Thursday, September 09, 2010

The Cell Phone Tower Fake Trees

I remember the first few times I saw a cell phone tower disguised as a tree. There was something very subtle about it. I think I had time to look at it while driving by (perhaps I was a passenger). It was this niggling, "hmmmmm" double take sort of thing. "There's something funny about that tree. Hey wait a sec that's not a real tree!" (Cue dramatic Sherlock Holmesian music) I remember I felt I had discovered something.

Then it was "What does it do?" Something made me glance at my phone and the bars were so maxed out I thought they'd fall off the display. "Er, gee you think it has to do with cell phones."

Multiple fake tree sightings have verified this and a quick Google confirmed it. And why didn't I do that when I first saw one? Maybe it's the quest and the weird intrigue about something hiding in plain sight.

Now I see them all the time. They totally jump out and I can cheerfully (what a geek) say look a fake tree, just like I was pointing out a Red Tail Hawk or something.

Ref:
http://www.waymarking.com/waymarks/WM4ZR
http://www.flickr.com/photos/63208268@N00/307679880/

Of course disguising cell towers isn't just limited to trees.
This church has turned a macbre sculpture of a crucified Jesus into a cell phone tower.
(eegh) [Sadly the link is no longer working.]
http://www.omg-facts.com/view/Facts/11835


A friend has also been photographing these anominallies:
Here's one on 101 N that has what appears to be two towers.



But her favorite is the magic pine tree that appears amongst all the palm trees in the middle of the desert off of I-210. I guess palm trees were on back order and that Home Depot had just run out. Brilliant.

2 comments:

Jennie said...

Aren't they bizarre? There's one off the Stone Valley exit from 680 in San Ramon. It totally stands out, as there are no real pine trees around.

That crucified Jesus--aaghh!

Elf said...

Some of them aren't too badly done. Some of them are ludicrous. I'll have to pull out a couple of photos for you.