Holes, Ditches and Storm Drains

Since I arrived Malaysia, there was something unique about the city infrastructure that prompted my curiosity and attention.

It was this BIG hole in the middle of a pedestrian walkway in an upscale shopping mall with a hotel and an office building. The hole was next to a busy bus stop where hundreds of workers arrived to/from work.

The exposed hole was at least two feet deep, 3x2 feet in size. The other end of the hole was partially covered and was much deeper.

After watching it for a few years, it was obvious that there were no urgency or attempt by the city government or the mall owner to repair the hole despite hundreds of people walked past/around/over it daily.

Could it be possible that someone might accidentally fall into the hole while chasing a departing bus in the dark after work?

The hole was ugly ....

A similar big hole was found in the middle of another street and was estimated to have been neglected for over a year. Some good hearted folks had placed a warning sign over it to prevent more vehicles from falling in.

This was a busy pedestrian walkway but was actually a partially covered open drain. Note the uneven levels and the big hole. Walk or tumble at your own risk!!

This hole was just inches away from a pedestrian walkway. Hmm ... How deep would you guess?

This open ditch/storm drain was in the middle of a housing community and was very common. Local zoning somehow allowed a row of restaurants to be opened here as well. This ditch ran along the center of the street and was about 9 feet deep.

People parked their vehicles close to the open ditch because the road was narrow. When the driver or the passenger stepped out of the car, they might risk falling right into the ditch, especially in the dark.

If the victim survived the fall, they would have to walk to the end of the block before finding anything to hold on and to climb out. It was known that vehicles had fallen into the ditch, together with the driver and the passengers.

The open ditch and sewer infrastructures were inherited from the British before the independence of Malaysia. Long before that, the system was said to have come from the Romans occupation of England 2,000 years ago. While most modern cities had covered the ditches as a part of the infrastructure modernization, Malaysia had yet to complete the task. 9-feet deep was a long way down and there were no way an injured victim could have survived.