General Cycling Discussion - street lights going off at night

OK I know this will sound weird. Whenever I commute at night, more often than not I have a street light just go dark as I pass under it. There was a stretch sometime in the 90's when I'd have 2 or 3 go out over a ~10 mile ride. Then I stopped riding at night for several years, now it's happening again. Every night ride for the last month I've had at least one light go out as I go under it, sometimes two.
Does this happen to anyone else? I'm riding through the city and I pass under a lot of lights but seems to me the odds aren't that great for it to happen every time, right as I pass under.

Perhaps the Denver Colo, DOT would have a response, if notified.?
on this list, all I can say , is ..
'May the Schwartz be with you', and with your special powers
you should enjoy Halloween.. :eek:

Taint of Corruption... It's was a five point flaw on some role playing game back in the day.
Actually, I have the same thing happen to me; don't know why, but it's been happening for a long time. I just figured I was cursed, or chosen, or something...

Sodium vapor and other sorts of similar lights used in street lights shut down if they overheat. It's a sign of the bulb and/or ballast wearing out. They will often come back on when they cool off, only to shut off again. At least that's how my yard light works - it tells me it needs replaced. That's what you're seeing, a bulb shutting off because it's going bad.

You're seeing a pattern in randomness, which is normal.

How is your midichlorian count? I bet it's off the scale :eek:

Here in MO that has been something I've seen all my life. Not unusual at all.

Pay attention. Are some of the lights more prone to this than others? Some streetlights use a sensor to determine when it is dark. It is possible your lighting is detected as dawn. (Though I find the overheating at least as likely).

His power level IS OVER 9000!

It happens to me quite frequently ... when I ride my bicycle or when I walk. Not sure why.

AAAggghhh!!
Light suckers!!
I was warned you were coming!!

Happens all the time.

OK I know this will sound weird. Whenever I commute at night, more often than not I have a street light just go dark as I pass under it. There was a stretch sometime in the 90's when I'd have 2 or 3 go out over a ~10 mile ride. Then I stopped riding at night for several years, now it's happening again. Every night ride for the last month I've had at least one light go out as I go under it, sometimes two.
Does this happen to anyone else? I'm riding through the city and I pass under a lot of lights but seems to me the odds aren't that great for it to happen every time, right as I pass under.

It doesn't happen to me.

OK I know this will sound weird. Whenever I commute at night, more often than not I have a street light just go dark as I pass under it...

...You're seeing a pattern in randomness, which is normal.
It's called street light interference phenomenon:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Street_light_interference_phenomenon

I had heard of it discussed on the nationally syndicated 1:00 to 5:00 AM Talk Show called Coast to Coast AM, devoted to "far out" topics like the paranormal, conspiracy theories, etc.

It seemed to happen to me a lot a few years ago but not since about five or so years, but back then I used to leave on my commute well before 5:00 AM; I now usually leave later than 5:30 AM. My commuter route is not flat ,but with up and down hills, and gradual inclines/declines. It seemed to me that SLI occured almost exclusively on gradual inclines. FWIW

Pay attention. Are some of the lights more prone to this than others? Some streetlights use a sensor to determine when it is dark. It is possible your lighting is detected as dawn. (Though I find the overheating at least as likely).

Funny you should say that. Seems like it always happens when I'm not paying attention. Last night since I posted this I was thinking about it
quite a bit on the way home and of course it did not happen! Since I was paying attention though I noticed that I pass under a lot fewer than
I thought I did because many of them are on the other side of the street.
I don't think it's my lighting. I do have a good headlight now but in the past all I had was one that would let me be seen and didn't really light
up the road at all.


It's called street light interference phenomenon:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Street_light_interference_phenomenon

I had heard of it discussed on the nationally syndicated 1:00 to 5:00 AM Talk Show called Coast to Coast AM, devoted to "far out" topics like the paranormal, conspiracy theories, etc.

It seemed to happen to me a lot a few years ago but not since about five or so years, but back then I used to leave on my commute well before 5:00 AM; I now usually leave later than 5:30 AM. My commuter route is not flat ,but with up and down hills, and gradual inclines/declines. It seemed to me that SLI occured almost exclusively on gradual inclines. FWIW

Thanks for that reply Jim, and the link. Interesting stuff. I have commuted at or before dawn before too, and have had lights go off, but even if I thought it was still pretty dark I'd
still dismiss it because of the time of day.

I'll pay attention a bit more and if it does happen try to notice if it's the same one. I'm pretty open minded. I like the "magical thinking" line. No doubt people are guilty of that sort of thing, but so many things taken for granted today would be magic long ago. Maybe the act of paying attention to it prevents it from happening. Go ahead and laugh, then look at
quantum mechanics.

Great answers. So, why doesn't it happen when you drive by in a car? Maybe it does, but I have yet to see it.

Pay attention to how many lights don't go off and how many lights do go off. You will most likely quickly realize its just a coincidence.

Here in MO that has been something I've seen all my life. Not unusual at all.

Me too, but it only happens sporadically to me.

Animal Magnetism, that's what it is. :thumb:

http://www.occultcenter.com/images/Magnetic_Man_01.jpg

OP is Satan. No other explanation.

OP is Satan. No other explanation.
you got me.
222922

There IS an explanation:
Many Street Lights are turned on and off by a photocell (light detector). This turns them on when it gets dark, and off when the day dawns, and it's light again.
Sometimes, one of these sensors is extremely sensitive, and a Bike comes by with a powerful headlight, the headlight of the bike tricks the sensor into thinking the Sun has risen. That's what shuts off the street light.

Maybe a Bike with enough reflective tape can do the trick to.

But I agree, most of the time it's just a random phenomenon.