Shocking 23rd Street Mystery

Anybody know what this thing does?  I saw a bunch of them this afternoon on 23rd Street between 5th and 7th Avenues.  Are these new half-finished parking meters?

Also a mystery, why people found this site by googling for:

Not Disturbing:

- mariebelle's nasa
- chris dahl whitman college
- famous people who live in nyack
- creme fraiche recipes cheesecake lemon
- weird sculpture east village stuffed animals
- patterns for quilted bugs

Disturbing:

- post-civil war movie sound clips
- animals focking pictures
- animals + underwear
- i saw my aunt peeing
- animals that run all over your monitor
- czech blood recipes

Comments

[tien]

i believe they will become muni-meters. so yes, half finished parking meters.

[Joe]

Thanks! That's what the commenters on Curbed also said.