Water Meters? Now there is a subject line that would never get anyone's attention. What could be more boring than a water meter? What kind of a dullard would ever click on . . . . Well never mind that. The thread started as gas and water meters, which is not a whole bunch more of an attention getter.

Somewhere on the net I remember seeing a site devoted to manhole covers. Somebody, with nothing else to do, had taken pictures of manhole covers all over the country and probably only stopped doing it after being hit by a truck. The thing that makes these giant iron tokens interesting it that lots of stuff is printed on them in raised letters. Such lettering was probably put there to increase traction. A smooth iron man hole cover could be very slippery when wet. I can't think of any other reason for the lettering because what dullard would ever stop in the street to read. . . . Well never mind that.

Usually the date and place of manufacture are on the man hole cover along with the name of the company that made it. It may also be labeled as to what is down there such as "sanitary sewer," an oxymoron if I ever heard one, or even the name of the city where it is used. That would be helpful if you didn't know where you were.

Man hole covers come in two standard sizes; the 30 inch size for small men and the 36 inch size for medimum. If you are in the sewer and water business and you have guys who are XXL, you have to order custom made 44 regular or larger. These come with decorator scrollwork on the cover, but they cost a bundle.

Small covers come in round, oval, and rectangular with rounded corners. Not big enough for real men, they are limited to use over water or gas meters on city sidewalks and suburban front yards. They are too small to be allowed in the street. Normally, they are marked "gas" if there is a gas meter down there or "water" if it's a water meter, or sometimes the other way around. I once saw a cover that said only, "Do Not Remove This Cover." However, there was nothing under it.

There is a round water meter in my front yard that is marked "water," but I have been after the water works for years to change it to one that says "water meter, bugs, slugs, toads, garter snakes, and daddy long legs." But no luck so far. Those people can be *so* stubborn.

In California, man hole covers are being replaced by person hole covers, because it is less sexist. Well, what did you expect? I said it was California, didn't I?

In some 3rd world countries in Central and South America, man hole covers have been replaced by large holes in the street. It seems that the covers have some value at scrap yards. Besides, it keeps drivers on the alert at all times.

What a dull subject.
Howard