Someone is hoping a funny photo gets roads repaired in Geauga County, Ohio. The Geauga Maple Leaf shared this photo on their Facebook page.
In it we see a pair of Amish trousers upside down in what appears to be a deep pothole puddle. Completing the picture, an Amish straw hat and a couple items including a lunch cooler lie by the side of the road.
Attached to the photo was this explanation:
Someone on Nash Road near the intersection of state Route 168 in Parkman Township drew attention to the fact there is a serious pothole along the roadway by placing a pair of upside down pants and boots, and an Amish hat and a cooler to look like somebody has fallen in head first up to the waist.
I’ve driven on many a road resembling that one. Best to be in a truck and/or take it slow (speaking from one unfortunate experience in particular).
A report by Cleveland’s FOX19 reveals that at least one township rep doesn’t find these photos so amusing:
“We’ve had pictures of trees being planted in holes, we’ve had pictures of fishing poles with signs go on, fish in,” said Parkman Township’s Dennis Ikeler. “It’s not funny neither.”
However it sounds like it got results:
A supervisor said the photo is from three weeks ago and crews fixed that pothole within two hours of hearing about it.
In their defense, this is a perennial problem, and it sounds like the local road crew is seriously undermanned:
“It happens every year. It just freezes and thaws and it opens it up,” said Ikeler.
The Township Trustee has been at this for eight years now and said potholes are a sometimes losing battle.
There are 17 miles of unpaved roads, 8 miles of paved roads and gravel roads all over the township. Ikeler says it’s a lot to maintain with only three men to fix everything.
A further Amish element:
There’s not just cars to consider. The Amish community makes up about half the population.
“I know they get frustrated with it because their biggest expense are horses and you don’t want a horse to get lain on our roads,” he said.
I think “lain” is a mistranscription of “lame”. Potholes are also a danger to horses’ health.
On a positive note, Geauga County is to be the beneficiary of a multi-million dollar road improvement program, including the addition of buggy lanes.
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Potholes
That may have been unusual way of calling attention to the pothole, but it
was so needed. The danger of these potholes both to buggies, cars/trucks
is frightening as it could easily be a lost of someone’s life, not to mention damage to buggies or vehicles.
It may not been amusing regarding potholes, it did however get fixed with that picture
Erik,
I’m glad to see someone make something hit home as far as the potholes. In particular for buggies and motor vehicles because it could have been a very different outcome. I see a need for someone to be hired to go drive around and just find potholes that need repair, it may not be funny but, at least that picture of a person upside down in the hole with boots on, and hat on the side of the road got enough attention to get fixed. I think the problem is we have become too high on modernization of things, when we can live a simple life, basic house, wear second hand clothing or basic clothing, we don’t really need thing that distract us, to keep us from seeing what’s in front of us?
In Brotherly Love,
Arthur
A good thought Arthur – maybe the legs and hat assortment can be re-used at various spots around the county. I do kind of feel for the road crew as they sound like they’re undermanned. A lot of money is going into road improvement in that area for safety enhancements, though filling potholes are not the highest-profile of safety enhancements.
Filled Potholes
I personally think this is funny. The Amish hat and the lunch cooler at the side of the road just added the needed drama. It did get results. I can understand why they have problems keeping up with pot holes on a gravel road. It rains, then it freezes, over and over. We have a gravel driveway and in the winter time, there are constantly potholes being created. My dear husband has yet to find a pothole that he doesn’t love to drive through. 🙂 They keep getting bigger and bigger.
And Mr. Ikeler was probably correct with his choice of words. If a horse had hit that pothole, the horse might have lain alongside of the pothole. LOL
lain
verb
the past participle of lie
Poor Horses!
I worry about the poor horse that has to go through these, I understand that if a horse breaks his leg, they just get shot, can’t repair. ?
Unfortunately that’s the case. This explains why in brief: https://www.sciencefocus.com/nature/why-are-lame-horses-shot-rather-than-treated/