A photographer in the Chinese city of Xiamen decided to stake out a submerged pothole and wait for an unlucky cyclist to come along and take a tumble. The gentleman pictured above did just that. These three (two after the jump) striking shots were published in Beijing Youth Journal. Naturally, they generated much public outrage.

The photographer argues (strangely) that the exercise was defensible because the pothole got fixed: “Without my pictures, the pit would not be noticed by the government, and there would perhaps be more people falling over.”

Takeaway? Don’t ride through puddles.

Click through for two more pics.

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The timeless story of Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel was a favorite of mine growing up, but only recently, when I began reading it to my sons, did I discover its value as a guide to smart public works spending. The book, written by Virginia Lee Burton, recounts the saga of hardworking construction contractor Mike Mulligan, who after tackling every massive infrastructure project of the last century – from canals to railroads to airports to highways to skyscrapers – finds himself casting about for work. His steam shovel, MaryAnne, is obsolete, but the ever loyal Mike will not abandon her.

They land in the sleepy hamlet called Popperville, somewhere in what seems like the leafy hills of New England. Popperville needs a new town hall and Mike gets the job by guaranteeing a local selectman, Henry B. Swap, that he will dig the cellar for the structure in single a day. He also promises that if he doesn’t meet that goal, he will refuse payment.

Beyond being a nice morality tale highlighting the value of hard work and loyalty in the face of adversity, Mike’s story can be read as a primer on prudent management of local infrastructure projects–one that state and local officials might want to study as they await (and squabble over) their share of the $720 billion stimulus package. Here a few lessons for the–and all Americans–from the book:

1. A contractor’s compensation is contingent upon completing a job in a timely fashion – What a concept! But when Big Dig-style infrastructure projects drag on year after year, why do politicians so rarely dust off this kindergarten-level strategy for getting things done quickly?

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