Scaffolding is such a common sight in downtown Manhattan that it's easy to ignore.

But this morning I spotted something I'd not noticed before: While the nuts on the bolts above head level are the standard metal through-nuts, which leave the bolt exposed…

…all of the nuts at torso- and foot-level have plastic end-caps.

I assume this is so that passersby don't snag their clothing and/or cut themselves on exposed bolts. I'm impressed that the scaffolding company takes the time to incorporate this considerate step, as it requires an additional box of stuff to source, stock, throw onto the truck and remind the new guy to install in the right spots. This being New York, I cynically imagine this step was implemented after a lawsuit.

London's scaffold companies have been taking it a step further for years now.

I’m a lapsed industrial designer. I was born in NYC and figured I’d die there, but a few years ago I abandoned New York to live on a farm in the countryside with my wife. We have six dogs.

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