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Marcus Tisdale, Street Light Controller

ChristineR

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Kramer would do well to ask Mr. Tisdale to get a computer scientist to observe this. It may be just urban legend, but I'm told people have hacked into traffic light systems and thus can control them via laptop or handheld.
 
I see the danger in this one is the stipulation of "a designated test circuit determined by me".

I also do not see the need for three affidavits in this case.
 
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ChristineR said:
Kramer would do well to ask Mr. Tisdale to get a computer scientist to observe this. It may be just urban legend, but I'm told people have hacked into traffic light systems and thus can control them via laptop or handheld.
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This is true. There is a device for sale (Or was.. I think it's banned just about everywhere now) that does just this. If this was conceiled, or an accomplice nearby had one of these on the 'test circuit', they could easily pass the preliminary.
 
By street light, I interperated it to mean a lamp post, and not necessarily traffic lights. Like, he passes by a lamp post and it flickers/goes out.
 
This is for street lights, not traffic control lights. I know the original topic title was "Traffic Light Controller".
 
Some street lights can be turned off with a laser pointer aimed at the controller. Backyard astronomers who crave dark skies turn off street lights from a mile or more distant.
 
Or, if you have a friend who works for the city electrical maintainance department...
 
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I admit, I immediately thought of a couple of these set up...
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But then I pondered if that was the correct thing.
 
Bandersnatch said:
By street light, I interperated it to mean a lamp post, and not necessarily traffic lights. Like, he passes by a lamp post and it flickers/goes out.
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This was my take as well, especially since he mentioned turning them on and off.

My fraud alarm is going off on this one.

I believe street lights have a light sensor that turns them on when it get dark. At night it might be possible for an accomplice to shine a light onto the sensor (or maybe a laser) to make the light turn off. If the tester could chose the streetlights at the last minute, using an accomplice would be difficult. Notice that Marcus can only influence these 3 certain lights, all of them in the local area.

During the day, streetlights normally get enough light to keep them turned off. Shining a light on it during the day wouldn't have an effect and removing light (shading it) would be difficult. Notice that Marcus wants to do his test at night.

LLH
 
Maybe it is part of the paranormal claim, but why just street lights? I mean can he only flicker street lights but not other lights or electrically powered items...radios, TVs, building intercom systems, cell-phones? Maybe this wins the prize, but like bending spoons, so far as a useful application of a alleged paranormal power, this is pretty lame...don't see much in the way, for instance, of a Vegas act in this.


I'm going to get my granny to apply. She can walk into her room at her nursing home, clap her hands and the lights go on! Its really scary.
 
I'm pretty sure some streetlights operate with simple motion detectors. I know several areas of town where I live that they remain dark until a pedestrian or car is within a certain range of the post. The lights then remain lighted as long as traffic continues, only to go dark again after a set length of inactivity.

I think the application is just a joke.
 
There once was a street light near where I lived that I discovered I could magically "turn off" whenever I went near it. I quickly discovered that it wasn't the case at all.

Apparently, when a sodium street light "bulb" (the most common type) is reaching the end of its life, it cycles on and off in a definite and repeating pattern. See this Guardian article for more details on this.

It may be the case that dear Marcus has unconsciously got into a rhythm with the street lights on-off cycle.

It's also likely that, in any large group of street lights (such as on a college campus or gated community), that several street lights are in need of new bulbs, hence Mr Tisdales assertion that there are only certain street lights that he can affect; quote "just a block away from my gated community, on a designated test circuit determined by me."

This says, to me, that there are a few broken street lights near his community and that, unconsciously, he "knows" (or even consciously and has timed them) which street lights are going to respond to his proximity.

Therefore, any test should involve, as per his instructions, a circuit as designated by him, but that circuit to be provided in advance, so as to allow the bulbs in the street lights to be tested and replaced if required.
 
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LTC8K6 said:
Motion detectors won't really work with sodium vapor lamps due to the warm up time required for full light output.

I think.
Click to expand...

Are all streetlamps sodium vapor lamps?


I'm admittedly not a streetlight expert, but to me the application reads like a joke. (not that the others I've read aren't humorous)
 
Now that I read it again, however, I see that he suggests that testers walk in front of the lights first, which would cause them to light were they on simple motion detectors.
 
Well, it would be true for any type of lamp with much of a warm up time. Even if it's only 20 seconds, you'd probably have walked past the lamp already and just turned it on for the next guy.
 
My own hypothesis is the electric eye controlling the streetlamps (the claim says streetlights, not traffic lights) is overly sensitive and reacts to the light he is reflecting back at it. It may also be the result of a circuit-interrupt that kicks in while the lamp warms up to prevent damage.
 
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