Shoes hanging on power lines?

[Penobscot]

Anyone know what this is about?
Someone once told me this meant that a person can buy drugs at that location.
If that is the case every block near Hawthorne has a house selling drugs.

[fishonthebrain]

Thats what the shoes signified in seattle 10 years ago. Not sure about now.

[No Wishin Just Fishin]

probably some secret code for Duck Fans. Sorry couldn't resist

[Snug 2]

I have heard that in Southern CA is signifies gang areas. It is a way of marking one's territory.

[Just_learning]

I think anymore its just a decoration.

[Norski]

I was told that the police dept would put the shoes there to let other personal know where to look and watch, I really don't know but it sounds like it's bogus, why, and when do the police have the time, and you would think someone would call in and complain.
If what has been said, in the above post, may be true up in Seattle, but here, I have seen the shoes on the power lines, but I thought it was a prank. Away to get rid of some smelly worn out snickers.

[sliverpicker]

Just east of John Day on Hwy 26 there's a big juniper tree on the edge of the road decorated with about 100 pair of shoe's and boot's!

Dang druggies!

[Irish Pennant]

You beat me to it.

[freespool]

Anyone know what this is about?

The real reason they are there is this. When someone gets really drunk, they can just look up, if they see shoes hanging from the wires, they are in Southeast Portland.
Kind of a navigational aid for drunks, helps them get home safe.




salmon hugger

[Irish Pennant]

It’s an end of the school year thing or the graduating class thing, getting rid of their gym shoes.

[steelheadslayer]

the beginners hole on the Kalama must be drug central then!!!!!

[Jester]

While in the Army we did this when we ETS'd Some did it when they were leaving their Duty assignment.
Just my .02

[InBassPursuit]

A few years ago I rememember seeing a "shoe tree" just off the roado out of Coquille. It had quite a few boots.

[Striper Club]

It does not really signify anything. They were all over the place in Santa Barbara when I was in college. Be assured that there were no gangs there, much less anyone wanting to advertise about selling any dope! :smile:

That would be like putting a sign on your door with a large pot leaf and $$$ symbols. :smile:

Shoes tied together make for something that can be easily wrapped around something like a tele line. At least, that would be my impression. Motives? Most likely bored kids. :smile:

[FISHON67]

Just east of John Day on Hwy 26 there's a big juniper tree on the edge of the road decorated with about 100 pair of shoe's and boot's!

Dang druggies!

I saw a big juniper full of shoes between Prineville and John Day on Hwy. 26, just as you are coming down on the east side of the Ochoco's. I was thinking that there were some questionable looking drug houses in that neighborhood.

[ryleysmom]

I have been told that the cops mark the lines in front of suspected or suspicious activity at that perticular location....
But who knows for sure as everyone says something different......

[KeepFishingFun]

you would think with all the money the druggies earned stealing my tackle box 2 years ago, they could afford billboards to mark territories, not stinky shoes.

[Grumpy_one]

The real reason they are there is this. When someone gets really drunk, they can just look up, if they see shoes hanging from the wires, they are in Southeast Portland.
Kind of a navigational aid for drunks, helps them get home safe.
salmon hugger

HEY!!!! I ressemmblel taht reemarc

[Grumpy_one]

Oh, and one uther thung, jus cus thar ar moor strip clubs per capita in se portland than anywer els, no needs to git nastee

[Mr. Fisherman]

I don't know about here but in Idaho some kids had their shoes taken and thrown over the power lines. Especially at the beggining of the new year around the high school.

[Spotted Owl]

Shoes on power lines = stupid people

More than once someone tossing shoe on the line has caused something to slap together and burned the line down or caused something to blow up.

If you decide to do this be carefull and stand back just incase. Also if you are caught you will get the bill for the repairs to the line and system aswell as the bill to damaged property of home and business owners.

Owl

[BCF]

I thought it was to mark the house of the commercials selling salmon out of the back of their trucks. Or was that Sea Lion meat. Or no oversized Sturgeon, or no it was Bald Eagle hot wings. Yeah it was the Home of the Hot Wing. I'm pretty sure.

BCF

[reeldick]

I seem to remember shoes hanging from the lines in West Linn and Wilsonville only at the school bus stops. Could be those are the places the cops are watching.
I have a feeling it's the teen thing.

[letsfish]

Just east of John Day on Hwy 26 there's a big juniper tree on the edge of the road decorated with about 100 pair of shoe's and boot's!

Dang druggies!

It isn't a juniper anymore its a shoe tree.
Sorry but it was just hanging out there.

[sunshinefisherman]

It’s an end of the school year thing or the graduating class thing, getting rid of their gym shoes.

Wait till the DEQ "gets wind" of this! Presto, a new government program to control emissions and one to replace the shoes lost by the unfortunate children.

[FishiinShawn]

I know for fact in some area's it does mark gang territories. I have also heard it can mean a drug house.

[Rakkasan]

While in the Army we did this when we ETS'd Some did it when they were leaving their Duty assignment.
Just my .02

That is what many of the guys did when I got out. Hang your boots up for good.

DS

[Meskel]

If you decide to do this be carefull and stand back just incase. Also if you are caught you will get the bill for the repairs to the line and system aswell as the bill to damaged property of home and business owners.

Owl

I knew I should have stopped writing my name and phone number in my shoes.

[uhmw]

Short timers cindrome- When my hich was up in the army I tossed my jump boots on the wires in front of formation. Then I ran like hell jumped in my beater 76 toyota corola and high tailed it to the main gate W/ the first sargent and captin hot on my tail. Thank god cell phones were not invented yet.- that goes for a lot of things I did as a kid

[Norm]

I always though they were left over from some unlucky skydiver :grin:

[HeavyMetal BankFisherman]

It means different things in different areas. I think that for the most part the presence of shoes on power lines is not the work of gangs or other criminal elements. Graffiti is the favored method of marking territory by elements from the dark side.

We used to toss shoes up onto power lines in the seventies so it is nothing new.

[Penobscot]

Wow, to think of my 250+ posts,
this one has received more replies than any other.

[Jettin' Fool]

I stumbled on this while surfing tonight...Thought it was perfect to add to this thread.

click>>> SHOE TREE <<<

JF

[DF]

I was once told in a gang class that it shows a gang territory..

[24 on/ 48 off]

Just east of John Day on Hwy 26 there's a big juniper tree on the edge of the road decorated with about 100 pair of shoe's and boot's!

Dang druggies!

I just found this pic of that very tree- taken in 2003.



--spud--

[uhmw]

That is so east side. Its definitly better than spray paint all over your building.

[CATCH AND EAT]

Well in SE it is a definit show of gang activity. Lots of thugs near these areas that I drive through and there are certainly tons of homeless or should I say Persons that don't want to work but do drugs because they are crazy.

[Pete]

Near my house, someone tied two Starbucks cups together and pitched them in the wires ... is that the Coffee People gang at work?

[Two Fister]

I guess it just goes with the territory that you run in. I know in Vail they used to have a bra and panty tree. There were hundreds of bras and panties in the branches.
Unfortunately the management didn't think that it was high brow enough for the resort so they removed all of the undergarments from the branches.

[sliverpicker]

aahhh, I recognize those Christmas ornaments! But it doesn't look like a Juniper tree does it?

sliverpicker

[24 on/ 48 off]

Good point- But that was taken along Hwy 26

[sliverpicker]

That looks like the one east of J.D., but I think there's another shoe tree east of Mitchell on Hwy 26 also.?

[Abalone]

Is there a matched pair ? I am looking for a Size Twelve, this could save me a few bucks.

[Apple Steeler]

Most of the time they are the shoes of a school kid who had their gym shoes ripped off by a bully.