131.
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Alexei289
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Username: Alexei289

Post Number: 1178
Registered: 11-2004
Posted From: 68.61.183.223
Posted on Wednesday, June 14, 2006 - 4:06 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

... means drive down this street slowly, and wait for the man to come out... have money in hand ready.
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Rustic
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Username: Rustic

Post Number: 2552
Registered: 10-2003
Posted From: 128.36.14.154
Posted on Wednesday, June 14, 2006 - 4:12 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

residue of alien abductees
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Alsodave
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Username: Alsodave

Post Number: 724
Registered: 10-2003
Posted From: 208.49.95.12
Posted on Wednesday, June 14, 2006 - 4:36 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

...or the Rapture
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Valkyrias
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Username: Valkyrias

Post Number: 266
Registered: 02-2005
Posted From: 66.238.129.197
Posted on Wednesday, June 14, 2006 - 4:56 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

funny you bring that up, ravine, because i too just saw a pair on some powerlines in warrendale monday night when i was out walking with a friend. although i can't say i was surprised by it, since i too have seen several occurences of this over the years, usually at the begining of summer when the schools are all out.

isn't/wasn't there something in the heidleberg project that had shoes flung in a tree or something?
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Motorcitymayor2026
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Username: Motorcitymayor2026

Post Number: 939
Registered: 10-2005
Posted From: 75.10.0.52
Posted on Wednesday, June 14, 2006 - 5:02 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Yep. Heidelberg has a tree with a bunch of shoes hanging from it.
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Ravine
Member
Username: Ravine

Post Number: 157
Registered: 01-2006
Posted From: 69.220.62.66
Posted on Wednesday, June 14, 2006 - 5:04 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Obviously, what I saw is not as strange as the fact that I've never seen it before. See, I knew it-- either someone here would come up with a funny comment, or someone would actually know something about it. You folks, I tell ya, you amaze me with the stuff you come up with. I'll be Uncle Monkey.
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Knocturnal
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Username: Knocturnal

Post Number: 126
Registered: 10-2004
Posted From: 24.247.222.121
Posted on Wednesday, June 14, 2006 - 5:53 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Rocket_city - The tree near Fairview with all of the boots used to signify the end of the construction season. When the construction season began in April, many people would head "down below" to make the big bucks. Then, when they returned in November, they would throw their boots in the tree. Now, more often than not, the tree is littered with tennis shoes, which is probably just an derelict inclination to continue the pattern.
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Atl_runner
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Username: Atl_runner

Post Number: 1921
Registered: 10-2003
Posted From: 24.98.116.13
Posted on Wednesday, June 14, 2006 - 6:10 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

I've heard gang, drugs, and 5 other reasons for it. By now it just means ghetto.
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Ghetto_butterfly
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Username: Ghetto_butterfly

Post Number: 606
Registered: 09-2004
Posted From: 68.60.139.186
Posted on Wednesday, June 14, 2006 - 6:31 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)


quote:

... means drive down this street slowly, and wait for the man to come out... have money in hand ready.



Or, as I heard, just park at random and honk your horn, somebody will come out and approach your car ... have money in hand ready.

On a side note, a strange thing I saw twice recently in different locations, was a wig laying on the street, like somebody suddenly decided "I don't like this 'do anymore" and just rip the wig off her head and toss it out the car window.
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7even
Member
Username: 7even

Post Number: 26
Registered: 03-2006
Posted From: 198.109.26.18
Posted on Wednesday, June 14, 2006 - 9:40 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Blessyouboys

quote: Actually i've heard many of times that it is an "underground" signal to score some dope.

This signal was used in Saginaw for this^^^ about 10 years ago.
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Erobtheone
Member
Username: Erobtheone

Post Number: 30
Registered: 08-2005
Posted From: 68.21.7.135
Posted on Thursday, June 15, 2006 - 1:54 am:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

I wish i was as smart as the Canadians, i would have worn my recent purchase home and ditched my old shoes. Instead, I had a brand new pair of alligator shoes taken into custody at the boarder. Seems like there exists some laws about importing endangered species into the US. The were even talking shit about charging me with smuggling illegal skins or something. I finally said keep the shoes (great deal by the way). What really pissed me off was the condition of my vehicle after the search. Weird in every way.
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Danny
Member
Username: Danny

Post Number: 4303
Registered: 02-2004
Posted From: 141.217.173.8
Posted on Thursday, June 15, 2006 - 12:18 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

DEAD BIRDS This could only be two things, WEST NILE and the BIRD FLU! is comming.
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Mauser765
Member
Username: Mauser765

Post Number: 821
Registered: 01-2004
Posted From: 4.229.69.4
Posted on Thursday, June 15, 2006 - 2:47 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

I saw the shoes on powerlines thing along Henry Ruff road in Westland. Scrazy.
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One_shot
Member
Username: One_shot

Post Number: 277
Registered: 11-2003
Posted From: 205.188.116.137
Posted on Thursday, June 15, 2006 - 4:57 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

They are up in Shelby again too. I guess the only way to find out would be to catch the jerk doing it and ask him. I have my doubts about kids doing it because of the fact that they are almost always perfectly over the center of the street?
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Mountainman
Member
Username: Mountainman

Post Number: 84
Registered: 02-2006
Posted From: 153.90.110.18
Posted on Thursday, June 15, 2006 - 7:10 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Living in Bozeman, MT right now, and just a block and half away from me are a bunch of those same shoes dangling from the powerline. Can't say it reeks of Ghettohood. If you know anything about Bozeman, its the pretty much the richest "city" in Montana. I use city liberally. It is near frat houses. I can't think Canadians would be driving this far south to buy shoes. I've heard that out here its connected to drug activity. But, then again what isn't nowadays. Chances are, its a bunch of bored frat boys.

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