3rd manhole cover

[davver]

Why is it considered unlucky to step on the third manhole cover in a group of three? (or some people say it's unlucky to tread on any of them in a group of three)

[woofgang]

I would have said irs never a good idea to tread on manhole covers unless you are SURE that you are not going to be precipitated into a sewer!!

[slimjim]

As a motorcyclist, I can assure you that all manhole covers are unlucky, especially in the rain. What sense is it to have slippery bits of metal in the middle of the road?!?

[woofgang]

slimjim, its to make the bikin' more exitin' (My husband has a valkyrie and I am an enthusiastic pillion...he won't let me learn as he says there is enough danger on the roads already!!

[cardinal]

Your'e husband is quite right Mrs Woofgang.Bikes are dangerous, not because you don't know how to ride them properly, it's car drivers that can't see you that is the problem.We pay more road tax so get off the roads and don't be a drain on the NHS.

[woofgang]

ooh cardinal, who tweaked your underwear??

[sft42]

IF the car drivers can't see us bikers (like the pratt in the corsa who very kindly pulled out in front of me yesterday) then they are a danger to themselves and other road users and they shouldn't be on the road.

[sddsddean]

If that is your argument cardinal, you had better get off the road, 'cos my road tax is �1200!! Also, my truck is bigger than a car and they still pull out in front of me. Can't be that you haven't seen me coming, so whats the excuse? Just hoping you can accelerate away quicker (and that my brakes work), ' cos you don't want to be stuck behind a nasty truck? A woman tried that last week at the next village to ours. She didn't quite manage to pull out in front of 44 tonnes of truck. She was OK, but she has now had to bury her daughter who was a passenger in the car. Think about it.

[davver]

Easy now dudes, the question was about the origins of a superstition against stepping on a group of three manhole covers. If anyone knows the answer, I'd be glad to hear from them. Thanks.

[sft42]

The beast I can come up with is that it's a follow on from the old army supersition of not lighting three cigarettes from the one match (helped snipers get the range, then the wind, third guy got his head blown off) so doing anything in a group of three can be seen as bad luck?

[MikeMikeMike]

Three's been unlucky for ever. Or at least assoicated with magic and such. Think Macbeth and three witches, or Scrooge and his three ghosts. Or 666 [yes, I know they're sixes but their are still thre of them... the number of the beast is not 666666 mostly because people would lose count or get bored.] And so forth. Or possibly so third. Depending on how weak you want the puns to get.

[spa boy]

In my view it's not the manhole cover that is unlucky, it's the number 3, the manhole covers just happens to be there in abundance and therefore likley to be steped on.