The dangers of underground utilities...

... when idiots install them.  I've been slowly turning over the lawn in part of our yard in order to create an herb garden, digging a few inches deep with a spade.  Everything was fine until a couple of weeks ago, when I came inside to find that our cable was out.  Apparently I managed to cut the line, though I couldn't imagine how. Now I know:

The cable line was buried about an inch underground.  Ridiculous.  By contrast, see that red spot?  That's where the Burlington Electric Department marked where their utility lines are buried.  I'd already dug all over the spots where the electric utility lines are buried with no problems, because they buried their lines to a proper depth.  Whoever did the cable lines (Comcast took over from Adelphia, but I don't know whether Adelphia originally ran the lines to the house or if it was some previous company) did a shoddy job.