Back in the UK

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While walking to LSE today I was mindlessly staring down at the sidewalk when I noticed, at the foot of a bank building, a slab of concrete with the phrase "Basement Smoke Extract" inscribed on it with raised metal letters. I walked around the two sides of the building's perimeter that I could access, and found a similar slab every few feet.

There were no vents in the slabs, and no other apparent connection to extracting basement smoke.

Any suggestions?

I do think it's a nifty product idea: "And I'll take a can of Basement Smoke Extract as well."

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