Manholes... be careful!

Eugeniefs

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Jan 24, 2008
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Having read a thread on Sosua and the jokes about manhole covers (or no covers) I thought I would share my little story with you guys. I live in Los Corales in Bavaro and love it here. Last year the authorities decided to create sidewalks (pavement to the Brits) along all the roads - fantastic we all thought. Then a friend of mine fell down a grate in the road - it moved when she stepped on it after having rushed across the road and was trying to get back up on the sidewalk before the passing bus made contact. It was a really nasty cut and in the end she decided to go back to Europe to have it looked at.

Not even a week later, a Dominican I know (rather large lady) fell down a similar 'hole' and it took three Dominicans to heave her out of there, she was shaken and had a few scratches and bruises but generally was OK.

Now having heard and seen the outcomes of the perils of our roads/sidewalks, what does this girl do but walk her dog one Sunday last year (21st October, 2012 to be precise) and I have dodged all manholes / grates and anything that looked suspicious. Then walking along the pavement having just passed the first entrance to Barcel? Dominican Beach I was watching AMET supervising the painting of the yellow lines on the road, and I wasn't really concentrating on what was under my feet. I stepped on a manhole cover (metal one - hadn't been stolen yet) - there were two very close together and I had intended to walk between them.. but my luck had left me..

My left foot pressed on the edge of the manhole cover and it 'sprung' upwards, my leg fell down the hole, the manhole cover then bounced off my right leg knocking me completely over and in I went, up to my armpits. Luckily for me, I threw my arms out - my feet were flailing in the air and the pain.. OMG the pain, I screamed. AMET and a security guard from Barcel? came running. My dog was on the ground shaking in terror. They put a tourniquet around my left ankle, stopped a taxi and told him to rush me to Centro Medico. The poor dog was left with security.

To cut a long story short the doctors ended up stitching up my leg muscle as well as the skin. It took over six painful weeks of antibiotics but the leg was still badly swollen, after 6 months I still couldn't walk so had been to Santo Domingo where I found that I had nerve damage in my left leg. Of course I visited Veron Ayuntamiento, who sent me to Ministry of Tourism in Friusa where I wrote them a report with photos. Didn't get even one reply... and still some of those manhole covers are not properly fixed, so take heed - do NOT walk on ANY cover (be it metal, concrete, wood, plastic - whatever!)

A year has passed, I still don't have complete feeling in my left leg/foot but I can now walk - it took me more than 9 months to be able to walk properly.. to this day I still won't walk on anything other than a proper sidewalk / pavement and nor does anyone in my family, including the dog!!! (I would attach a photo but I can only do so via a link, oh well, probably best I don't!!)
 

dv8

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Sep 27, 2006
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Not even a week later, a Dominican I know (rather large lady) fell down a similar 'hole' and it took three Dominicans to heave her out of there, she was shaken and had a few scratches and bruises but generally was OK.

you have accidentally stumbled (no pun intended) on a possible solution to the problem. plug those holes with people. think of all the employment opportunities! ingenious.
 

Criss Colon

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Jan 2, 2002
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They often shove a tree limb into the holes.
Usually AFTER a few people have fallen in, and often a lot of cars with broken suspensions!
Fat people , like ME, have an advantage when we fall in.
Lots of cushioning to protect us!!!!
Sorry you were injured.
NEVER, Ever, try to navigate a Sidewalk at night!!!
Certain Death!!!!
CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC
 

dv8

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Sep 27, 2006
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ehkwp.jpg
 

Eugeniefs

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Jan 24, 2008
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you have accidentally stumbled (no pun intended) on a possible solution to the problem. plug those holes with people. think of all the employment opportunities! ingenious.

Oh yes, never thought of that as a solution and no need to take time out for bathroom breaks, lol...
 

Eugeniefs

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Jan 24, 2008
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They often shove a tree limb into the holes.
Usually AFTER a few people have fallen in, and often a lot of cars with broken suspensions!
Fat people , like ME, have an advantage when we fall in.
Lots of cushioning to protect us!!!!
Sorry you were injured.
NEVER, Ever, try to navigate a Sidewalk at night!!!
Certain Death!!!!
CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC

Oh yes, there were plenty of objects stuck into after my little adventure, but the hole is deep and I think they kept losing their branches etc., they turned it upside down a few times and I heard someone else did something almost as bad as me... so it has a bit of a bad reputation now, lol.... you are right as for navigating a sidewalk at night - you need night vision goggles. I am just waiting for a VIP staying in one of the hotels here and having a stumble, I am sure they would be able to sue the AR$E off someone, I just couldn't find anyone who would even reply to my letters, even the lawyers said it wasn't worth it... if only this had happened in the US/Canada or even Europe!!!!!!!!!! I would be a millionaire by now (even in pesos that would be better than nothing, lol!)

I am not skinny either CC but I still managed to fall in completely, imagine if it had been an older person or child - eeekkk!
 

davetuna

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Jun 19, 2012
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Cabarete, Dominican Republic
sorry to hear about your story.......as i type there is a commercial on the (FOX)TV for lawyers looking for people who fell on sidewalks in USA.

this country is not classed as 3rd world for nothing.

hope it continues to improve........

dave
 

Eugeniefs

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Jan 24, 2008
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sorry to hear about your story.......as i type there is a commercial on the (FOX)TV for lawyers looking for people who fell on sidewalks in USA.

this country is not classed as 3rd world for nothing.

hope it continues to improve........

dave

Thanks Dave, I think it will take a little while yet but yes, most certainly am improving... sigh just dreaming of all that cash I will never see, lol.. Just have to get up and keep on walking (as they say), can't feel sorry for oneself... third class country this may be, but the people are great, that is why we moved and stayed :)
 

davetuna

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Jun 19, 2012
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Cabarete, Dominican Republic
when I had my Bike crash, the doctors just called it a 'souvenir'............I don't mind, I actually prefer it this way, without all the legal wrangling.

When I lived in UK I knew people who tried it on all the time with these things. Falling over, whiplash, food poisoning blah blah.........they would have one spot of red wine on a carpet, and claim for the whole house. etc etc......

Nah, give me this way any day.
 

PaGuyinDr

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Sep 2, 2013
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Here in the US, you could have lawyered up, and sued the local municipality back to the stone age. Probably wouldn't have had to work another day.... Que Pena........
 

Koreano

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Jan 18, 2012
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Well my wife have a theory. Those that took the manhole must be the same person who put it there.
And you know what? I think she is really onto something. The manhole cover near our street went missing again after 2-3 months of good use, and I believe it will be put back in few months and go missing again.
 

Eddy

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Jan 1, 2002
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They steal them and sell them for scrap metal. Santiago is infamous and a few have gone missing in Sosua. Be careful if driving a pasola. With your car or jeepeta it could cost you a tire or suspention but on a small bike you're in trouble.
 

Mauricio

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Nov 18, 2002
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I always wondered if they can't think of another material heavy and strong enough instead of metal.
 

amstellite

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Sep 5, 2007
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so dangerous... what is it with all these manhole covers missing?.. I came one step away from it on unlit sidewalk outside of Espinal bus in Santo Domingo a few months back as I tried to cross the busy 27 Febrero street , criss-crossing between cars as you do ,in the dark and then, leaping to the sidewalk.. only to be grabbed by the shoulder by an angel at the very last moment and pulled back.. as I looked in horror at what would have happened,...I needed a shot of brugal after that.. it was.. a deep hole, maybe 4 fr , with iron stakes poking out of the middle... and easily wide enough to swallow me up....I would have been impaled... how many must suffer needles accident... ? it s outrageous... so people... as the adage goes.. ALWAYS LOOK BEFORE YOU LEAP....
They often shove a tree limb into the holes.
Usually AFTER a few people have fallen in, and often a lot of cars with broken suspensions!
Fat people , like ME, have an advantage when we fall in.
Lots of cushioning to protect us!!!!
Sorry you were injured.
NEVER, Ever, try to navigate a Sidewalk at night!!!
Certain Death!!!!
CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC
 

jonytuga

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Oct 16, 2012
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Maybe they can make the covers of those manholes with concrete,( we have some in Portugal)and I bet that the concrete don't have the same price in the "resale";)
JT
 

Eddy

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Jan 1, 2002
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Spot weld them. On the rare occasions they need to be removed, they can open them with a torch. Never mind, that would be to simple.
 

Hillbilly

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Jan 1, 2002
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I am betting that that was not a real manhole cover. Among Man's inventions, the manhole cover is among the very best!! It is a perfect solution and infallible. The covers do NOT rotate, they do not slip, they serve their purpose, perfectly.

Gratings are a whole different matter.

I am waiting to find some idiots stealing a manhole cover so I can run them down...get rid of that trash down the hole and cover them up.

Local and state governments here are (a) using plastic covers and (b) welding the covers to the rims.


Cordially,


HB
 

Castle

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Sep 1, 2012
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I always wondered if they can't think of another material heavy and strong enough instead of metal.

In SD they have been (though slowly) replacing the missing manholes with plastic covers. Sure enough, those seem to stay in place. Until they find any use for it and then we'll be back in square 1. But so far, it seems to be working.
 

Eugeniefs

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Jan 24, 2008
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I am betting that that was not a real manhole cover. Among Man's inventions, the manhole cover is among the very best!! It is a perfect solution and infallible. The covers do NOT rotate, they do not slip, they serve their purpose, perfectly.

Gratings are a whole different matter.

I am waiting to find some idiots stealing a manhole cover so I can run them down...get rid of that trash down the hole and cover them up.

Local and state governments here are (a) using plastic covers and (b) welding the covers to the rims.


Cordially,


HB

Hi HB, well it was a real manhole cover, promise! I would post a picture if I knew how, I can't seem to upload a photo from my computer.

It was definitely metal and was in situ, just that it moved when I stepped on it. The guys put it right back where it was, then someone else fell through it. So they put it upside down, that didn't work, so they removed and put some branches in the hole for a few months, now it is back in place but to tell the truth I am not interested in checking to see if it is 'stable' or not. One injury is more than enough for me!

Funnily enough, the majority of our manhole covers are still in place here in PUJ - you just never know whether or not it is safe to physically walk on them!