Documentary filmmaker Matthew Bate
asked the question to hundreds of people and got hundreds of answers:
A sign that someone has lost his virginity, a bullying tactic, a mafia signal to the police, code for where to buy drugs, a mark of gang territory, a tribute to fallen gang members, a graffiti-like practice to mark your street, "total bullshit," a sign that, in a given neighborhood, "people can do whatever they feel like and there's no recognition of law or decency," something done by food-service employees when they graduate to a better job, or a way to get rid of old shoes that are too beat up to give away.
The notion that they have something to do with gang activity or selling drugs seems particularly widespread. But probably people just do it.
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