# What the hell is this white box above the doorway? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 6, 2018, 3:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-hell-is-this-white-box-above-the-doorway/805968 "2018-01-06T03:56:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![OldMrKnowItAll](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/b19c9b/32.png) [@OldMrKnowItAll](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OldMrKnowItAll)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2018, 3:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-hell-is-this-white-box-above-the-doorway/805968/1 "2018-01-06T03:56:54Z")
[![](http://img4.imagetitan.com/img.php?image=17_img_0199.jpg) ](http://img4.imagetitan.com/img.php?image=17_img_0199.jpg) It’s not a smoke alarm ---
**Author:** ![Clark\_Cello](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/58f4c7/32.png) [@Clark\_Cello](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clark_Cello)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2018, 3:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-hell-is-this-white-box-above-the-doorway/805968/2 "2018-01-06T03:58:26Z")
what door? Looks like it may be a doorbell chime or speaker or whatever it is called. ---
**Author:** ![OldMrKnowItAll](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/b19c9b/32.png) [@OldMrKnowItAll](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OldMrKnowItAll)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2018, 4:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-hell-is-this-white-box-above-the-doorway/805968/3 "2018-01-06T04:04:31Z")
> [@Clark\_Cello](#): > > what door? Looks like it may be a doorbell chime or speaker or whatever it is called. Thanks! I think you’re right ---
**Author:** ![Morgenstern](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Morgenstern](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morgenstern)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2018, 4:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-hell-is-this-white-box-above-the-doorway/805968/4 "2018-01-06T04:23:13Z")
Can’t help wondering, have you never seen one before? ---
**Author:** ![snfaulkner](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snfaulkner/32/433_2.png) [@snfaulkner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snfaulkner)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2018, 4:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-hell-is-this-white-box-above-the-doorway/805968/5 "2018-01-06T04:24:37Z")
It’s obviously a big brother/gubment recording device. ---
**Author:** ![Dag\_Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/439d5e/32.png) [@Dag\_Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dag_Otto)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2018, 4:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-hell-is-this-white-box-above-the-doorway/805968/6 "2018-01-06T04:30:54Z")
> [@Morgenstern](#): > > Can’t help wondering, have you never seen one before? I’m wondering why he chose that username with that as his first post? Er, I mean welcome to the dope, **OldMrKnowItAll**! ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2018, 4:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-hell-is-this-white-box-above-the-doorway/805968/7 "2018-01-06T04:31:57Z")
> [@Morgenstern](#): > > Can’t help wondering, have you never seen one before? I’d never seen one before until I bought a house with one in my mid-20s. Some houses just don’t have doorbells, and you don’t always notice them in other peoples’ houses 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Morgenstern](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Morgenstern](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morgenstern)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2018, 4:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-hell-is-this-white-box-above-the-doorway/805968/8 "2018-01-06T04:34:43Z")
> [@ZipperJJ](#): > > I’d never seen one before until I bought a house with one in my mid-20s. Some houses just don’t have doorbells, and you don’t always notice them in other peoples’ houses 🙂 I know, the Clampets hadn’t seen one when they got to Beverly Hills. ---
**Author:** ![erysichthon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d07c76/32.png) [@erysichthon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/erysichthon)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2018, 4:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-hell-is-this-white-box-above-the-doorway/805968/9 "2018-01-06T04:50:03Z")
> [@Dag\_Otto](#): > > Er, I mean welcome to the dope, **OldMrKnowItAll**! We could certainly use a know-it-all around this place! We don’t presently have any that I’m aware of. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2018, 5:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-hell-is-this-white-box-above-the-doorway/805968/10 "2018-01-06T05:00:57Z")
Ding dong or ting-a-ling? ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2018, 5:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-hell-is-this-white-box-above-the-doorway/805968/11 "2018-01-06T05:08:27Z")
> [@Morgenstern](#): > > I know, the Clampets hadn’t seen one when they got to Beverly Hills. Hey! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2018, 5:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-hell-is-this-white-box-above-the-doorway/805968/12 "2018-01-06T05:13:35Z")
Looks like a doorbell to me. ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2018, 6:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-hell-is-this-white-box-above-the-doorway/805968/13 "2018-01-06T06:53:45Z")
Fan mail from some flounder? ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2018, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-hell-is-this-white-box-above-the-doorway/805968/14 "2018-01-06T14:58:07Z")
Great username, **OldMrKnowItAll** , welcome! ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2018, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-hell-is-this-white-box-above-the-doorway/805968/15 "2018-01-06T15:08:52Z")
It’s a mezuzah for really tall people. ---
**Author:** ![Orwell](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/dfb087/32.png) [@Orwell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Orwell)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2018, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-hell-is-this-white-box-above-the-doorway/805968/16 "2018-01-06T16:25:25Z")
> [@Morgenstern](#): > > I know, the Clampets hadn’t seen one when they got to Beverly Hills. 😃 That brings back a great TV memory. The first season of Beverly Hillbillies was fabulous. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2018, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-hell-is-this-white-box-above-the-doorway/805968/17 "2018-01-06T17:22:14Z")
> [@OldMrKnowItAll](#): > > Thanks! I think you’re right Since this apparently been answered, I’m going to close this.