The case of the varnishing manhole cover

Factual Questions
1

No, that’s not a typo. For reasons unfathomable, in the past month some agency has started applying what appears to be varnish to manhole covers in Manhattan.

The obvious answer seems to be turning the craggy surface of the metal plate into something smooth, slick, and possibly deadly to a careless biker come the rainy season. But since the rest of the street is filled with potholes, uneven pavement, and unvarnished manhole covers, I doubt that it’s part of some vast roadway improvement conspiracy.

My second inclination was this was some arcane method of insulating the covers in case of stray wires, but then I thought-- how the hell would that prevent someone from being electrocuted or burned (as has happened on several occasions in the past year), and why would they choose manholes in the middle of the block?

So, can anyone shed some light on this mysterious practice?

2

Possibly they’re priming them for an anti-graffiti coating?

3

Could it be a sealant, to let them know if some unauthorized person has been opening the sewer lids?

4

It’s basically glue.
Every year for New Year’s Eve the city welds shut manhole covers. Now they just glue them down.

It’s an anti-terror thing.

5

I could understand glue or sealant if it went around the edge of the manhole cover, but this is over the entire piece of metal.

That, and the manhole covers are just as easy to move as they always are ie. they bounce up and down every time I bike over 'em.

6

bump

7

Alligator-and-mole repellant? :rolleyes:

8

CHUD repellant.

9

Yeah, we have to watch out for lots of underground sewer-dwelling critters here in the city, but unless they have allergies, they wouldn’t be stopped by the varnish because it doesn’t do anything to cement the manhole cover in place.

I’m gonna have to figure out which company has put these particular manholes in place and call them, aren’t I :frowning: