Since March, authorities say that more than 30 manhole covers have been stolen from the streets of Brooklyn, Queens and the Bronx. Perhaps it was the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles? Or just a fan of various manhole cover designs? We'll leave the risque jokes to you guys.
"Stealing manhole covers is dangerous," Milovan Blair, Con Edison's vice president for Brooklyn-Queens Electric Operations, said. "Anyone who steals these covers creates a serious hazard for pedestrians and motorists." They really are hazardous, though not as bad as, oh, exploding manhole season. Let us never forget that poor SI girl who fell into an open manhole while texting (and lived to laugh with us about it).
Apparently a few manhole covers are stolen a year, but authorities think this wave of thefts is something different. ConEd suspects the covers (which can weigh up to 300 pounds and are made of valuable cast iron or composite materials) are being stolen to sell as scrap. Witnesses have reported seeing people in utility-style gear prying open covers with car jacks before carting them away in pickup trucks.
ConEd is asking anyone who sees suspicious activity around a manhole to call 911. Meanwhile, if you spot an open manhole, you should call ConEd at 1-800-75CONED. Or you can take matters into your own hand—manhole covers make for some powerful weapons.
