This is a perfect example of “Not My Job” at work.
Let’s say your job is to check whatever is under those lids. How do you best mark it as having been done so you don’t re-open the same panel multiple times?
Nah, they just couldn’t be bothered with putting things back in the proper order, they’re union workers and it’s almost quitting time because OT isn’t getting paid.

Chalk

  • rain washes it off after a few weeks
  • only have to open one at a time instead of 2+
You’d have to be pretty dumb to not be able to keep track of 6 lids in a line.

If this is your job, you aren’t tracking 6 lids, you’re tracking all the lids, probably in an entire section of the city. Possibly hundreds. Being able to look at a glance and see if you’ve already done it is clutch.

Next time it’s time for a check, you put them back on the right way.

If your job is to check hundreds, you’d keep track of the roads you’ve checked. There’s no need to keep track of each individual spot.
Your loop condition fails the next street where there’s a round hole without a distinguishable pattern