Chances are you’ve seen purple streetlights in Tri-Cities, namely Richland. What’s the cause of this? Is it an awareness campaign? Is it a new technology? If you drive under one of these streetlights, you may notice that it works like a black light, making parts of your clothes shine in iridescent neon.
Photo by Sandro Katalina on Unsplash
I’d become so accustomed to these lights, I never realized something was off. It wasn’t until someone posed the question in r/TriCitiesWA and it appeared in my feed that I realized purple streetlights aren’t supposed to exist.
Believe it or not, this is an issue that has been affecting not just Washington or the United States, but North America as a whole. Yes, even Canada has experienced this phenomenon! So what is the cause? I had to maneuver my way through some pretty insane YouTube videos where people honestly believe the purple lights are part of some Satanic government takeover to finally find a rational answer.
It’s a manufacturing defect. The exterior coating of the LED bulb in the streetlights has failed somehow, causing the lights to shine purple or blue. I think the Satanic government theory was a little more exciting, to be honest.
Personally, I don’t mind the purple lights. It kinda fits my whole vaporware dystopia vibe, however, I can empathize with people who are unsettled by them.
LOOK: 38 Amazing Actors That Have Called Washington State Home
Sure, Washington is known for Amazon, coffee, wine, apples, grunge music, Microsoft, and Boeing. But you may not know how many actors and actresses have come from the Evergreen State. Yeah, our state has had an impact on the television and film industry. We’ve got A-listers, an Oscar winner, and faces of big franchises.
Check out our list below, I’m sure you’ll find some surprises.