A basketweave roadcone is probably about the same weight as a plastic one, it stacks like a plastic one, and either with paint, or preferably with a garland of (potentially genetically engineered fluorescent) flowers is just as visible as a traditional traffic cone.
Unlike the traditional plastic cone, the Wicker Cones are made by small teams of government funded weavers who work in basic roadside huts, turning out as many roadcones as may be necessary for the surrounding area.
This distributed delivery system means that there is always a ready supply of cones available along the A and B roads of the country. Motorways might require a more industrial approach, but that's a detail for later.
The cones are biodegradable, recyclable (yes, and flammable) and can be upturned and used by students as laundry baskets, solving two secondary problems in one fell swoop.-- zen_tom, Oct 30 2009 The Wicker Man http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0070917/An engaging depiction of day to day life in a small Scottish community. [8th of 7, Oct 30 2009] oh very nice.
wicker men!-- po, Oct 30 2009 "...weavers who work in basic roadside huts..." Which they themselves weave...-- phoenix, Oct 30 2009 Raffia - no.Pollarded willow - yes [+]-- coprocephalous, Oct 30 2009 Good project for parasite feral youths (UK is overrun with them) to undertake whilst on community service.-- xenzag, Oct 30 2009 Good prison work as well.-- vincevincevince, Oct 30 2009 //distributed delivery// what, you don't just set them on the ground and they trundle off to wherever they're needed ?... well [+] despite that obvious flaw :D-- FlyingToaster, Oct 30 2009 Like x, only wicker.-- theleopard, Oct 30 2009 Definitely extremely excellent.-- nineteenthly, Oct 30 2009 // and flammable //
Do they come with a little Edward Woodward doll inside ?
[+]-- 8th of 7, Oct 30 2009 How much wood would Edward Woodward chuck if Edward Woodward would chuck wood?-- theleopard, Oct 30 2009 You know what the Equalizer's name is without any 'd's in it?Ewar Woowar.-- Jinbish, Oct 30 2009 Simple - dip the bottom in mud.-- Twizz, Oct 30 2009 For very windy situations, concrete them in place.-- prufrax, Oct 30 2009 // How do you keep the wicker cones weighted down //
Put children inside ?
At night, they could be illuminated by setting fire to them.-- 8th of 7, Oct 30 2009 they could double as bird feeders - weigh them down with bird seed.-- po, Oct 30 2009 I've always wondered about bird seed... what type of birds would grow?-- Ling, Oct 30 2009 I'm not sure bird seed would be a good idea, it might encourage all sorts of animals to venture into the road...
How about bits of clay or rubble - if the wickerwork folded under itself at the bottom to provide a lip of sorts, this could be filled with stuff to provide a weighted base - that's not dissimilar to how normal cones are weight biased.-- zen_tom, Oct 30 2009 You could fill them with bees.-- theleopard, Oct 30 2009 Can I just make it perfectly clear that I think this is a wonderful idea? [+]-- MaxwellBuchanan, Oct 30 2009 You could plant their bases in the earth, then they would sprout and grow.-- pocmloc, Oct 30 2009 Yes, but in the autumn the foliage would die back, and you'd be left with a Withered Wicker Thicket. But then you could include them as part of a traditional English game and use them as a Withered Wicker Thicket Cricket Wicket.
Convolvulus ? Bindweed ?
If you planted Belladonna in them and covered them with pagan symbols, they could be Wiccan Wicker Traffic cones.-- 8th of 7, Oct 30 2009 You could fill them with beers. (That's what I thought [theleopard] said.)-- blissmiss, Oct 30 2009 <Homer Simpson> Mmmm... bear....-- theleopard, Oct 30 2009 Will the bears be armed ? That could be dangerous ...-- 8th of 7, Oct 30 2009 They have the right...-- theleopard, Oct 30 2009 random, halfbakery