Mildly Infuriating

Not perfect, but I did it on my phone, so she me ;-)

Yeah now the handles point in different directions.

We need to edit the CSS of reality

You're right. OP called it a manhole, so I assumed. But looking at the size compared to the foot, it's too small to be a manhole cover.

Square covers like this are common globally. AFAIK also in the US:

https://manholecoversdirect.com/products/square-manhole-covers-and-frames/

Setting square tiles or paving stones around a circular cover is a pain in the ass.

But it wouldn't be the first time the US is weird, like the whole imperial measurements thing, so whatever. Or maybe you live in a state that decided square manhole covers were biblically incorrect.

I see small square junction box things like this all the time in California. Mostly in-between where two homes' lawns meet. The one I had in my lawn before I moved to an apartment sucked because it was slightly raised from the grass and was in an awkward position to try and get the mower around.

https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQGxsOyuGzQWXZbxU4YFhiV6qoaApO8JwLV_XigfJqbWw&s

That's close to what I've read on reddit years ago - that they do it on purpose do that it's easier to find the cover the next time it needs service.

If that were an actual manhole you'd be right, but its obviously not.

1. No
2. No
3. No

1. Manhole covers are not heavy as fuck. They're meant to be able to lift out. I've lifted far larger ones than this no problem.
2. This manhole cover is at most 30x30cm judging by OP's foot, so weights at most a few kilos.
3. This is a small cover, probably covering a drain, not a hole to the centre of the earth. I have a few around the house. Cable tie, piece of string, lift it out no problem. You lift and slide it aside, it's not going to fall in unless you're a complete moron or drunk. If it does fall in, you pull it out, because it doesn't weigh 100 kg.
4. If you're worried that this would take your finger off, you're the kind of person who should hire an electrician to change a light bulb.

They really aren't that heavy. When I was little, maybe 5 or 6, me and my best friend went to a construction site (excavators and cranes, so cool), snuck around on there during off hours (probably super dangerous, but here I am) and took some metal hooks, made from that metal grid stuff they use often in construction.

We then went and opened the actual manhole covers in my backyard with them, and even climbed down there (not that interesting, basically a few meters deep, with a small open sewage line running at the bottom).

Long story short, two pre school boys could open them by themselves in the 90s

It’s really strange that it’s square and not round.

It's not even slightly strange. These are incredibly common all across Europe and the world.

It's a small cover, almost certainly to service the nearby drainpipe or perhaps for the water or gas connection to a house.

The chance of it falling in the hole is zero unless you're trying to do it on purpose. Lift and slide, done.

And even if it does fall in, you can simply reach in and pull it out.

I'm pretty sure the reason is that the hole isn't deep enough for it to matter. That's nowhere near big enough to be a manhole.

But that wouldn't be /c/mildlyinfuriating