Tuesday, September 12, 2006

Manhole covers anyone?

Just for once don't look up, look down. A manhole cover like the one below is rare, but be prepared to find a great variety of them.



My collection is modest, only 25. I found a few of my favourites in Richmond and Twickenham, England.

Nowadays the real politically correct call them personhole covers (retching sounds, forgive me, my friends).
Yesterday I heard a French woman say plaque d'égout, (but it's not all about sewers).
The Dutch term is putdeksel. The u is pronounced as in cut, not put. Deksel is pronounced like deksel, so that's easy. Don't forget this, it's a good thing to know in case you come to visit.



Click on the strip to view large size.
Don't take pictures of this kind if you could be mistaken for a muslim. Your suspect behaviour will be reported and your bad intentions assumed. It's referred to as citizens' alertness, I call it totalitarian xenophobia.
Photos Koos Fernhout ©2005-2006

19 comments:

Vallypee said...

I know I've seen all these photos in your collection Koosje, but they do make a wonderful slideshow, and isn't it delightful that they are so very decorative? Not surprising that it makes us want to look down.

Seems your comment about behaving suspiciously is no joke either, given the brusque treatment you got when you stopped to take a closer look at one of them. xxxxx

Koos F said...

And true it is. Mind you, in Belgium I am a Xenolander.
I broke the ice with the woman within a minute, but the man kept watching me with mistrust, but then maybe he doesn' trust anyone around his lady.

Mo and Cas said...

Hi Koos! I wonder when a woman last went down a person hole!!!? Actually in Holland you probably get more than in most countries due to the fervent emancipation of vrouwen, where as here in SA we are quite happy to call them man holes and let men go down them, no need to get our frocks dirty is there!

Koos F said...

In South Africa you call the women man-holes? I'd get lynched if I did that it Holland!

Sarah said...

Last night was a dream come true! Thanks so much for stopping by my blog. I don't think the B&N gig had ANYTHING on the Basement Jam though. You got to see Mikey and Foy as well as Pete, Rachel, and Simon...I'm so jealous! I'm sad because Mikey won't be there on Thursday for the Joe's Pub gig. :o( I was so looking forward to finally seeing him.

Hope you're doing well, talk to you later. x

boogaloo dude said...

Ahhh, Koos,

I just love manhole covers. If I remember, I'll send you some examples from NYC.

Ahvarahn said...

Wonderful. Glad you clarified something in the last paragraph;
I had this image in my head:

English customs: “Anything to declare in that extremely heavy bag of yours?”
Koos: “Oh, just a few manholes I picked up in Twickenham” :)

Forgive me. I'm piscean!

Take care -Paul

Koos F said...

Hi Sarah Beth
Thank you, I am doing just fine, energetic, hungry to explore and get new impressions, etc. So much to do, so little time, the usual thing. You may see that reflected in my blog, there is so much to share, I cannot expect the rest of the world to keep up with it all.
You are right, we got the best of all worlds and then some in the Basement Jam.
Sorry that you won't see Mikey. Maybe going to this page here will make up for that a bit?

I am looking forward to your manhole cover post, Elizabeth. The New York version has the extra of the steam coming out, which I found very intriguing when I was there.

Hi Ahvarahn
If that is what being piscean is about, then I'll be very happy with that sign.
It's just the associations your mind produces on the basis of ambiguous words like customs. Welll, who am I to explain?

Just remember, Pisceans are closely related to cancerians like me (difference is that we cancerians believe in that astro rubbish).

Sindy said...

Allo Didz...s'mee sindybin..fanx for yor comment on me blog didz...didn't mean ter make yoo cry tho..woz just an iccle bit scared that's all. Anyways, fanx fer postin these pics of me fave sniffin spots...get loads a good weemails off of them manholes...tee hee...s'rude that innit? sorry didz..They's reeeely nice pics tho an i likes them moving bits too..s'like telly...i fink..well that's wot me mates tell me...we's got no telly has we? Luv an lix Sindybin

Koos F said...

Of course I meant to say we cancerians DON'T believe in that astro rubbish.

Dale said...

Koos you continue to amaze me...
Who'd have thought...

Your collection is modest?

I only have one - and it's of the Canadian sort...I, too, will get lynched for saying that.

:)
Dale

Anne-Marie said...

Oh, all the manhole jokes were made before I could sneak into the gutter.

I can't get the slide show to work tonight, so I'll be back tomorrow. How about we all take pics of our local manholes and start an even bigger collection (and no, Dale, not those kind of pictures!

Koos F said...

That's a brilliant idea, Anne-Marie.
How about http://manhole.blogspot.com?
Third Man Theme embedded in the page.
Only moderately moderated, all contributors get permission to post (get the password).

The slideshow doesn't work? It's just a Flash thing, should work everywhere if connection and computer good enough.

Koos F said...

Hi Dale
Modest in size. There are sites dedicated to the subject where there are hundreds of them.
Look here if you can stand red, it's a Canadian site:
http://www.manhole.ca/

gypsy noir said...

they maybe just manhole covers but they really are works of art some of them..you are getting way to clever at this photo malarky..im having technical probs at the moment with my computer as so elequently explained on me blog...

E.L. Wisty said...

Hi there Koos,

I actually had to check the Finnish equivalent for 'manhole'. Pardon my imagination but it sounds a bit naughty :-)The direct translation of the Finnish equivalent is simply 'sewer well'. It's rather boring.

You can find beauty in the most surprising places, I think. That specimen in the picture definitely is.

How did you become interested in manhole covers then?

Maria

Dale said...

Koos, I checked out the Canadian manhole cover website!

...it never ceases to astound me what is out there on the internet...

I'm off to work right now, but I will take more time later and delve further into this form of sewer art...

Koos F said...

Hi Gypsy
Hope your troubles soon be over, we need to see your inimitable thoughts illustrated by your inimitable pics.

Maria, you're bcoming a tough photo competitor. I suggest we make territorial arrangemnts.

Anne-Marie said...

Well, I came back to see the new post, and now the loop works.

Great photos. I think Maria is right- you see beauty in unusual places, and we're so lucky that you share them with us.