While there are no "utility poles" left in Manhattan, the other four boroughs (particularly Queens and Staten Island) are a rats nest of these things, some of them leaning over every which way and with coils of wire dangling.

When younger I would even see a pair of wire (sometimes strangely looking like lampcord) sometimes dangling down the side of a pole or in the middle span between two poles. [Linked Image]

Part of me wishes the USA would switch to using cast concrete poles embedded with re-bar like Colombia uses. Why are we still using wood????

You should see these things when they start rotting and splintering.

Concrete poles would also put a stop to people using staples to put up posters.
They'll have to stick (ahem) with the packaging tape instead. [Linked Image]