Plant trees in a pothole to speed up the repair work, claims a netizen

 

THERE ARE many recognised methods for reporting potholes. Citizens can lodge complaints, submit photographs, contact local authorities or tag municipal agencies on social media while hoping their vehicle suspension survives long enough to see progress.

But somewhere along the way, Malaysians appear to have developed an alternative system, one involving agriculture.

A recent social media post by @dahfollowbelum showing a banana tree planted squarely inside a pothole has amused and impressed netizens alike. 

According to the post, the authorities quickly came to repair the road after noticing the banana tree growing there.

We all know that some potholes are so well established that they feel less like temporary damage and more like unofficial landmarks.

Yet the moment greenery enters the picture, everything changes. A banana tree standing defiantly in the middle of a road has a way of transforming road damage into public theatre.

One suspects that somewhere, a maintenance officer saw the image and immediately understood the urgency.

Social media users also responded with predictable enthusiasm in the comment section.

According to @dVamoselcapadd the roads along Sabah would have turned into a banana garden if this method was applied.

Then there was netizen @Lietolee pointing out that this method has already been implemented overseas. “As long as the people do not bother with it, they will pretend like nothing happened,” he said.

@Matodam23 sarcastically suggested that the work would be even quicker if a tombstone was planted on the pothole.

“The management is so useless that it has to be done like this for them to do work,” lamented @kamaruddin_che.

But @Azrae_I cautioned that the banana tree might cause car accidents too. Away from the sarcasm-filled comment section, we can all agree that this is a very creative trick.

Because overlooking a pothole is one thing. Overlooking a pothole that has entered the agricultural sector is something else entirely.

In the ongoing battle between damaged roads and delayed repairs, it seems the public has discovered a new negotiating strategy. And this one comes with leaves. — Focus Malaysia