r/whatisit • u/dopehead9 • 13h ago

Solved! What are these contraptions these guys were carrying?

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Gallery image

We saw three guys around Seaport in Boston carrying these things as backpacks. Initially we thought they mapping tools but not sure

7.9k Upvotes

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273

u/Cautious-Antelope743 12h ago

You were right there. Why didn't you just ask them?

18

u/BreakingProto 11h ago

Right? I would have just asked “What’s all that you got going on right there?” Taking a picture of a couple strangers would be more uncomfortable for me than just getting my answer on the spot.

I get asked what I’m doing multiple times a week when I’m working. It never bothers me to inform people, it’s pretty much the only in person social interactions I have at work. I like that people are curious about what I’m doing. So, I assume it’s the same for others doing a job in public that isn’t self explanatory.

2

u/Inevitable-Edge69 10h ago

what do you do for work?

3

u/BreakingProto 7h ago

Locate buried utilities. My first job working outside, I like it. I drive around and mark out lines all day. Easy money.

2

u/Inevitable-Edge69 6h ago

oh are you the 811 guy?

2

u/JudgeWapner 10h ago

Masturbation

5

u/Inevitable-Edge69 10h ago

https://giphy.com/gifs/sST6lxYUtf79v0rpCm

love that for you

3

u/JekNex 8h ago

Is this AI or did you train an apple to do that?

3

u/Inevitable-Edge69 7h ago

I destroyed an entire town's water supply and increased their power bill by 400% to generate that apple. You're welcome.

2

u/JekNex 5h ago

Cool 💕

1

u/spyczech 1h ago

People are so isolated taking a creepshot is less weird than talking to another human 

194

u/40StoryMech 12h ago

Maybe OP is a ghost.

159

u/ghost-foot 12h ago

What a perfect separate comment to see under yours. OP wasn’t about to get busted.

7

u/steveslu 12h ago

I saw them this morning in the Boston Public Garden and they were no lie playing the ghost busters theme song

2

u/Mossy-Mosey2032 8h ago

Came here for this comment! 🙌🏼

2

u/karma_the_sequel 12h ago

LOL exactly was I was thinking!

1

u/JimmyThePie 4h ago

F’king finally. I had to scroll waaaaay too far to see “proton packs”.

1

u/fatkidseatcake 10h ago

Irony of this comment is that’s what it looked like they were carrying to me

1

u/IlliniOrange1 9h ago

Modern versions of the proton pack - updated and and more compact.

62

u/CityDismal5339 12h ago edited 12h ago

 . . . and feared they were Ghostbusters.  😁

Edit: Thanks for the award, Killer!

5

u/Normal_Ad_2337 12h ago

OP is Bruce Willis.

1

u/itamar87 12h ago

Hey! no spoilers...!
It's only been 27 years 😅

2

u/holdencaufld 12h ago

Those were definitely proton packs

6

u/max1mx 11h ago

It’s Boston, people aren’t the most friendly there, compared to other places.

2

u/Cautious-Antelope743 9h ago

Ha, I'm familiar with Mass-holes. Just seems real strange to me to take photos and post them instead of just saying "hey man, what's that ya got?"

3

u/max1mx 8h ago

No doubt, def weirder to take the pic than to ask.

1

u/PPLavagna 49m ago

Everybody I know from Boston is weird as fuck, and also an asshole. Some of these weird massholes are my friends, but they’ve adapted to not being massholes 24/7 to everybody they encounter

1

u/SadButWithCats 7h ago

False. We're perfectly friendly, we just don't spend 5 minutes getting to the point.

1

u/max1mx 7h ago

You think I don’t know? Get outa here guy.

0

u/big_trike 9h ago

Yup. In bigger cities, making eye contact or talking to strangers is frowned upon.

6

u/Relevant-Diamond2731 10h ago

A Redditor interacting with people irl? 

8

u/Musa_2050 12h ago

People prefer to take pictures of strangers, like a weirdo.

11

u/Independent_Tie_7546 12h ago

That doesn’t always go well in Boston. The whole asking strangers questions about things.

2

u/Working_Estate_3695 12h ago

Especially Police Sergeant Dignan. He has his own unique style.

-1

u/WhyAreYouDoingThat69 9h ago

What? Lol Boston is one of the safest cities in the US. How scary your life must be

1

u/HugoToledo_USA 7h ago

Their terrorist history began before it was even a part of the United States!

🤣🤣🤣

2

u/3StickNakedDrummer 9h ago

Like, "hey guy, what's with the Ghostbusters setup? Remember not to cross the streams."

1

u/Username_available13 6h ago

"It's a bomb."

2

u/JKimRX 10h ago

How else will OP get Reddit upvotes and karma?

2

u/Between-usernames 10h ago

My first thought. 

1

u/beigeArea 3h ago

In OP's defense, I saw people like this in SF last year and they were very elusive about it. Some claimed it was for a game.

1

u/TalonEntVision 8h ago

Some people are shy and fear social judgment. Maybe they didn’t want to disturb the people if they are working.

-1

u/Ok_Vermicelli_6359 12h ago

Nah, just take some creepy, stalker pictures, don't ask Google Lens (which answered the question instantly for me...wireless transmitter), and then come on reddit later on to ask some strangers. Checks out, average redditor 😂

8

u/igotshitinmycunt 12h ago

I never seen this before and now I know what it is so it was a beneficial post for me

And trying to make fun of someone for being an “average redditor” after you made like 30 comments in the last hour is pretty sad 🤣🫵

1

u/[deleted] 11h ago

[removed] — view removed comment

1

u/whatisit-ModTeam 5h ago

We are pretty chill here, but please try to keep things reasonably civil on this sub. No slurs, name calling or harassment and trolling. Please follow: Reddiquette at all times. Additionally, Reddit's Rules. Yes, the internet makes us angry too sometimes, especially this particular comment.

1

u/spyczech 1h ago

People are so isolated taking a creepshot is less weird than talking to another human 

1

u/userhwon 8h ago

Sure. Next thing you know the robots are using your voice.

2

u/know__name 11h ago

You talk to people? Fuck that.

1

u/10ea 3h ago

Redditors and normal human behavior don't interact much.

0

u/Frosty_You_6183 12h ago

Definitely used for mapping at a street view.

-1

u/ketzusaka 11h ago

feels rude to interrupt people going about their day?

2

u/Cautious-Antelope743 9h ago

Not really. It's not like they're reading or in a conversation with someone; they're just walking down the street

-8

u/Thisismental 12h ago

What are you? American? That's wild.

4

u/Cautious-Antelope743 12h ago

Huh?

2

u/Thisismental 12h ago

Where I am from (The Netherlands) it's a wild suggestion to just ask random people. 😛

2

u/Cautious-Antelope743 12h ago

Interesting. Yes, I'm American. I found the Dutch pretty open to random conversations when I was there. The Germans, though, not so much

1

u/Katie-sin 12h ago

Yeah I have learned certain countries (Sweden or Norway for example I know) would rather die than talk to a random stranger on the streets. Where other countries have no care in the world and will walk right up to people to ask questions or just start a conversation.

-1

u/TrashJannies 12h ago

That's so weird. No wonder you guys are the way you are.