# Street Light shut off



## Lunatic (Oct 3, 2006)

Alright, this subject might be taboo and perhaps unsafe but I'm asking it anyway. 

I'd really like to shut off the street light in front of my house during Halloween so it doesn't interfere with my lighting affects. I'm not asking if it's illegal, just curious. I read somewhere in the past that perhaps focusing a laser at the photocell on the street light might turn it off. Anyone have experience with such a thing? Any ideas or should I leave the subject alone?
Thanks in advance.


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## Spartan005 (Mar 13, 2007)

http://www.wikihow.com/Turn-off-a-Street-Light

only works 10 minutes


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## debbie5 (Mar 2, 2007)

Oh, don't worry about asking questions! We here at hauntforum have answers for what to do with those pesky streetlights that screw up your lighting.

Answer: a .22 pistol.

Seriously, though. Some people have hoisted a light onto the photocell (problem is, most of the cells are on top of the light). I found out in 9th grade that if the light is on a wooden "telephone" pole, you can usually kick the pole hard enough to vibrate the filament and put the light out for 15 minutes. Most (like me) used tutorial at skullandbone.com which deals with this exact problem and try to ignore the damn light.

(shhhhh...if you wrap a towel around the barrel of the pistol and fire at 2 am, it's less likely to draw attention, but you only get one shot...)


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## psyko99 (Jan 11, 2008)

every year my Christmas display shuts off the street light in front of my house.

You could call your municipality's office of lighting and see if they could accommodate a request like that. It may be as simple as applying for a permit.


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## MansionHaunter (Sep 20, 2006)

This topic has been covered before.

With proper lighting, you can overcome a street light's washout effect. 

We have a streetlight in our front yard and it totally bathes the yard in a healthy orange-ish glow. But I've learned from others here that use of floods and spotlights in the right place can create a far more dramatic and interesting looking scene and will totally overwhelm the streetlight's influence.


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## MansionHaunter (Sep 20, 2006)

http://www.skullandbone.com/tutorial_01.htm

Check that out. That was invaluable to me for figuring out how to light my yard without worrying about the streetlight.


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## Lunatic (Oct 3, 2006)

LOL! I like the pistol idea and have jokingly thought about it but I am a law abiding citizen. I'm still smiling. If I lived in a rural area with no one around I may consider it but then again there probably wouldn't be a street light there.

Thanks for the response folks. I didn't think that it would be as simple as pointing a laser to temporarily control the light so I'll just take your advice and work around the problem.


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## Warrant2000 (Oct 8, 2008)

You may use the light to your advantage. Some tree branches or sillouettes in the right spot could cast some menacing shadows on your area. Maybe a even a face sillouette...


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## Monk (Aug 26, 2008)

debbie5 said:


> I found out in 9th grade that if the light is on a wooden "telephone" pole, you can usually kick the pole hard enough to vibrate the filament and put the light out for 15 minutes.


lol... that brings back some memories. Back in grade school, we had to go in when the street lights came on & kicking the pole usually bought us kids another half hour of play time.


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## Dr Morbius (Sep 21, 2004)

Do NOT turn off the street light! It is there for the safety of pedestrians. If a ToTer is hit by a car because you wanted a darker haunt you will never be able to live with yourself.
Do what others have said and work around it using Skull and Bone's technique.


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## Death Master (Jul 1, 2007)

Heres what I said in 2007 when the same question was asked:

They just put a street light right across the street from me last year, and I deal with it by putting a sock that I made from a sheet of blue gel over it for Halloween night. I have a telescoping pole for changing out my outside recessed lights that I hang the sock from and put it over the light for Halloween night. I think like most of you, you just make do with what you have on hand, and try to convey what you are thinking for the scene. I use reds, greens, and blues; I really don't think there is a wrong color.


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## Haunted Bayou (Feb 16, 2007)

You can ask your town to put a sheild on it, which will focus the light on the ground where it is needed. Sometimes they will do it for free if you have a complaint about it lighting your entire house at night or sometimes they charge a fee. You could ask your city council.

I was a member of an astronomy forum, we amateur astronomers have a gripe with night glow all year long. I have so many street lights in my neighborhood knocking out my night vision that I put my telescope away. I miss star gazing!


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## Dark Angel 27 (Sep 11, 2008)

i agree with morbias and haunted bayou. the streetlight is there for the tot's safety, i'd go with the shield idea. and that folks is my 1000th post!


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## CoolDJTV (Jun 28, 2011)

Spartan005 said:


> http://www.wikihow.com/Turn-off-a-Street-Light
> 
> only works 10 minutes


That can't Be legal? Can It?


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## DireDebb (May 14, 2011)

Our neighborhood has a very small number of street lights and I'm lucky enough to have a neighbor's tree between my yard and the only light that would cause a problem. I do like the sock idea - "can't beat them, use it to your advantage."

My problem is security lights. I have them on both sides now. One neighbor will shut hers off, as long as I remind her (and she's not home on Halloween night). The other light is new this year and I'm hoping that neighbor will be as accommodating. It's not even the amount of light that's the most annoying, it's that they shine into the ToT's eyes. But that sock idea might work here too...


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## Allen H (Feb 13, 2010)

float up a bundle of black balloons. use a string and have them all tied together, if you do it on the right side then it would just block your yards light. then use the string o pull them back down.


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## Zurgh (Dec 21, 2009)

As an electrician, I could tell you how (depending on the exact type of street lighting type) to kill them by direct disconnection (usually Illegal)... but ya' might end up killing your self or others... I prefer the Idea of incorporating the lighting into your haunt (as I do) or Allen H's rather ingenious (if low tech) Idea of balloons...


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## Vlad (Aug 2, 2005)

No Cool, it's not legal. This subject comes up every so often, and any tampering with the street light whatsoever is illegal. And it also leaves you open to damages if there are any accidents, be it car or pedestrian while the light is disabled.


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