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 RobertB
    
Location: Skeeterville, TX
Gender: Male
Maybe I shouldn't be using my real name...
 |  |  | Death Star Drain
< on 5/27/2008 1:05 AM >
|  | | | I really shouldn't wait so long to post -- I took these pix on New Year's Eve and they've been sitting on my hard drive ever since, waiting. I'll remember what they were as best as I can.
I call this the Death Star Drain because the only access to it is from the end of a steep, narrow trench about a quarter mile long. You'd have a hard time getting out without a rope anywhere but the end, where it emerges from under a freeway. It would make a great amateur movie set... I tried making a time-lapse movie coming back, but instead of looking like the view from an X-Wing, it looked more like a guy carrying a camera down a storm drain.
Finally, the end of the trench, an opening about the size of a womp rat (about two meters, according to some sources).
Oh, misc pics from the trench: a washed-away manhole cover, a pipe coming out of the side, the usual raccoon tracks.
The smaller exhaust ports (which probably don't lead to the core anyway), filled with the usual stuff.
Saying goodbye to the light. If it weren't for the objects giving the scene scale, you could almost imagine fighters approaching for a one-in-a-million shot.
The usual collection of graffiti, inevitable since the drain is visible from an elementary school. Most comments show, as usual, a sixth-grade level of wit and intelligence. Although I do have to wonder what was going on with "Tiffany R. Sucks mine HELP" Kind of reminds me of King Arthur looking for the Castle of Aaaaarrrgh.
Arthur: Look, if he was dying, he wouldn't bother to carve 'Aaaaarrrgh'. He'd just say it!
Galahad: Perhaps he was dictating.
I should call the City of [Redacted] and tell them that I've identified the manhole-eating drain. One, I can see, but two in a single drain complex?
Here are some examples of art following function. There were several spots that had been sprayed with hi-visibility orange. And there were other spots sprayed with hi-visibility pink. I thought both were from city workers, marking potential trouble spots, until the "artist" of the pink signed his work.
The pink and orange was especially helpful on the pipes that crossed in the head space. But that's not the most notable (or dangerous) feature in this sequence. See that trash bag thing pushing into the top of the pipe? That's the ROAD. At some point, the city patched a road, and apparently just poured concrete into a hole until the surface stopped sinking. What looks like a stuck trash bag is actually a solid block of concrete... with sharp pointy metal added for garnish. "WATCH YOUR HEAD" indeed.
Warren Nobles' efforts were much appreciated.
A couple of disused side tunnels.
This wye included a great sitting spot! Just right after the long hike. The side tunnel quickly narrowed, though.
This ominous message was written near the junction: "If you read this yiu wva li".  It must have had something to do with the scary character whose silhouette could be seen in the light from a conveniently-placed storm drain.
Finally, as R2's plans said, I reached the core. In this case, it's a large vault *above* the pipe. It's right by another elementary school. Judging from the fading graffiti, there weren't originally bars on the drain. I guess they had enough first-graders come washing up at the next elementary school that they decided to take some precautions.
That side tunnel looked interesting -- despite its jagged edges -- but it had a couple of things going against it. For one, it was a crawl -- a dry crawl, but it would be hands 'n knees for an unknown distance. But worse, it was sealed with some sort of tar that smelled bad, and there wasn't much air flowing through it. I passed.
For the first time, though, I got caught. I heard the leaves rustling, and looked up a side drain to see one of the more usual residents of the area wondering who the hell was in HIS drain? We regarded each other for a bit, then he went away. But being part feline myself, I knew where to find him. Sure enough, he went to the top for a better look.
The cool thing is that this drain has an easily placeable start and end. My reading of Google Maps shows that the tunnel portion should be about 2400 feet, assuming it follows the street grid. If it's more direct, it could be as short as 1600 feet... still a pretty respectable underground trip.
J'ai toujours fait une prière à Dieu, qui est fort courte.
La voici: "Mon Dieu, rendez nos ennemis bien ridicules!"
Dieu m'a exaucé. |
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RobertB
Location: Skeeterville, TX
Gender: Male
Maybe I shouldn't be using my real name...
| | | Re: Death Star Drain
<Reply # 1 on 5/27/2008 1:07 AM >
| | | | Darn it, I hit "Post" without making it public. Raticus, can you flip that bit so that the rest of the world can see the thread?
J'ai toujours fait une prière à Dieu, qui est fort courte.
La voici: "Mon Dieu, rendez nos ennemis bien ridicules!"
Dieu m'a exaucé. |
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metawaffle
   
King of Puns
Location: Brisbane!
Gender: Male
Purveyor of Fine Lampshades
| | | Re: Death Star Drain
<Reply # 2 on 5/27/2008 1:11 AM >
| | | | Damn it, I had a womp rat joke all lined up, but nooo, you had to go and hog all the best material.
http://www.longexposure.net |
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Happiedaze
Location: Galveston Area, TX
Gender: Female
| |  | | Re: Death Star Drain
<Reply # 3 on 5/27/2008 1:12 AM >
| | | | Those look pretty cool..
Love the cat peeking in at you.. thats a cute shot.
'Our plans are all laid out,
take all these unmarked roads,
we blaze the trails to places no one goes, yeah!' -Rise Against |
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Raticus
 
Moderator
Location: Tyler
Gender: Male
Ratus exploricus abandonae
| | Re: Death Star Drain
<Reply # 4 on 5/27/2008 7:50 PM >
| | | | Posted by RobertB
Darn it, I hit "Post" without making it public. Raticus, can you flip that bit so that the rest of the world can see the thread?
|
Got it.
Wise men speak because they have something to say; Fools speak because they have to say something. |
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SilentSearch
Location: Cowtown
Gender: Male
My rebellion against the santa cursor! HoHoHo
| | Re: Death Star Drain
<Reply # 5 on 5/28/2008 1:54 PM >
| | | |
You know that cat reported you to the authorities!
It's got this PO'd expression and seems to say "How dare you invade my private place, Vile Interloper!"
Great set of drain pix.
Official UE Safety officer and rescue specialist. |
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sUrD
Location: anywhere the internet takes me
Gender: Male
Hello wasteland!
| | Re: Death Star Drain
<Reply # 6 on 5/28/2008 2:29 PM >
| | | | really awesome pix
...the wings on my shoes shrank now the moths won't eat my kidneys, when i shake my state capital it only yields 3 fairy napkins, but how do i know my banana slippers are like water boats because when the moon winks it burns my hamster punches, and that's how you get to llama school rowing your canoe backwards up main street when the front bumper falls off, do mermaids get to drink orange juice? |
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RobertB
Location: Skeeterville, TX
Gender: Male
Maybe I shouldn't be using my real name...
| | | Re: Death Star Drain
<Reply # 7 on 5/28/2008 2:32 PM >
| | | | Posted by SilentSearch
You know that cat reported you to the authorities!
It's got this PO'd expression and seems to say "How dare you invade my private place, Vile Interloper!"
Great set of drain pix.
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I previously posted this modified pic in a general discussion thread back in February. I submitted it to icanhascheezburger.com, but it didn't make the cut -- I guess there aren't enough UE'rs among the lolcat crowd. Maybe if everyone clicks this link and gives it 5 cheezburgerz, it'll make the front page.
J'ai toujours fait une prière à Dieu, qui est fort courte.
La voici: "Mon Dieu, rendez nos ennemis bien ridicules!"
Dieu m'a exaucé. |
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metawaffle
King of Puns
Location: Brisbane!
Gender: Male
Purveyor of Fine Lampshades
| | | Re: Death Star Drain
<Reply # 8 on 5/28/2008 3:45 PM >
| | | | You can haz my vote.
http://www.longexposure.net |
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\/adder
Location: DunkarooLand
Gender: Male
I'm the worst of the best but I'm in this race.
| | | Re: Death Star Drain
<Reply # 9 on 5/29/2008 4:21 AM >
| | | |
I SED GIT OWTA MAH DRAYNE!!!
& 5 Chezburgers wif XXTRA Chez plez!
"No risk, no reward, no fun."
"Go all the way or walk away"
escensi omnis... |
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