Street Light Dangers

I just saw a news about the dangers of certain metal light poles, steel grates, and man-hole covers in some towns and cities across the US. Not sure if it is an international problem. Apparently the infrastructure in larger US towns and cities is so old it may have some electrical shorts underground that cause connected metal parts, light poles, grates and manhole covers, for example, to become electrically charged. The light poles and grates in rural areas are few and far between, and the ones where I live are on wooden poles, but some folks are not so lucky. If you happen to live in a city or even a large town with metal fixtures, please be careful. Dogs should not be able to pee on metal items, such as light poles and grates along the street. The older, poorly maintained, underground wires endanger small children and pets. Some animals have died as a result, and some pet owners and children have been injured. FYI!

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Permalink Reply by Beth on November 19, 2014 at 7:33pm

If you get shocked or electrical tingles from walking or touching something in a public place, please call your local electric company and it's also a good idea to notify the police so they can block off the area. It's called "stray voltage."

In rare cases, trees can conduct electricity down into the ground from overhead wires if the insulation is rubbed off.

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Permalink Reply by Holly on November 20, 2014 at 1:59am

Thanks Beth. This seems much more common than I realized. So sad. In Boston, and even here. 40 minutes away, the city, and even the very small town I live in have electrified the old gas lights which is pretty, but apparently not so safe. The manhole covers and grates seem to be the most dangerous targets particularly to small pets. Until recently I had no idea how many dogs were killed and owners hurt by the uncontrolled electrical currents. I never let my dog pee on light poles, just in case. Worth considering, just in case! I hope no one ever has trouble with this issue!

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Permalink Reply by Vicky Hay on November 21, 2014 at 11:01pm

Yipes! I'd never heard of any such thing!!! Thanks for the heads-up. We live in a neighborhood dating as far back as the 50s (tho' my "newer" house was built in 1971). And yep, there sure are some metal poles around. This is something to watch out for.