Why are shoes flung onto power lines?

Question

I lived in this residence area of the Bay Area in Clifornia and every day from school as we went home we would see small shoes hanging from power lines that went across a street. Do people do that for fun or something?

No, the area is not a ghetto, it's a peaceful neighborhood with old grany houses. And the shoes were small, which is odd.

Answer 1

Yeah, and it's done everywhere. Boredom and the challenge of looping the laces over the wire before their arms fall off.

Answer 2

I'm not sure I should answer this but I'm going to. there is a myth that the shoes will start on fire if they hang on power lines. then there is also the bully thing which explains the small shoes. I f you don't get that think about it the victim is not going to get them back and this also explains the gang answers and part of where the fire myth came from, they had to explain it somehow,,,but the fire myth has some fact. If you tie 2 rocks together with a wire and throw them over the lines that have ONLY 2 lines, top and bottom and the wire touches both lines the rocks will EXPLODE this is a fact. The top line is current and the bottom is ground. Think about electricity. I have seen trees explode in contact with lines. there are a lot of myths and a lot of fact about electricity. Try going to a huge line 300 or more volts and hold a florescent light bulb over your head under it. It will flicker from the stray voltage. Basically I would say it's kids on urban legend or bullies but not gangs. I DID NOT TELL YOU TO TRY THE ROCK THING

Answer 3

I see military boots on powerline in NC. This is a sign that a person has gotten out of the military, sometimes they paint the military boots differant colors to. But shoes, I don't know about.

Answer 4

Takes quite a throw to wrap sneakers around a power line. In addition, cannot retrieve them, making it necessary to get a new pair. "Mom!!! I can't get my shoes! Johnny threw 'em up in the lines!"

Answer 5

I think the Urban Legend is that they signify a drug house, but I think people just like to F around now.

Answer 6

a gang member has died,a fellow gang member will throw the shoes over the power lines.

Answer 7

I have witnessed this phenomenom since the late 1960's when i was in elementary school. I too would like to know.....

in south florida....

Answer 8

The only reason people do this is to show how really stupid they can be.You would think they could find something better to do with there time.

Answer 9

When the bounty hunters are after you, it helps to throw off their tracking when you throw your shoes that smell of YOU high up into the sky! Then, you throw your socks in 2 different directions on the freeway & put on new shoes & socks & enjoy a few more days of freedom!

Answer 10

You see it all over the city where I live. Someone told be it was gang related.