New Jersey Blows

Why is it that nearly every manhole for access to utilities/pipes underground is placed directly in the path of your left wheels? If the manholes were shifted two feet to the right (or the if the roads were shifted two feet to the left), that would enable cars to go over the manholes without any wheels hitting them.

On my commute to work on a somewhat rural road, there are manholes every 30 yards or so, directly in the path of my left wheels. It might not be so bad if they were flush with the road surface, but all of those manholes are sunken several inches below the road surface so when you hit them, your teeth and brain get shaken loose.

Perhaps it’s a conspiracy with the road construction engineers and the alignment shops. Prior to living in New Jersey I had to get my truck aligned every two years or so. In New Jersey, it needs to be done every six months or sooner.