POTHOLE HEAVEN!

POTHOLE HEAVEN! (Oakland Press)

Potholes can be a pain in the butt, "literally" and also painful where it counts most, the wallet. Ball joints, shocks, springs and mufflers can all suffer a fate that can cost car or truck owners hundreds or even thousands of dollars in repair. Mechanics never say much, whenever I full into their shop with one of the above injuries, they shake their heads sadly, say something like "it's a bitch to drive on the screwed up roads," and then they get a sort of glassy eyed look, like they just finished a "bowl" of their favorite narcotic, and tell me to get a ride and the damage will be taken care of.

Somehow I have always felt like my mechanic has somehow been in cahoots with the road repair department, and maybe even God. I mean, how else can one explain potholes all over the city of Green Bay in need of repair, the repair neglected, and new roadways or worse, round-abouts being built, while my old potholes remain dangerously deep.

We've all been given the shaft, a tough time, been screwed over, or dealt with unfairly, however the county, city and state road departments have went above and beyond in  their ability to disregard existing road woes and concentrated on making brand new roadways with the potential for all sorts of new travel problems to experience.

Finally a fella in Waterford Township Michigan had taken enough, after countless calls to what he felt were the "repair authorities," the man, Terry Helm took matters into his own hands, bought $140 worth of repair material, and repaired a 3 foot wide by 8 inches deep that had bugging him for several months.

After Helm's repairs, there was 1 complaint mixed in with  several "at-a-boys," even from  county cops. The Waterford Township road commission however was not in the majority of supportive comments. A spokesman said he, "Helm" did not have the proper backup, "the cones, and traffic control people" to safeguard a worker.

There was also a question of the proper materials that Helm had filled the pothole with. All I know is, that what Helm did, might actually have saved lives. Sounds like a kid on a bicycle could have fallen into the pothole and never been seen again.