Sneakers tossed onto power lines? In Portland, something else is apparently taking their place. Sex toys.



Images of the phenomenon have circulated on social media for a few weeks. One tweet Monday read: "#Portland: All fun & games until your 6 yr old child asks, 'What are those?' as they point to the dildos in the sky."



Depending on the commenter, the number of suspended sex toys ranges from dozens to hundreds, but no official tally exists. People have documented examples in North, Northeast and Southeast Portland.



The Portland Office of Neighborhood Involvement has received less than 10 calls in three weeks about them, said Susan Barr, a worker at the city and county information and referral center. People have reported them on Comcast and CenturyLink lines, she said.



"There hasn't really been a real groundswell of calls," Barr said. "Actually, most of the calls we've gotten lately have been from the media."



Marc Farrar, a Comcast spokesman, said he's not aware of crews removing any of the toys from Portland power lines. Ryan Noll, a CenturyLink spokesman, declined comment.



Portland General Electric crews have responded to similar calls, said spokeswoman Brianne Hyder.

"We just want to encourage people that it's never a good idea to bring any object into contact with overhead lines," Hyder said.



Dildos are as much a safety hazard as shoes, kites, balloons and other items routinely found tangled in lines, said Pacific Power spokesman Tom Gauntt. "The temptation may be there for tittering, but we want to keep the lines as safe as possible," he said.



She Bop, a sex toy boutique for women with a branch in North Portland, has come to some minds as the possible culprit, but manager Amory-Jane Rogers said the North Beech Street store has no connection.



Rogers first learned about the toys overhead when she returned from a camping trip last week. She admits that she finds the discoveries humorous.



"At first I thought someone had a breakup and was trying to get rid of an ex's possessions in a very dramatic way," she said. "When I heard this was happening in multiple places, I thought it was pretty weird."



She Bop doesn't make dildos or sell the types she's seen in pictures.



And although the store isn't involved, Rogers said, "it's kind of cute that when people think of dildos, they think of us."

-- Everton Bailey Jr.

ebailey@oregonian.com

503-221-8343; @EvertonBailey