Hillbilly armor
Hillbilly armor in Baghdad:
Hillbilly armor, also known as “farmer armor”, is a slang term used by American troops to describe improvised vehicle armor, most notably during the occupation of Iraq… In World War II, U.S. tank crews welded spare strips of tank track to the hulls of their Sherman, Grant, and Stuart tanks. In the Vietnam War, U.S. “gun trucks” were reinforced with sandbags and locally fabricated steel armor plate. [Link]
In Delhi and Bombay:
I don’t think using shards of glass are used for function or æsthetics, just paisa-pinching. But if you can afford a highrise overlooking the ocean on Bandstand, you can afford a strip of symmetric spikes.
on Monday, February 26th, 2007, 1:34 pm in Bombay, Photos › 
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I thought those glass shards are used to discourage thieves from climbing. Symmetric metal spikes are easier to circumvent, at least thats how the sales pitch goes.
Looking at the height of the wall, the glass shards won’t be of much help. However, I do know for sure…it keeps the ‘kids’ from jumping in & out of their ‘compound’. In small towns, where any open space is considered a fair game for any kind of sports (gali ka khel), these shards definitely ‘discourage’ kids from hopping in & out. Sounds sadistic?…may be. As a kid, we used to cause havoc & pillage…but glass shards, were too ‘restrictive’.
I had heard the same argument about function, that their random pattern makes them harder to deal with. You could, however, I suppose put steel spikes in randomly.
I don’t think using shards of glass are used for function
It is a cost effective way of keeping walls safe. Random and dense arrangement of glass shards makes them sometimes “quick” safety measure in Indian houses and around. Sometimes, these glass shards are multi-colored, and add aesthetics too.
Another option is iron spikes with barbed wires, but they require more investment.
My parents have iron spikes with barbed wires, on three sides of the wall of their house.
PS: Safety is a serious issue in India, trust me.
manish,
these glass shards also keep monkey away from high walls. that is also a big concern.
Heh, langurs are a big problem in Delhi. If irregular is better you could always use irregular metal spikes, but I suspect the regular kind suffice. It’s just a human-unfriendly eyesore the way barbed wire is.