Utility Workers

The explosion in the electrical vault beneath a downtown intersection that injured seven Department of Water and Power workers (Metro, July 9) was a sobering reminder of how much we users of public utilities and services take for granted when it comes to having everything in running order.

Every day crews such as this ill-fated one fan out across our city to do their assigned tasks below and above our streets.

These unsung tenders of our infrastructure assure us of being able to tap into our creature comforts and conveniences, not fully appreciating the toil and toll exacted by their duties. We flick a switch and expect a response. We turn a tap and want water, hot or cold, now. We turn a knob or push a button for instant heat or a flow of arctic air. We press a handle to dispose of our waste. We stack refuse curb side for removal weekly to keep our lives tidy. Almost hopelessly dependent urbanites that we are, it’d be nice if we paused to count our blessings for those workers who go out each day, performing all the thankless jobs required to keep our homes and city livable.

KYLE T. SCHWIMMER

Eagle Rock