Why do lights turn off when I am around?

[wendigo]

Specifically street lights seem to turn off fairly regularly when I am around. I also notice it while skate skiing, sometimes a light on the trail will turn off while I am directly under it.

I have have kept these observations to myself for a long time and really no longer notice the phenomenon (if it is one) however, other folks have recently noticed this effect that I have on objects of illumination of their own volition, even. Now it is starting to freak me out a bit.

Is this a side effect of being abducted by aliens? (no - I haven't been, well at least that I am aware of). Could this have repercussions for watch wearing? I rarely wear them, but the batteries seem to die off quickly. Oh, and I seem to get a static shock from damn near everything, which really isn't that much fun particularly if I am already in the dark from the lights turning off. Well thanks for answering my important questions.

[ill-advised strategy]

this has been happening to me since ~2000.

wtf is it?

dude, I've essentially had this as a secret for 9 years b/c it seems so crazy to try to explain it to people.

[Neurodoc]

It isn't just you.

http://www.straightdope.com/columns/...ily-emanations

[taz]

you are all wizards

[Steven S. Dallas]

You have brain cancer. Sorry you had to find out this way.

[Vino]

^^^^^ GOLD.

[EarlyWood]

Why do stars fall down from the sky
Every time you walk by?

[Smokey McPole]

I've noticed this ever since I started taking long 2 am walks around campus when I went to UWEC in the late 80's. I ended up moving to the countryside. No streetlights = problem solved.

[skichick]

Could this have repercussions for watch wearing? I rarely wear them, but the batteries seem to die off quickly.

I've had the same problem with watches (or anything with a battery) as did my dad. I complained once to a jeweler about it and he said he saw that problem a lot. He said there are people who have a "charge" or whatever that makes the battery only last a few weeks and then there are people who are the total opposite who make the battery last extra long, like 5 or 6 years, instead of the normal 2 or so. I mentioned this to my physics prof and he thought I was nuts but obviously there's something to it. Crazy - but I understand and empathize!

[summit]

It's because you soul is dark and rotting. The stench of evil and corruption blots out the light.

[doughboyshredder]

Specifically street lights seem to turn off fairly regularly when I am around. I also notice it while skate skiing, sometimes a light on the trail will turn off while I am directly under it.

I have have kept these observations to myself for a long time and really no longer notice the phenomenon (if it is one) however, other folks have recently noticed this effect that I have on objects of illumination of their own volition, even. Now it is starting to freak me out a bit.

Is this a side effect of being abducted by aliens? (no - I haven't been, well at least that I am aware of). Could this have repercussions for watch wearing? I rarely wear them, but the batteries seem to die off quickly. Oh, and I seem to get a static shock from damn near everything, which really isn't that much fun particularly if I am already in the dark from the lights turning off. Well thanks for answering my important questions.

Same thing happens to me. Really. I get shocked constantly. Every time I touch my dog or cat. Every time I get dressed in the morning. Every time I get in to my truck. Sometimes the static discharge is strong enough to actually make a visible spark. I can not wear digital watches because the time gets scrambled. I can walk down a street at night and at least 1 out of 10 street lights will go out when I am near them.

I have always enjoyed getting shocked. I used to put my tongue on the race car track and see how long I could hold the trigger on the controller. I have actually put my finger in a light socket (on purpose), while my friend turned it on and off. I work with electricity and have been grabbed before for about 20 seconds. I thought I was dead.

Anyway, my theory is that every human has a battery of sorts. Most everything that occurs in your brain is because of electrical pulses that your body generates. I think some of us have a defective or overcharged battery.

I would really be interested if anyone has studied this.

[EarlyWood]

why do birds suddenly appear whenever...ah fuck it

I've noticed this ever since I started taking long 2 am walks around campus...I ended up moving to the countryside. No streetlights = problem solved.

=..still at large

[OSECS]

Same thing happens to me. Really. I get shocked constantly. Every time I touch my dog or cat. Every time I get dressed in the morning. Every time I get in to my truck. Sometimes the static discharge is strong enough to actually make a visible spark. I can not wear digital watches because the time gets scrambled. I can walk down a street at night and at least 1 out of 10 street lights will go out when I am near them.

I have always enjoyed getting shocked. I used to put my tongue on the race car track and see how long I could hold the trigger on the controller. I have actually put my finger in a light socket (on purpose), while my friend turned it on and off. I work with electricity and have been grabbed before for about 20 seconds. I thought I was dead.

I think some of us have a defective or overcharged battery.
.

Freakin' atheist !!!

[altagirl]

I've had the same problem with watches (or anything with a battery) as did my dad. I complained once to a jeweler about it and he said he saw that problem a lot. He said there are people who have a "charge" or whatever that makes the battery only last a few weeks and then there are people who are the total opposite who make the battery last extra long, like 5 or 6 years, instead of the normal 2 or so. I mentioned this to my physics prof and he thought I was nuts but obviously there's something to it. Crazy - but I understand and empathize!

That's really interesting - I hadn't thought about it but I have a Polar HRM watch that I wore for like a year and then got a different watch and it sat on a shelf for about 2 years. When I put it back on maybe 4 months ago - it had the low battery signal flashing. I figured I'd need to replace the battery but just didn't get around to it. It kept flashing for a few weeks and it just occurred to me that it no longer says it has a low battery now that I've been wearing and using it for like 4 months. That's weird.

[1000-oaks]

Anyway, my theory is that every human has a battery of sorts. Most everything that occurs in your brain is because of electrical pulses that your body generates. I think some of us have a defective or overcharged battery.

[WyoWill]

My wife complains about street lights turning off when she's around too. She normally is very smart, but on this topic she is bat-shit crazy. Seems to me the lights turn on and off periodically (probably because the bulbs warm up too much). When they turn on, they do so progressively over a short period of time so it isn't as noticeable. When they turn off, they do so almost instantly so it is very noticeable. Next time a light turns off when you are around, you could wait to see if it comes back on...

[splat]

I used to thimk the same thimg was happening to me.
However, sodium and metal halide lights have an auto trip for when they get too hot and turn off to cool down so they don't fry.

[irul&ublo]

Why do lights turn off when I am around?

The RF interference from your remote control buttplug is messing with the lights. Rontele has the same problem.

[wendigo]

I used to thimk the same thimg was happening to me.
However, sodium and metal halide lights have an auto trip for when they get too hot and turn off to cool down so they don't fry.

So what you're saying is that I get the lights all hot and bothered?

[Smokey McPole]

I used to thimk the same thimg was happening to me.
However, sodium and metal halide lights have an auto trip for when they get too hot and turn off to cool down so they don't fry.

Thank you for the scientific explanation Buzzy McKill.

[karpiel]

That still doesn't explain why one I can see out my window at night is on all night, unless I walk under it.

[doughboyshredder]

what about constant static electricity?

[DaneBramage90]

I guess I'm a little slow, but I just wanted to make sure you all knew that technically they're not lights, they're darksuckers.
It would be futile to try and light large portions of street, so the government decided to go with the other method of sucking the dark out of the nearby air.

[Rip'nStick]

Specifically street lights seem to turn off fairly regularly when I am around. I also notice it while skate skiing, sometimes a light on the trail will turn off while I am directly under it.

I have have kept these observations to myself for a long time and really no longer notice the phenomenon (if it is one) however, other folks have recently noticed this effect that I have on objects of illumination of their own volition, even. Now it is starting to freak me out a bit.

Is this a side effect of being abducted by aliens? (no - I haven't been, well at least that I am aware of). Could this have repercussions for watch wearing? I rarely wear them, but the batteries seem to die off quickly. Oh, and I seem to get a static shock from damn near everything, which really isn't that much fun particularly if I am already in the dark from the lights turning off. Well thanks for answering my important questions.

Same deal here. The static shock thing is unreal though, get shocked even on humid days. I regularly touch the standing file cabinets with my keys so that makes it less unpleasant. On "good" days I can shuffle my feet for about 3 meters and throw blue sparks over a cm. In undergrad I used to shock my friends on the back of the neck while studying late in the library. The novelty of that wore off pretty quickly on my friends and they just say, "get away from me freak".

I am careful filling up my gas tank on hot days. I would recommend you do the same.

Resigned myself to it though it still pisses me off when I get a surprise one that hurts. Have no idea but someone should do a PhD in Paranormal Psychology on this. Paging Dr Venkman.

[mock vomit]

Were a few street lights on my regular paths around the area that did this for a while some years ago... I pointed out the lights going dark when I passed to my kids, and claimed it was certainly some super natural occurance... After it happened a few more times while they were out and about with me, they were a bit freaked. Good times!