Springtime Manhole Shock

While the weather might be getting mild, it seems like you might still need to watch where you walk, as a man was shocked by a manhole last night. The man had minor injuries and it seems a metal place at Broadway and White Street may be the culprit, though Con Ed did not find any stray voltage. However, a spokesman did tell the Daily News, "Could the current be there one moment and not the next? That's a possibility." Yikes! We suppose Con Ed has to say that, after a 9 year old was zapped in Harlem, and politicians got upset when Con Ed said there was no voltage. And there are metal plates all over the place!

Image from WNBC 4

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By Jen Chung in News on April 4, 2006 9:52 AM

Comments [rss]

Dirk

ConEd is really dragging their asses on fixing this problem... I guess they're not really "On It"...

Christy

Jeez! I walk around this corner with my dog at least 3 to 4 times a day. And she won't pee on anything but manhole covers and grates!

Scam?

Why not just set up a scam: connect one lead of a car battery to a wet manhole, have your "victim" stand on it and hold the other lead (receiving a pretty sizeable but non-fatal shock) and then have someone to run the battery and cables out of there. Instant lawsuit against ConEd! So who's willing to take the voltage and split the cash?

S.D.

Wow, After it Rained there was "Stray" Voltage?? I wonder what ConEd is having trouble figuring out...

zincink

Couldn't someone come up with some type of rubberized coating?..Dupont? anyone?

K

Coned actually spent a lotta man hours trying to fix the problem a few years back. A friend who worked for them had numerous 80 hours weeks for the better part of a year trying to fix the problem.

Meghan

It must be less expensive to keep settling with people who are injured by ConEd than to actually look into fixing the problem. That's comforting!