Story Archive

There’s an Art to This

“The roads are disgusting,” says Neville Daytona of Wroughton, Wiltshire, England. “I ride a motorbike, cycle and drive. On a motorcycle or bicycle you have to swerve all over the road to avoid the potholes.” To call attention to the problem, he bought several children’s dolls in thrift shops — at least, their upper halves — to attach to “hefty” rocks to submerge them in the potholes’ standing water so their heads stick out. It’s a “creepy” look that quickly got attention, says the local newspaper: photos started spreading on Facebook. “It’s childish,” Daytona admits, but “it’s just funny.” After the publicity hit, a borough spokesman announced, “We are pleased to report that Highways England, who are responsible for the bridge and the waterproofing, have agreed to fix the underlying issue, hopefully sparing any more dolls from being decapitated.” But, he pointed out, publicity stunts aren’t needed to call attention to potholes: the council has a place to report them online. (RC/Swindon Advertiser) ...Sure, but what’s the fun in that?