Really, it's pretty self-explanatory. Julie and I went for a jog (for her) slash bike ride (for lazy old me) the other day, and we saw not one but TWO pairs of tennis shoes, tied together at the laces and thrown high into the trees. For the life of me, I can't imagine what that's all about. Perhaps it's a gang thing, in white bread North Dallas. Look for the cool kids in their socks.
One person posted on flickr that they'd heard it meant that there are drugs available in the area. Seing as how it's North Dallas and next to two different schools, that's probably a safe bet.
In unrelated news, did you know that having the Beedies makes you tired as fuck all the time? Why, neither did I! Isn't that AWESOME?
Fuckin' pancreas.
I took human gross anatomy in a medical school (which means we dissected. People.), and I am in a position to tell you that the pancreas totally look like chewing gum. Seriously. It's weird.
ReplyDeleteThought you might like to know that.
That is all.
Here in Southern California I've always understood the shoes thrown into electric wires to indicate either gang territory and/or drug availability.
ReplyDeleteMust be something that is universally understood, I guess?
Well, Snopes was no help.
ReplyDeleteI bet they are trying to start a "shoe tree":
ReplyDeletehttp://www.roadsideamerica.com/set/shoetrees.html
were you tired as fuck all the time before your diagnosis or are you just more aware?
ReplyDeleteto me, shoes in trees means local fucking bully.
I see those around here too sometimes (Pittsburgh area) - also single shoes abandoned by the side of the road.
ReplyDeleteSo where are the drugs supposed to be, exactly? Do you just stand under the shoes and wait for the dealer to approach you?
there's always been shoes strung up on telephone wires and trees in Philadelphia...there was one right on the street i used to live on. but i don't *think* it was gang territory...
ReplyDeleteYep, shoes in tree or on powerline means drugs within the block. I have beedies and I go through periods where all I can/want to do is sleep. (usually when my numbers are running higher than normal) Yep...totally sucks!
ReplyDeleteAt my college in Philly, shoes were often thrown up into a tree by a lacross playing gentleman who had just bedded a freshman lady (a "lacrosstitute," if you will). Certain trees were assigned to certain players and the number of shoes in the tree noted your status. Klassy, no?
ReplyDeleteAlso, there was one tree back in the campus woods that people would go to to use that area and after they had finished would throw their shoes into the tree to signify that they had "been there."
Wow. I always thought it was just that some bullies had stolen some poor kid's shoes and thrown them up where he couldn't get them. Live and learn!
ReplyDeleteYou know, the shoe theory makes sense. There were always shoes dangling from the power lines that crossed over the entrance to our sketchville college apartment complex and that would explain a lot, actually. Hmmm.
ReplyDeletethat totally explains why I've seen two pairs of shoes over power lines in our 'hood. Wow - you learn something every single damn day.
ReplyDeleteIn Austin we once had a shoe tree, just because. But they built McMansions there. People actually nailed shoes to the tree. Then, of course, tree fans were afraid it would hurt the trees.
ReplyDeleteOf course, in Austin, people decorate cedars on the roadside for Christmas, too.
re: the diabetes/fatigue thing - I was actually initially diagnosed with a low-grade mono before I was diagnosed with diabetes.
ReplyDeleteOnce your sugars get under control the quality of your sleep may improve tenfold.
Huh. Back where I went to undergrad, shoes over the phone wires means someone got laid there recently. At least that's what I was told. I guess it could have been drugs, but I find it fairly unlikely (not a whole lot of drug activity at that school. I didn't even know anyone who toked up, let alone anything more illegal. Beer, though, that we had in abundance).
ReplyDeleteI've seen lots of Army boots slung over wires in such scenic spots as Fort Bragg, NC. I always understood it to mean that some lucky soul is getting the H-E-double-hockey-sticks out of Dodge.
ReplyDeleteI used to live in a neighborhood in Hoboken where several corners had the entire sneaker section of a Payless hanging on the wire. Gang activity, I presumed.
ReplyDeleteIn certain neighborhoods in Chicago, mine included, shoes are thrown over wires when they are replaced with new shoes. Rather than throw them out, this is considered a tribute to the gym shoes.
ReplyDeleteIt is not a sign of gang activity or drugs.
In the Los Angeles area when you lose your virginity....you toss your shoes. I didn't do this but I know people who did....
ReplyDelete