(no subject)

[jgrafton]

Query for people maybe in the "know:"

I've been driving on the Beltway more than I used to, and I noticed something I hadn't seen before. On the sides of the road (or sometimes in the middle) are these devices: about ten feet tall (I'd guess), with a solar panel on top, and about two smallish rectangular box things pointed at the lanes. I'd noticed them on other highways in other states before, but never locally.

Anybody have a clue as to what they are, exactly? I'm curious.


This is sorta what I'm trying to describe:

Comments

[knightofstarz.livejournal.com]

I can't really picture what you are talking about, but could they be solar lights?

[jgrafton]

Look again, I've included a picture I drew this time.

[twinofmunin.livejournal.com]

philip?

[jgrafton]

cmu'er class of 2009 from richmond.

[knightofstarz.livejournal.com]

I was in that chat one night

[twinofmunin.livejournal.com]

i remember you :)

but i was more just curious as to whether or not that's what the hiragana was supposed to say...

[knightofstarz.livejournal.com]

hugin, right?

[twinofmunin.livejournal.com]

ay, hugin.

[twinofmunin.livejournal.com]

may i +ljfriend thee?

[knightofstarz.livejournal.com]

sure

[knightofstarz.livejournal.com]

my other thought is that they look like cameras, which makes sense because they have roadway cams in VA now. If they are not spaced too often, then that would be what my guess is. You can check traffic online at the VDOT website, I think. They are also fairly new, which would explain why you hadn't seen them before.

The drawing really helps, I couldn't picture it at all before.

[jgrafton]

They aren't cameras - the little boxes are completely closed. (We do have cameras on the roads here, and they look completely different, and are also significantly taller.)

[knightofstarz.livejournal.com]

hmmmmm, I was looking for a picture of them online... but I couldn't really find one. Maybe some sort of other traffic device... maybe like radar detectors or something?

I did look up the traffic cameras and they are on I495

[jgrafton]

There's nothing close enough to the ground for that to be the case...

[jgrafton]

They also aren't labeled as such. (Usually call boxes advertise themselves fairly well.)

[knightofstarz.livejournal.com]

I was thinking call boxes at first, but why would call boxes use solar power, anyway?

I still think it has something to do with traffic monitoring, whether radar or camera

[chrsjxn.livejournal.com]

Call boxes use solar power so that if there's an emergency, and you wipe out a power line, you can still make a phone call.

Gather the power when it's sunny, store it in a battery until somebody needs it. They don't get used that often.

[knightofstarz.livejournal.com]

actually... you say the boxes were entirely closed? It could be that the boxes are batteries to power some sort of traffic monitor 24 hours a day

[twinofmunin.livejournal.com]

DO NOT QUESTION OUR SECURITY MEASURES, TERRORIST

[twinofhugin.livejournal.com]

IF YOU HAVE NOTHING TO HIDE, YOU HAVE NOTHING TO FEAR. TERRORIST.

[twizmer.livejournal.com]

Oh grod, talking birds.

[twinofmunin.livejournal.com]

hush twizmer, nobody loves you :P

[twinofhugin.livejournal.com]

ice burn

[jgrafton]

ravens, even.

[chrsjxn.livejournal.com]

Is there an AllFather to go with these ravens?

If not, I can think of some people who might like to apply. Though I doubt their ability to hang on the gallows for nine days. Shrug.

[jgrafton]

TERRORIST SEAWEED.