The hard-hitting investigative reporters of the Star Ledger filed this report from Newark: Shoe Mystery hangs over city:
George Williams has no doubt that the gray suede tennis shoes dangling from the telephone wire high above his house on 18th Avenue in Newark signify that drugs are sold there.In their next investigative report, the Star Ledger will answer the other timeless questions of life - like, why was there always gum on the underside of your desk in high school? Why do people flash their headlights at you in the dark?Not long ago they were.
"Those people don't live here anymore. Left in January," said Williams, who points to the bullet hole in his 1976 Pontiac Grand Prix and another below his neighbor's mailbox to prove how rugged the area is just off Avon Avenue.
Knotted shoes or sneakers hanging from utility wires are common in Newark. What it signifies depends on whom you ask. Some say it's a sign drugs are being sold in the area. Others say it marks a gang's territory. Or maybe it's just the result of some kids having fun.
Whatever it means, Newark Councilman-at-large Carlos Gonzalez believes it isn't good. His recent unanimously approved resolution calls on Verizon and PSE&G to help the city take the hanging footwear down.
"To most people it means we are ready to deal," said Gonzalez, referring to drug sales. "Regardless, we want to keep our community as clean as possible. It's a quality of life issue."
It's also not an issue that's unique to Newark. Ed Kohler, a Minneapolis-based Internet marketing consultant, coined the term "shoefiti" in 2005 to describe shoes or sneakers hanging by their laces from telephone or power lines. The term is linked to graffiti because like the outdoor tags, they are considered either an artistic form of expression or markings of gangs and criminal activity. His Web site tracks shoefiti news.
"It's kind of a worldwide phenomena. You see it in New York, New Jersey and Los Angeles, but Australia and Poland also have a lot of shoefiti," said Kohler...
Are roving teams of assassins sending each other signals via secret code or could Columbian drug lords be to blame? Enquiring minds want to know.
I believe the motivation for the story was an action taken by a city-councilman so the story grew out of a political action rather than as some hairbrained idea for a story.
BTW, what's your theory on shoes hanging from powerlines?
My theory is that kids like to throw their shoes over power lines.
Nice site.
It's true, the actions of Newark Councilman-at-large Carlos Gonzalez are the true nuttiness here. Passing a resolution to have PSE &G take the sneakers down?
My theory is the same as double-plus-u - anyplace you go, there are shoes hanging from the wires. They're always there, just like there's always gum under the desk.
Hmmm...