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So I've been in Charlotte-Amalie since Saturday doing photography for Bluebeard's Castles Resort. One thing I keep seeing when I drive around has me perplexed and I was hoping maybe one of the locals might have some insight. Driving down the main highways on STT I keep seeing these large spikes sticking up out of the manhole covers on the street! This can't be good for tires if you hit one! What's the deal with those?
Anybody? Or is this an unspoken thing among residents not to tell visitors what the spikes are for? haha 😀
I'm a close to 30 year resident and have never seen anything such as you describe and have thus come to the conclusion that either it's an alien invasion of sorts or that a large quantity of rum is involved with the sightings. Or both.
They are rubber - not spikes and common in any roadway Reconstruction.
Spoilsport. 😀
Common *here* or what? I've never seen anything like them. What are the purpose of the rubber spikes then? They looked like they could possibly be rubber, but wasn't sure. Is it to deter people from running over the manhole covers or what? I've seen them in other spots, but mostly along Rte 30 in the area along Yacht Haven Grande.
Brent it's actually a conspiracy between the Gov and rental car companies...tourists damage the car the company socks it to em and the Gov gets a kick-back. Thats how we support the free rum for locals program. Or it could be that the area you're talking about, Long Bay, has been under heavy construction for a couple years now and isn't quite finished yet. I travel that road every day guess I'll be looking at it now.
you all are a trip.
i always thought that the little rubber protuberances were attached to some sensors to note traffic flow and density to help time lights or determine roadway use.
Brent,
You're far from crazy... no aliens.... shame on you STT Resident 🙂 (j/k). We saw them in Dec and thought they were due to construction. When we were down last week, we saw the crazy things again in the same spot. I thought they were metal and my husband avoided them. We still wonder what their "true" purpose is. Maybe it's to scare away those aliens STT R! I had no idea that they were rubber though.
"...sensors to note traffic flow and density to help time lights or determine roadway use"
In the VI?
Thanks for the laugh Anita:D
I was just as confused as you when I visited in May '10 🙂
https://www.vinow.com/wwwtalk/read.php?4,108599,108601
I had never seen them anywhere else either (and still haven't).
In that post, billd mentions that they are "rubber spikes to mark were there is a water mail line as they were repaving the road."
teamstortz wrote: In that post, billd mentions that they are "rubber spikes to mark were there is a water mail line as they were repaving the road."
Which begs the question, "What the fudge is a 'water mail line'?" A water taxi for correspondence? Is a full moon on the rise? Did I really finish off that bottle of Cruzan Coconut all by myself last night?
STT R- The moon was full last night.
Bassman wrote:
STT R- The moon was full last night.
Thanks, Bassman. That explains a lot. And I DID finish that Cruzan Coconut last night ... 😀
Well that explains it. I'm home now...didn't run over one while I was there. heh Took a while to get out thanks to Maria, but I'm now on my 2nd day back at work...unfortunately!
I have seen these in road construction projects in the states as well--I think it has something to do with a depth meter for how low they can lay the manhole covers...they are usually in holes where manhole covers or other access holes need to be cut into the road.
