# Those white crosses in parking lots

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/those-white-crosses-in-parking-lots/467526>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [October 11, 2008, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/those-white-crosses-in-parking-lots/467526 "2008-10-11T22:43:26Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![NinetyWt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/cc9497/32.png) [@NinetyWt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NinetyWt)\
**Post date:** [October 13, 2008, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/those-white-crosses-in-parking-lots/467526/21 "2008-10-13T14:52:45Z")

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> [@Napier](#):
>
> Oddly, though, there are patches here and there that as far as I could tell might be new. In fact, I’d like to think the same is true of me, too.

That patches of you are new? 😉 I s’pose that’s so (new skin).

I don’t think the same places are necessarily used each time by whomever does the aerial mapping where I live, so that’s why I was ‘huh’ about the markings being permanent. However, I can certainly see that it would be beneficial to make them so. I’m not surprised that other places do.

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**Author:** ![Napier](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ce73a5/32.png) [@Napier](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Napier)\
**Post date:** [October 13, 2008, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/those-white-crosses-in-parking-lots/467526/22 "2008-10-13T16:05:36Z")

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\>That patches of you are new?

Or appear so. I’d take that. Though, I did get two slices of dead guy bolted into my neck last month, so they’re new to me, right?

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**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\
**Post date:** [October 13, 2008, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/those-white-crosses-in-parking-lots/467526/23 "2008-10-13T21:39:33Z")

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> [@djgrendellv](#):
>
> I have a follow up question, now that I know what the purpose of these white crosses are. Is there some specified layout on how these are arranged? In other words, are they placed, say, 5000’ away from each other? Or are they placed wherever there just happens to an unobstructed view for planes to take pictures?

Quite frankly, it varies.

Some are laid out in a regular grid, for mapping.

Others are laid out for highway planning routes (plastic is sometimes used here).  
The issue of waiting until early Autumn, & shooting new film until Late Spring–spot on. No good taking photos if trees & heat shimmer make good photos impossible.  
BTW–there are “L” shaped marks laid out, too.

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**Author:** ![Ignatz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/3be4f8/32.png) [@Ignatz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ignatz)\
**Post date:** [October 14, 2008, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/those-white-crosses-in-parking-lots/467526/24 "2008-10-14T00:28:43Z")

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**djgrendellv** : Are there more than one of them in your parking lot? If so, is there any discernable pattern to them or distance(s)/alignment between them?

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