# Identifying Odd Structures in Parking Lots **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [May 11, 2021, 3:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identifying-odd-structures-in-parking-lots/941811 "2021-05-11T03:48:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Jim\_B](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jim_b/32/4338_2.png) [@Jim\_B](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jim_B)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2021, 3:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identifying-odd-structures-in-parking-lots/941811/1 "2021-05-11T03:48:39Z")
I have to tell you all, I live in the city of Detroit. But I rarely do any shopping there. So I don’t even know if what I am about to describe is found in Detroit. I think not though. I was just at parking lot of a strip mall (formerly a mall) in a suburb of Detroit. And there was this odd structure I have seen before. It is a large metal structure, roughly the size of a car, with wheels on it. It appeared to have two large solar panels at an angle on the main platform. A flashing blue light was on it on a pole. No telephone or anything else was apparently on it. But I was a distance away. And I didn’t study it too closely. What was it? 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2021, 3:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identifying-odd-structures-in-parking-lots/941811/2 "2021-05-11T03:53:31Z")
They have similar things in the parking lots of grocery stores around here. It’s a security camera with solar panels. ---
**Author:** ![Princhester](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3e96dc/32.png) [@Princhester](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Princhester)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2021, 3:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identifying-odd-structures-in-parking-lots/941811/3 "2021-05-11T03:54:09Z")
Why so big? ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2021, 3:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identifying-odd-structures-in-parking-lots/941811/4 "2021-05-11T03:56:30Z")
Idk. Here’s one that’s said to be a security setup: > **[r/Seattle - Why are these weird cameras with blue lights in the QFC parking lot...](https://www.reddit.com/r/Seattle/comments/frlj4u/why_are_these_weird_cameras_with_blue_lights_in/)** > > 46 votes and 38 comments so far on Reddit ---
**Author:** ![Princhester](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3e96dc/32.png) [@Princhester](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Princhester)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2021, 4:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identifying-odd-structures-in-parking-lots/941811/5 "2021-05-11T04:11:50Z")
That makes sense, it’s really trailer sized rather than car sized. ---
**Author:** ![jtur88](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e9c0ed/32.png) [@jtur88](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jtur88)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2021, 4:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identifying-odd-structures-in-parking-lots/941811/6 "2021-05-11T04:19:16Z")
Why can’t they get their power by plugging into the electrical grid? I assume they are analogous to flashing road-warning signs miles from an exit. ---
**Author:** ![Princhester](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3e96dc/32.png) [@Princhester](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Princhester)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2021, 4:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identifying-odd-structures-in-parking-lots/941811/7 "2021-05-11T04:58:40Z")
I would guess they want it to be entirely portable and don’t want to have to run cables through the parking lot to get tripped over or damaged by cars or whatever.