Right Under Your Feet

I have recently taken up a daily walk as an addition to my exercise routine. It is mildly interesting to check out the houses and gardens of my Bellaire neighbors, but as I stroll along, I am astounded at the huge numbers of manhole covers that dot our streets. Wow, they are everywhere. Some are simply labelled “SEWER” or the name of the city plus “STORM SEWER.” Many in Bellaire have a cute picture of four people, presumably a family, standing next to a tree with a few buildings in the background. One building may be a church.

I have observed manhole covers in other cities, too. The typical one is round, made of cast iron, usually marked as a cover for a particular purpose – sewer, water main, power or communication lines. A few are unmarked. The city name is often proudly displayed, and sometimes there is a decoration of sorts like the ones we have in Bellaire.

What are these things anyhow? Google manhole covers and you will learn that manhole covers are round because they rest on an underlying rim and are wider than the opening. This way they cannot fall through. A square manhole cover, and there are some, can fall into the hole if it is tilted so that it is vertically inserted at the corners of the square. Also, round manhole covers can be rolled. You can’t do that with a square one.

Manhole covers must be heavy to withstand whatever moves over them. They usually weigh 90-150 pounds, but some weigh up to 250 pounds when used at places such as airports, where the load on the cover may be especially great. It is hard for me to believe, but theft of manhole covers is a big problem. In many countries, the covers are sold for scrap metal. According to a Wikipedia article, in Kolkata, India, so many manhole covers were pilfered that the municipality replaced them with concrete covers. These, in turn, were stolen for the rebars inside them.

Another odd thing about manhole covers is that despite their weight, occasionally gasses inside the manhole may blow the covers off, creating a hazard. There are even incidents when electrical current has shocked persons stepping on a cover. I am happy to report that the majority of these exploding manhole covers occur in New York City and in the summertime. I don’t know if that is because New York sewers are particularly gaseous in the summer, but I’d advise stepping on manhole covers in New York only in the winter. 

As you walk around, you might notice and even admire manhole covers in your neighborhood or wherever you may travel, but you should be envious of our friends in Japan. There, manhole covers are decorated with colorful artwork, many times pictures of Pokémon or similar characters. Some have illustrations of local specialties or items of Japanese culture. In Tokyo there are manhole covers with cherry blossoms. A friend, Ann Stout, has sent me some photos of decorated manhole covers she saw while in Japan. My favorite Japanese manhole covers that I uncovered in my research are in Tokorozawa Sakura Town in Saitama where the manhole covers have LED light-up designs of popular anime characters. They remain lighted from 6 p.m.-2 a.m. to keep people safe at night. One never knows from what dangers a manhole cover might protect you.

I am inspired now. To the list of pressing governmental problems such as global warming, income disparities, school finances, narcotic deaths, various wars, nuclear weapon controls, public health problems, and many more, I’d say we must add improved manhole covers to keep up with our Japanese allies.

You might have guessed that there are concerns about the term “manhole.” Certainly, some folk who descend under our streets to service the various needs located there are women. I don’t think anyone wanting to be politically correct would then use the term…well, you get my meaning. In Berkeley, Calif. – naturally – in 2019, the city council officially adopted the gender-neutral term “maintenance hole” to replace manhole. That solves that problem.

One other anecdote regarding manhole covers comes to mind. I was visiting my daughter 19 years ago when she lived in Vancouver, Washington. Her neighbor, Ron, was about to leave the country to serve in some position for the US government in Tbilisi, Georgia, to help with their infrastructure improvements. Ron had an open-house farewell party, and at the party I noticed that he had a path made of manhole covers from his back door to his free-standing garage. He had acquired these during various jobs over the years. The years passed, and my daughter moved from Vancouver, but she reconnected with Ron recently at an affair in San Diego. He no longer lives in Vancouver. He told my daughter that when he sold his Vancouver house years ago, the new owners were delighted to keep the manhole cover path.

So, now you think, I’d like a manhole cover of my own. Is that what has popped up in your mind? I will save you the trouble. Yes, you can purchase manhole covers on Amazon.