dir (04/05/83)
Has anyone noticed while driving along the highway at night
that a highway lamp will suddenly go out while you are approaching it?
I estimate that I see at least one lamp go out every time I drive at night.
Question: Given that lamps burn out, what's the probability
of coming upon a lamp as it goes out? Is it possible to
get a reasonable estimate of this probability?
I bring this up mainly because I have found it odd to be driving along
and suddenly see a highway lamp go out as I come upon it. Seems
to happen more often than one might expect, but I haven't studied
the probabilities.
D. Radin - BTL Columbuswgg (04/06/83)
I don't know about lights going out as I get near them, but I do know that a similar phenomenon occurs with traffic lights, which go from green to yellow to red at my approach.
eli (04/06/83)
I too have noticed this sort of outage over-occurance on the highway (and on campus too, where those types of lights are installed). But, with the campus lights, I've found that they come back on in a minute or two. This has led me to the theory that these types of lights op- erate at high temperatures, and thus turn themselves on and off to avoid nasty happenings, such as explosions. Is Reddy Killowatt out there? Can anyone verify this? ... uw-beaver!eli
ix222 (04/07/83)
I can't say i have seen highway lights go out as
i approach them, but i have certainly noticed a
similiar, perhaps related phenomonon with refrigerator
lights. perhaps a qualified paranormal investigator
can enlighten us.
steve serocki
{ucbvax philabs};sdcsvax;sdccsu3;ix222dw (04/08/83)
I've also noticed street lights to go out when my car approached, but had guessed that it was a result of my headlights triggering the day/night sensor which turns them off/on. During a thunderstorm lightning will sometimes do the same thing. Any better ideas? ==dw
rjk (04/09/83)
I once noticed a lamp go out, fall off, and smash all over the street once when a vehicle that I was in backed into its supporting structure. Randy King
smh (04/09/83)
Some highway lights are controlled by photodetectors which are supposed to turn them on at dusk and off at dawn. Maybe perhaps one of your headlights is pointing rather higher than it should???
larson (04/09/83)
#R:cbosg:-285400:sri-unix:1300013:000:668 sri-unix!larson Apr 8 19:08:00 1983 There is a streetlight near here that often seems to be going out just as I arrive under it on the way home. I thought it might be the lights from my car on a photo sensor, but it is too high up for my headlights to hit it. Also, I think it is controlled with a bunch of others on a common control. The temperature theory sounds good, and I had even considered something of that nature (but I had not come up with as good a cause as temperature). The only problem is I don't think I have ever seen the light come on. I just took it as another one of those things like what happens to pairs of socks in the dryer -- they seem to not come back as pairs. Alan
creedon (04/09/83)
Street lamps seem to go out on me about once a week(I drive short distances at night). They seem to go out right as the hood of my car goes under the light. Thomas A. Creedon teklabs!reed!creedon
karn (04/10/83)
I had always thought that the missing socks from the dryer transmutate themselves into excess hangers in your closet. Phil
mjs (04/10/83)
No, missing socks don't transmute into excess hangers! I'd like to
know what hangers transmute into, though!
Martin Shannon, Jr.
Phone: (201) 582-3199
Internet: mjs@mhb5b.uucp
UUCP: {allegra,rabbit,alice,mhb5b,mhb5c}!mjsleichter (04/10/83)
Hangers grow up and become extra bicycles, which during mating season disappear on their own. -- Jerry decvax!yale-comix!leichter leichter@yale PS This is NOT my line! Years ago, I read a story in which a character makes these observations - I believe his progression was paper cliffs for the babies, hangers for the teens, adult bicycles. The discoverer - who no one believes, of course - is later found dead, chocked, with a wire coat hanger around his throat. Oh, is that a strange typo a couple of lines back - "paper CLIFFS"; "F" and "P" aren't even related on the keyboard! I meant "paper CLIPS", of course. Anyone recognize the story, BTW? I've always wondered where it was from.
sdo (04/11/83)
I saw a streetlight that was on during the day, probably as a punishment for leaving its post the night before to go party with other lights which had gone off duty. Scott Orshan
rosin (04/11/83)
Anyone who has studied Hebrew will recognize the transformation of "clips" into "cliffs". Bob Rosin, ABI ED&D, Lincroft, NJ, ..!houxi!hogpc!rosin
hdt (04/12/83)
Perhaps its the same reason that new potholes always materialize out of nowhere when you're driving over known ground.
debenedi (04/13/83)
How about this: It's just that people's eyes are more sensitive to
streetlights going out than going on. This explains why people
see them go out but not on. Also, considering the amount of street lights,
it could be just statistics and No Mystery.
You know, it's like the power of suggestion. You tell someone that
"their lifestyle" is going to cause they hair to fall out and they'll
believe you. Why? Because hair's always falling out, you just don't
pay attention to it AND it's "easier" to see hair falling out than it is
to realize that it's growing back.
For example: You'll be surprised at the number of cars with just one
headlight. Just start looking and they'll pop up everywhere.
Robert ("I never trust my senses.") DeBenedictis
Our Motto: "'I saw it with my own eyes' means you wanted to see it."hxe (04/19/83)
I, too, read the story, but it would take me some weeks to sort through my books to find it. The story involved a bicycle shop that was run by two men - a small serious guy and a womanizer. The serious guy was building the ultimate bicycle and noticed that his other damaged bikes regenerated when damaged. This led him to the paper clips/hangers/bicycles theory. I won't spoil the end because I think I can find the story. I will post it (or its title) to net.books. Heather ...!decvax!brunix!rayssd!hxe