Nation: Highlights

Red is sexy, yellow… ?

When the New Bedford Gas & Edison Light Co. asked for permission to install energy-efficient amber streetlights on Cape Cod, Artist Eloise Barnhurst strenuously objected. At a public hearing in Falmouth, Mass., Barnhurst, who serves as a consultant on color to cosmetic companies and advertisers, warned that amber is a potentially explosive mixture of red and yellow. Said she: “Red is the color of sex, but yellow is a nerve energizer that keeps us awake.”

Thus, in her view, an amber glow could make pedestrians and motorists both sexy and cautious. Said Barnhurst: “Our bodies and minds will not know which way to go. Everyone knows you can’t think and make love at the same time.” The resulting frustration, she said, might lead to “increased vandalism and other types of misbehavior.” In fact, she said, once while driving past a Hyannis motel with amber lights, she “wanted to scream, run and throw rocks through the windows.” But she restrained herself because she is “61 and self-contained.”

Said Falmouth Selectman Eric Turkington: “There’s some validity to what she says.” To shed more light on the subject, another hearing will be held next week. ·