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Fake Cell Phone Tower Palm Frond Slices Through Driver's Windshield

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Pardus

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EL PASO, Texas -- Sergio Gonzales was driving through Central El Paso when a large metal branch fell from the sky impaling his vehicle and striking him in the face.

The idea of a metal branch may seem peculiar, but it’s standard practice in many cities across the U.S. That’s because cell phone towers are disguised in some cases to avoid the unsightly views of a growing number of cell phone towers. That’s the case with the cell tower owned by T-Mobile near Piedras and Altura which was modified in 2007 to appear like a palm tree shortly after a meeting took place with residents who lived near the structure.

“I truly though somebody had hit me,” said Sergio Gonzales, moments after the metallic piece struck his car causing him to halt his car dead in its tracks.

Gonzales said he was driving along Altura and making a right hand turn when the piece fell onto his car. He wasn’t sure something had fell from the sky until a passerby pointed to the faux palm tree above him. The scariest part, perhaps, is that the branch was merely inches from his neck and other areas that could have caused more damage than the cuts to his face near his right eye.

“It hit me in the face and I took out a rag to clean up and realized I had glass all over me,” said Gonzales who explained some of that glass was still in his eye at the time of the interview.

T-Mobile media relations personnel declined to answer specific questions but did relay information in an email. According to T-Mobile the palm tree received new fronds in 2010, and back in March 2011, the site was checked as part of a new standard the company created for all palm tree cell phone towers that have been erected in El Paso.

“The palm frond that fell broke in the middle of the frond, not at the point of attachment to the primary structure,” said Anna Friedges, a member of the T-Mobile public relations team via e-mail.

While T-Mobile explained they do annual checks to their structures each March prior to El Paso’s windy season, the surprising part is that no outside entity enforces them to do so. According to CTIA, an association of wireless networks and companies, neither they nor the FCC regulate or track the upkeep of cell phone towers. That, according to member of CTIA, is the job of local governments which in this case El Paso does not according to a member of the engineering and construction management department with El Paso.

As for the cell phone tower that lost the frond, T-Mobile says it was a result of high winds but says it wasn’t their fault. They contend that the frond broke in the middle of the frond not at the point of attachment to the primary structure indicating it was not an issue with building techniques. They’ve said the fronds will all be removed and inspected closely before the structure is pieced back together.
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It was a part of the camouflage that hit the vehicle. Question is why the disguise. The base stations are not that big. Are they so full of shit? I would say fuck em and see where they get cell reception
 
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What happens when a strong storm goes through?

Does the tower automatically begin broadcasting "Sabre Dance" on all frequencies?
 
oh man, i got in an accident a few months back and had random pieces of glass stuck under the skin in my face. I think I pulled out most of it but I'm pretty sure there's still a piece stuck under my chin.
 
I was on a commercial building job once, and there was a huge wind storm going on. Big sheets of sheet metal were blowing off the roof, and if they hit someone, it would have easily cut them in half :^O
 
As I'm driving along, I don't really notice towers. But those fake trees - your eyes are attracted to them like driving by an accident and having to look. They look so fake that they attract more attention to themselves than plain towers do.
 
none of those fake trees here. And I don't know what a cellphone tower looks like. Power/transformer towers are obvious... cell towers not so much.
 
“It hit me in the face and I took out a rag to clean up and realized I
had glass all over me,” said Gonzales who explained some of that
glass was still in his eye at the time of the interview.

...

“The palm frond that fell broke in the middle of the frond, not at
the point of attachment to the primary structure,” said Anna
Friedges, a member of the T-Mobile public relations team via e-
mail.
Click to expand...

*puts on sunglasses*




/facepalm


YEAAAAAHHHHHH!!!!
 
About 5 years ago they built a HUGE cross near me, behind a church. It was maybe twice the size of most trees... Come to find out a cell co made an agreement with the church to build a tower and that was the result.
 
SpatiallyAware said:
About 5 years ago they built a HUGE cross near me, behind a church. It was maybe twice the size of most trees... Come to find out a cell co made an agreement with the church to build a tower and that was the result.
Click to expand...

Jesus Christ. I wonder how many signals got crossed?
 
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