Potholes are a pain, but it’s hard to get them to the top of the municipal priorities list when they’re competing with, y’know, schools and hospitals and the like. Concerned residents all over the world have tried everything from tracking potholes on apps to decorating them with explicit drawings to force councils to take action.
But across North America and Europe, a new breed of pothole warrior is emerging. These vigilantes are filling potholes with earth, and planting flowers in them, in what must be the most passive aggressive protest of all time. It’s the almost literal equivalent of giving a really nice bunch of flowers to someone who screwed you over.
There are, of course, a few flaws to this strategy. There’s a pretty good chance the plants will get run over; and turning holes into the ground into mini gardens seems unliklely to spur local councils into action. Equally, if you’re willing to put that much time into the pothole problem, you might as well fix them yourself.
All the same, the tiny acts of protest are highlighting the holes to drivers, and making the road a little nicer and safer in the process. Here are a few examples from around the world:
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