Who's up for a good mystery?

[ScouT6a]

About eight years ago I was on active duty, working out of Indianapolis. I drove back and forth to home, via I-74.
During my commute, I noticed these blue slats woven into the State's right away fence. I started paying attention to them and there was no discernible pattern to them. Not evenly spaced, sometimes it was one horizontal, sometimes one vertical, sometimes a T shape (or inverted), sometimes an L shape (or backwards). They did not follow the mile marker signs, did not appear at water ways, etcetera. I never saw anyone putting them out or taking them down. Then they started to appear on I-65, then S.R. 63.
I got very curious so I started asking people.
I contacted my county sheriff's department, State Police, county highway department, State highway department. No one knew anything about them or they weren't talking. I contacted the DNR and spoke to biologists. I spoke to big Army and I spoke to Homeland Security. Nothing.
Anyone have any information on these things? They are still out there, saw them today.

 

[Tanfodude]

Take them out, when someone approaches you telling you not to do that, there's your opportunity to ask what they are.

 

[Yup!]

About eight years ago I was on active duty, working out of Indianapolis. I drove back and forth to home, via I-74.
During my commute, I noticed these blue slats woven into the State's right away fence. I started paying attention to them and there was no discernible pattern to them. Not evenly spaced, sometimes it was one horizontal, sometimes one vertical, sometimes a T shape (or inverted), sometimes an L shape (or backwards). They did not follow the mile marker signs, did not appear at water ways, etcetera. I never saw anyone putting them out or taking them down. Then they started to appear on I-65, then S.R. 63.
I got very curious so I started asking people.
I contacted my county sheriff's department, State Police, county highway department, State highway department. No one knew anything about them or they weren't talking. I contacted the DNR and spoke to biologists. I spoke to big Army and I spoke to Homeland Security. Nothing.
Anyone have any information on these things? They are still out there, saw them today.

sometimes they use reflectives to indicate no shoulder, or guard rail, or turn around. It's for police officers to recognize where to pull off.

Sometimes they are to mark Fire hydrants...

guess it depends on what it is you are talking about, have any pics?

 

[ScouT6a]

Happygunner, I've already thought about that approach. Lol

Yup!, they are woven into the State's right away fence. Probably 40-50 feet off the shoulders. Too far off the road way to mark anything routine for police/fire/emt.

I'll try to get some pics.

 

[ScouT6a]

Dare I say, they are almost NATO blue. About 4 inches wide and 3-4 feet long.

 

[CountryBoy19]

sometimes they use reflectives to indicate no shoulder, or guard rail, or turn around. It's for police officers to recognize where to pull off.

Sometimes they are to mark Fire hydrants...

guess it depends on what it is you are talking about, have any pics?

/Threadjack

Funny you mention that... my buddy used to live in FL. I went to visit one time and we were out driving around (maybe it was the night we went shooting) and I asked him about the reflectors in the street. There were random blue reflectors in the street (like the centerline reflectors). He had no idea what they were... I studied them for a bit, and then it hit me. Every place there was a blue reflector there was also a fire-hydrant... Growing up in small-town america it was a totally foreign concept to me; everybody knew where every fire-hydrant in my home town was...

 

[bradmedic04]

It was the butler with the candlestick in the dining room!

You're welcome.

 

[scott delaney]

If I remember right, there was another thread here a few yrs ago about the colored dots on the back of road signs. I belive the general idea was to direct the army in to the right area. place purple where needed

 

[Tactically Fat]

I've logged plenty of miles on Indiana's Interstates - and I can't place what it is you're talking about.

I have contacts within INDOT. If you can get a good photo (that shows "context"), I'd like to figure it out.

 

[Cameramonkey]

/Threadjack

Funny you mention that... my buddy used to live in FL. I went to visit one time and we were out driving around (maybe it was the night we went shooting) and I asked him about the reflectors in the street. There were random blue reflectors in the street (like the centerline reflectors). He had no idea what they were... I studied them for a bit, and then it hit me. Every place there was a blue reflector there was also a fire-hydrant... Growing up in small-town america it was a totally foreign concept to me; everybody knew where every fire-hydrant in my home town was...

And as I recall the original idea was by a firefighter here in Indianapolis.

 

[hoosierdoc]

Code to meth lab locations.

 

[chef larry]

/Threadjack

Funny you mention that... my buddy used to live in FL. I went to visit one time and we were out driving around (maybe it was the night we went shooting) and I asked him about the reflectors in the street. There were random blue reflectors in the street (like the centerline reflectors). He had no idea what they were... I studied them for a bit, and then it hit me. Every place there was a blue reflector there was also a fire-hydrant... Growing up in small-town america it was a totally foreign concept to me; everybody knew where every fire-hydrant in my home town was...

Have the blue reflectors/hydrants locations in Lake County also.

 

[CountryBoy19]

And as I recall the original idea was by a firefighter here in Indianapolis.

It's a pretty good idea, that's for certain!!! Just something I had never seen or noticed until I went to FL.

 

[Bennettjh]

 

[Morgan88]

Mystery solved
Sorry it's really a very basic. thing. On I would say "all" major roads especially built of concrete there are drains running under the pavement longitudinally. Every so often they outlet thru the outside slopes. Generally every 500ft I would guess. They put the blue plastic pieces in the fence so if anyone wants to find the outlet( that you can't see from the road) so it can be located easily and cleaned out.

Have you ever seen the numbers on the back of road signs. I remember hearing someone say those are a code for politicians to get out of town in case of civil emergency. ha ha. I suppose it could be (above my pay grade as they say) the practical answer is that's the year the sign was put up and they are "generally" on a 10 year cycle to be replaced. A sign with a 1 on it was put up in the year 01 0r 11 or 21 and so on. A 7 was put up in year 7 or 17 or 27 and so on. Just a way to know how long a sign was up and ho soon it needs to be replaced due to weather wear. Hope this helps.

 

[bradmedic04]

Ooooooh a detailed answer. That's always nice.

 

[Birds Away]

I like a good mystery. This doesn't qualify.

 

[Morgan88]

I like the wild speculation. It's a whole lot more fun. I really wanted to add to with some of the wild stories I have heard like the politicians thingy, the truth and facts are really boring in this case.

 

[HoughMade]

Dare I say, they are almost NATO blue....

Darn. If they had been U.N. blue, then we would have had something.

 

[ScouT6a]

Morgan88,
Would like the source of this answer. Doesn't sound plausible to me, as a construction guy. The drains run longitudinally under the conctete?? Where is the water going to come from to reach these drains? Permeate through the concrete? Many of these markers are on high ground with no water ways/ drainage in sight.
And remember, these things are not evenly spaced. Not even close. Why the different configurations (one single horizontal, one single verticle, Ts, Ls, or inverted of each.