By Gary Martin
Gary B. Martin is an illustrator and animator who has lived on the Upper West Side for more than 30 years. His illustrations appear in the Rag on Sundays, chronicling life in the neighborhood, New York City, and the Universe. See them all here. For a broader range of Gary’s work, including animations and other motion graphics, please visit www.martoons.com
Listen to Rag Radio’s interview with Gary Martin — HERE.
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I don’t think Necessity is the Mother of Invention, I think Gary’s weird imagination is.
I expect Wegman’s is planning a much larger footprint.
A pothole is what happens when you smoke too much weed.
Hahaha. All great ideas!
Brilliant! As a.ways, Gary gets it!
Fill them with Easter eggs.
Don’t text and walk.
The issue with potholes is that the City never learns what the actual issue with potholes is.
The DOT comes along, pours some tar/macadam or whatever into the hole, goes over it a few times with a hot roller to flatten it (and sometimes doesn’t even do that) – and then leaves to fill the next pothole.
But it takes only weeks, sometimes just days, before a combination of heat, rain, and vehicles riding over it loosens the new tar/macadam/whatever and the pothole re-forms, though perhaps a bit less deep the second time.
Why has the City not figured out a way to stop this very obvious cycle from occurring, and fill potholes so they DON’T simply become potholes again in such a short time? I’m sure they can come up with SOMETHING. Or is the species that just sent a manned rocket to orbit the moon incapable of figuring out a way to more permanently fill potholes?
Oh, Ian. Bless you. You haven’t heard of the holy, untouchable process of repairing the repair of the repair? Keeps entire agencies handsomely bloated, thousands of people employed in jobs that shouldn’t exist, and us as taxpayers just on the knife’s edge of being grateful that they’re repairing something – when we really should just be angry at the “incompetence” and the graft.
Always follow the money.
LOL. Your cynicism is noted. But I’m not sure it’s quite THAT bad. Or quite that “deliberate.” But yes, one would think that after all this time, the City would be able to find a way to make the repair more permanent the FIRST time. LOL.
It’s not only the City, it’s everywhere. Long Island is unbelievable right now. Why can’t someone develop a quick drying concrete resistant to heat and cold? Didn’t the ancient Romans have it?
LOL again. Re the Romans, wouldn’t they have used some kind of mortar? Like the stuff they built their roads with – some of which roads are still extant almost 2000 years later, despite weather, and chariots going over them constantly?? 😉
Made me laugh!
Great ideas for pothole recovery.
and THANK YOU for the idea.
Sad but true and funny too.
hahah great ideas!
I vote for the daffodils!
OH Gary I vote for Wegmans!!!
Terrific! As usual, Gary.
A Wegman’s would be great!!!
Clever
Great ideas, Gary. I thought those were put there intentionally to slow traffic and support local tire repair businesses.
you are not wrong.
Some deep thoughts, Gary. Thank you.
Is there no research in America into a better product mix of Asphalt to resist potholes. The Dutch in the Netherlands have done so. It is so obvious this existing Asphalt mixture is faulty !
There were two potholes at the NE corner of 72nd Street and an accident waiting to happen. Then one day less mindful I stepped into the hole and twisted my ankle. Sure minor compared to what other injuries might have happened . As of this weekend covered with tar. At least it is something until they come up with a better solution.
👏👏👏we need a Wegmans!
Brilliant! Another way to reduce car traffic in the city. Love your ideas.
OK, we know that this mayor & City Council are anti- car.
To them, cars & their owners are cash cows.
Maybe they don’t realize that cars are, in many cases, necessities. Alternate option : public transit. Not an option if one has difficulty with stairs. Option #2, Pay for car service. Not a middle class option.
Option #3, Have your doctor prescribe drugs for the pain inflicted on my sciatica & my spine.
Best Option. Get a City job that gives you a limo & driver.
Yup, that’s the solution!
These are great…still have me smiling.
So clever.