Some people are puzzled (e.g. Matt) by the fact that residents of some towns in New Jersey are mad about solar panels being put on their utility polls, according to the New York Times. "I hate them," says one resident. "It's just an eyesore." Here's their photo:
But I don't think the problem is that these suburban rubes are so enamored of their benighted landscape that they actually like utility poles (full disclosure: I grew up in one of the towns mentioned in the NYT article). It's that we don't notice them at all, because we're so used to them. There's no aesthetic judgment made about the poles and wires; they're like the invisible gorilla.Seriously: go outside and look up and down the street at the poles and crisscrossing electric and cable wires wherever you are. It's absolutely hideous. Even on streets you think are charming, if you actually take the time to look at the wires, you'll be horrified. But they're always there, and we take them for granted, so we just see the cool cafe or the quaint shops, and ignore the ghastly spiderweb above. All of which is to say, once the solar panels have been there for a while, everyone will forget they're there.
But I don't think the problem is that these suburban rubes are so enamored of their benighted landscape that they actually like utility poles (full disclosure: I grew up in one of the towns mentioned in the NYT article). It's that we don't notice them at all, because we're so used to them. There's no aesthetic judgment made about the poles and wires; they're like the invisible gorilla.Seriously: go outside and look up and down the street at the poles and crisscrossing electric and cable wires wherever you are. It's absolutely hideous. Even on streets you think are charming, if you actually take the time to look at the wires, you'll be horrified. But they're always there, and we take them for granted, so we just see the cool cafe or the quaint shops, and ignore the ghastly spiderweb above. All of which is to say, once the solar panels have been there for a while, everyone will forget they're there. 
