h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

There was a period lasting about a month during my late childhood when I experienced an extraordinary number of lampost burnouts. I began counting them due to the high frequency. It shot up to about 23 before I moved off to college and they all stopped. I'm not quite sure what this signifies.

It's happened to me almost non-stop for about 3 years, both on the Isle of Wight and in Southampton. One time Tim (Roasted Amoeba) and I were walking back from the cinema and 7 lights went out on us along Burgess Road. I've never walked along Burgess Road at night without at least one light going out on me... Spooky, but true.
I've lots of witnesses too - Roasted Amoeba, Peregrin, Eccles and The Fish are all friends of mine on the Guide who've witnessed it..

Believe me, mine were well documented as well. It's kinda freaky.

Here at Arizona State University, there's a reason when they go out. The lampposts have these detectors on them designed to conserve energy. They're supposed to turn on when they detect motion and turn off after a while. Unfortunately, somtimes they go on the fritz and work in reverse...really freaky.

Before there were electric lights & light bulbs, people used to have gas lampposts. They never burn out. There are still lots of the gas ones in Boston (Massachusetts, USA)'s Beacon Hill neighborhood.

I didn't know there were still ones toady - I just assumed they belonged to the days of Victorian London.
Well, you learn something new each day.

They are still kinda romantic, even in the 21st century.

They sound it, but they remind me more of the old Victorian "Sherlock Holmes" image of London, though. Detectives and fog.
But Romance is another way of looking at it.