This is probably a communication line, but you get the idea.

I've seen this in other places around town.

The rumor is that this is a signal that you can buy drugs in that area, but what is it really?

And what if people put pieces of branches up there too?

It used to be at least if there were shoes hanging on a porch light, that there were drugs for sale.

A porch light?

I did not know that one.

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maroon barchetta said:

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This is probably a communication line, but you get the idea.

I've seen this in other places around town.

The rumor is that this is a signal that you can buy drugs in that area, but what is it really?

And what if people put pieces of branches up there too?

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After a long hike it was traditional to throw your old pair of boots up across the power lines near the parking area. This is probably kids just having fun..

Used to also mean a murder had been committed with the deceased's shoes being the ones on the line

maroon barchetta said:

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A porch light?

I did not know that one.

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When I was doing OCC inspections, that was one thing to look for when approaching a house. Other indicators are that the windows all have dark closed curtains, a chemical odor present, multiple windows open on very cold or very hot days, and anyone loitering around the property for no apparent reason.

From Chat GPT:

The meaning behind shoes hanging from power lines varies across different cultures and contexts. Here are some theories about why you might see shoes dangling from those wires:
[ol]

Gang Territory Markers: One popular urban legend suggests that shoes on power lines mark gang territory boundaries. According to this theory, when a new member joins a gang or a gang wants to establish dominance, they throw shoes over power lines to claim their territory1.

Drug Dealing Signals: Another commonly believed reason for shoes on power lines is to signal the location of a crack house or a prime drug dealing spot. In some cases, drug dealers may toss a pair of shoes over adjacent power lines to communicate that they're open for business2.

Personal Expression and Tradition: Historically, people have thrown shoes as a form of personal expression. For instance:

• In old English weddings, shoes were thrown at newly married couples to bring them happiness and good fortune.
• Military tradition involved flinging one's boots to symbolize the end of a post.
• Even space pioneers Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin apparently flung their moon boots from their rocket hatch before returning to Earth3.

[/ol]So, the next time you spot shoes on a power line, it might be more than just a random occurrenceit could carry cultural, symbolic, or even illicit meanings!

Throwing shoes at newlyweds!!

I just thought this was nothing more than having fun to see if you could. I thought it was akin to throwing pencils in the ceiling in school?

I always thought that it was some form of bullying where some poor schlub had his shoes stolen from him by and thrown up in the lines by the perpetrators.

Why anyone would intentionally do it never made sense to me (then again, the idea of throwing my shoes or house keys at the stage at concerts never made any sense, either).

Could be kids goofin' off from something seen on TV.

In real life, could be bad elements in the area.

halibut sinclair said:

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Pretty much

legalbird said:

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Could be kids goofin' off from something seen on TV.

In real life, could be bad elements in the area.

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This is at Glade and Park Place. Doesn't seem like a sketchy area.

My question about the myth that shoes on a power/communication line meaning drugs there are drugs for sale/drug house nearby would be what do the drug dealers do when the drugs are no longer available/drug house is closed?

Do they climb up there and get the shoes down? Do they keep a big stick handy know the shoes down to keep their customers informed on availability?

I'm not drug dealer or anything, but it always seemed to me that there would be much better ways to signal drug availability other than tossing shoes up in the power line, so I never believed that.

Lincoln, this morning.

maroon barchetta said:

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Throwing shoes at newlyweds!!

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Park Place

All cleats!

Are you just rolling around Southgate taking pics of shoes?

Hornbeck said:

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Are you just rolling around Southgate taking pics of shoes?

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This morning I had turned from Munson into Lincoln to go to a business in that area.

This afternoon I had left HEB at Texas and Holleman and went out Park Place to get to Anderson.

I'm not going near Southgate. I might get into the middle of people arguing about parking.

Glade had an upgrade.

Where I grew up, throwing your shoes over a powerline was a symbolic way of leaving something of yourself behind when you leave a place, such as graduating college.

The real question is, does CSU go around and cut them all down?

Hornbeck said:

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The real question is, does CSU go around and cut them all down?

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I think they would if the shoes were on their electrical lines. Most of the time, they're hanging from communication lines.

Hornbeck said:

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The real question is, does CSU go around and cut them all down?

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Not if they want to remember where to get the good stuff.