At first I thought it was urban legend. After all bleeding edge technology is one of the things you are allowed to screen print across US flags without offending anyone here. After a brief round of "google-research" however I was shocked to find the nightmarish accounts of random pedestrians and their pups getting electrocuted on the sidewalk confirmed. So how does it work; when is your number up? It seems that to take part in the New-York-Roulette all you have to do is step on as many manhole covers as possible and just hope you're not getting fried right there on the way to the apple store firmly clutching your big brown bag. If you think that's nonsense read what Reuters and the New York Times have to say about this. And then of course there is not only electricity that turns them into death traps. Sometimes pressure from underground fires sends them flying into the air in mid traffic or the romantic steam coming from the manholes actually heats them up. Utility companies pipe hot steam across town to heat buildings.


This skate boarder fell onto a sizzling hot manhole cover and now has the O and the N of Con Edison permanently branded onto her backside.


If danger is your middle name and you want to be close to the manhole cover at all times here are throw rugs fashioned after the cast iron monsters.