Shoes placed on power lines are something we have come across in many movies.
There is much debate as to why people throw their shoes on power lines.
In fact, retired police sergeant Rob Demarco, who spent 20 years on the Eastchester, New York, force, has a theory that most of the shoes that ended up there were for no reason, just because they followed a bad example and acted the same as the people who had thrown them before.
The shoes you see hanging on power lines may be a product of the "what I see is what I do" mentality.
However, there are many theories regarding this.
Why do people hang shoes on power lines?
It's one of those things you probably didn't know, but before this act, people long ago threw away their shoes to express a personal emotion.
For example, it was an old English tradition for people to throw shoes at the newly married couple; to wish him happiness and wealth.
There is also a long military tradition of throwing away boots to symbolize the end of a military post. Space pioneers Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin apparently hung up their stomping boots on top of the rocket before returning to Earth.
While these traditions suggest that shoes on power lines may serve a festive purpose, there are many other theories about them - and not all of them involve expressions of joy. In fact, some even involve alleged criminal activity.
Gang activity
One of the most popular theories about shoes on power lines is that they are part of a system by which gangs mark their territory. The problem with this theory is that it can hardly be confirmed by gang members.
Police departments in various major cities across the country were unwilling to confirm or deny it.
Location for buying drugs
According to a police chief from Prichard, Alabama, and members of the Jackson, Mississippi City Council, some drug dealers do, in fact, communicate that they are open for business by throwing a pair of shoes over an adjacent power line.
On the other hand, a spokesman for the New York Police Department does not claim such a thing.
"I don't think it's the kind of thing that people advertise leaving a mark." /Telegraph/
