I wish he would have shown a closer examination of the gate itself. The materials it consisted of, the mechanism to lift/close the gate with, power source etc. I am interested in knowing the potential kinetic stopping power. What height does it sit when closed. Is there a contraption on the opposite side of the street that it locks into? Can it be controlled remotely or does a person have to operate it on sight? Is it electronically motor driven or manually lowered.

It APPEARS to be no different than a typical Rail Road crossing but I could not get a very good look at it to tell. For all I know it might have the potential to stop a semi truck.

that gate appeared to be on an off-ramp
instead of the major highway which was
further up that hill in the background.
There was also a stop light next to
that gate. I see these all the time
on interstate weigh stations or rest
areas. So they're not really stopping
major traffic, just the traffic getting
off the highway and merging with
side traffic. To me it's no different
than approaching a stop light
and having to maneuver traffic.
Just my opinion

Dollars to donuts they are just road closure gates for heavy storms (snowfall) We have em in ID on most roads at problem areas (Mountain passes, lower priority roads where heavy snowfall/winds can quickly create a very dangerous unpassable condition)
If plows are busy on other roads, or unavailable, roads are routinely shut down til plows can come clear. I don't know Wisconsin at all except that I know it snows up there, probably pretty heavily. I wonder how many deaths/EMS calls they have every season due to folks trying to run closed stretches of highway?

Somehow I don't think controlling the population of Wisconsin's free travel is very high on TPTB's agenda

Possibly future toll gates?

Although I do find it a little suspicious, those gates don't look like they would really hold determined people in/out. They do look like they could be used for the stated purposes of replacing officers who would otherwise have to stand out there.

With that being said, I do think it is a little over-kill, especially seeing how they shouldn't have to shut down the highways all too often, anyway. I also agree with the video in that we are getting closer and closer to an Orwellian society and choices are being taken away from us left and right, though I don't think those gates qualify as Orwellian tools of the trade. We have already turned into a nanny-state, where the public basically begs government to do everything for us and those gates surely fit this notion.

I'm sorry, but government doesn't know how to live my life better than I do, especially seeing how their interests conflict with my own. We are basically handing our lives over to folks who could care less about our wellbeing.

Although these gates are indicative of our direction as a society, I wouldn't call them scary or ominous.



--airspoon

[edit on 4-9-2010 by airspoon]

Originally posted by airspoon
Although I do find it a little suspicious, those gates don't look like they would really hold determined people in/out. They do look like they could be used for the stated purposes of replacing officers who would otherwise have to stand out there.

lol
now just think about what you just said.
They could replace officers !!!
But the gates are manually operated.
Won't an officer have to work the gate anyway ????
So how will that replace officers?

Originally posted by TrueAmerican
Now why are my spidey senses tingling on that crazy price tag... 14k for a MANUAL gate? Hmm, maybe some research into the company awarded the contract might be in order.

Doesn't sound too bad to me. I would estimate 3 days to erect one: 1st day setting up the foundation for the gate; 2nd, trenching / laying conduit for power (if lighted); 3rd for final assembly, backfillilng the trench, miscellaneous cleanup, etc.

The company I work for charges roughly 3000 per day for a 3 man crew of which about 1/3 wages and the remainder split between miscellaneous operating expenses- fuel, etc. and insurance for the vehicles, employees, state / local licenses & permits and other fees and about a 15% profit margin. So they would pay us 9000, leaving 5000 for the gate itself. Is that too much?

are the powers that be trying to control the flow of cheddar cheese?
.but sure, they could be manned checkpoints -like are popping up all around the countryside..these days its easy to distrust the "authorities"..they have all been militarized.we do live in a police state more and more-the pieces fall in place.
all the big cities got large stadiums- are they collection and processing centers?
that gated /master planned community- string some barbwire up and you are in a ready made ghetto? ..
the homeland security blanket pulled over your eyes -
sleep tight.

I live in Minnesota. When we get heavy snow and wind, certain highways become literally impassible due to large snow drifts on the highways. Even a four inch drift is enough to cause a spin out. It can get really dangerous even with experienced drivers.

Still, blizzard conditions, whiteouts, drifting snow, road closures, no travel advisories, they just aren't enough to stop some people from driving in horrible conditions. You would think that common sense would prevail, i.e., " dude, it would really suck to spend the weekend stranded in a snowbank during a blizzard." But, I think people can agree that 'common sense' isn't all too common anymore.

It seems that all the other normal precautions weren't enough, so voila, 69 gates at 14K a pop = almost 1 mil. Only to deter drivers from screwing themselves over. If radio and tv emergency announcements weren't enough warning, most people you talk to usually bring up the weather when storms are going on. Like I say common sense. But someone stubborn enough to ignore all warning signs is not going to care too much about a gate.

I know that in extreme cases where a highway has been closed, the stranded motorist who disobeyed the signs has been billed for their rescue. In my opinion, its their own fool fault and they should pay. This might even save the state money if they deal with just 69 drivers a year, who refuse to take the weather seriously.

The conspiracy I see is now the state can charge for a rescue if the gate is down. Who knows what that costs? I wouldn't be surprised if it were more than 20k. People who live in snowbound states should know better though. Respect the weather.

There
There's a lot of confusion on many Wisconsin roads, which manifests in drivers regularly getting on the wrong way and driving sometimes several miles on a split four lane which they believe is a two way. Maybe this is something to help the situation, or as others hypothesize, to aid in snow clearing. As to the smallish stature of the gates, they don't have to be huge to stop a big vehicle. On major highways they use several small gates which are said to be able to stop a semi. S

I believe these road restrictions will become apparent as time goes on, and as people from the day of liberty die off, enabling the world to end as we knew it. Sooner or later the monsters will have their way; there's simply too much glorious, awesome technology available to work with...no not to liberate us, but to enslave us. No one ever thinks of ways to liberate, not anyone in 'power' anyway. Just ask Dennis Kucinich.

[edit on 4-9-2010 by davidmann]

They have gates very similar to those on the (if I remember correctly) the southbound exit ramps onto I16 in here in Georgia.

A state patrol guy told me one time long ago that it was to assist with 'contraflow' procedures if Savannah and other coastal areas had to undergo emergency evacuation b/c of hurricanes. Traffic could proceed away from the coast on both sides of the median-split highway.

Just a thought.