A man revealed the true explanation for why enigmatic windowless skyscrapers can be found in several US cities, including New York.
The enormous, windowless structures give people a strange sense and have inspired considerable discussion about what really occurs within their secret walls.
an alien lair? the whereabouts of a sinister secret sect? school for spies to train?
Even Hollywood icon Tom Hanks has speculated about the potential uses for the structures.
In a tweet from 2017, he posted a picture of 33 Thomas Street in New York and questioned whether it was the scariest structure he had ever seen. “WTF happens inside?”
Think no more, though, as Eric Guidry, also known as @e.guidry on TikTok, revealed what the structures were actually used for. You might also be relieved or disappointed to learn that there are no aliens involved.
The structures are actually all a part of AT&T’s extensive network, it turns out.
The lines on your phones were physically connected to the phone of the person on the other end before we had digital telephony.
“That meant we need these massive switching hubs. Most of those buildings I showed were built in the ’70s [or earlier]. “That means they didn’t require actual operators.
“And because this machinery didn’t particularly care if there was light or not, they just decided, why add windows?”
Giving more information on the specific AT&T building in New York featured in the original TikTok video, Eric said: “That building is 33 Thomas Street, which is known to be one of the most secure towers in the world.
“In fact, if you’re watching this in the US, this video probably went through one of those buildings.”
However, several conspiracy theorists believe that the building has been used as a National Security Agency (NAS) surveillance site.
And in 2016, non-profit organisation, The Intercept, claimed that there was ‘compelling evidence’, including leaked documents from NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden, that pointed towards the building having been used as a surveillance site, code-named TITANPOINTE.
According to their 2016 investigation, a former AT&T engineer said there is ‘a major gateway switch’ that ‘routes all calls between the US and other countries around the world’.
While other theories are a bit more crazy – ranging from vampires to ‘lizard headquarters’.
So who knows?
