Several weeks back I was enjoying my one-hour drive home. As I exited the Southfield Freeway,I noticed a police car,a wrecker,a roadside assistant van,and five cars lined up on the shoulder. All the vehicles had a flat on the driver front tire.
What are the odds?
In Michigan —50/50. Where Pennsylvania has Punxutawney Phil to predict spring,Michigan has Pothole Pete. Sure Pete doesn’t predict spring,he just makes Michiganders count the days until spring. Potholes are so common,Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) has an illustrative guide to pothole creation (The Birth of a Pothole).
Belle Tire is taking advantage of increased pothole awareness with a worst pothole contest. Michiganders can submit a picture of the worst potholes in Michigan to win a trip for two to Cancun.
Three finalist will be chosen later this month with a winner selected in April. Belle Tire has competition for their pothole contest:the State of Michigan. The 2009 Drive MI Pothole Contest is underway. The second annual contest has are over 25 submissions to date. The best four pictures win $318 each.
The two contests have an interesting relationship. The MDOT contest is sponsored by the government agency who is suppose to repair the potholes. The Belle Tire contest is from a company who will benefit from tire damage caused by the potholes. If you find yourself in Michigan with a pothole induced flat,my advice is it to take a picture,enter the contest,and hope to win. Reason being,you have a better shot of winning the contest than getting Michigan to reimburse you for your damages. The following is an excerpt from the MDOT Damage Claim web site page:
If you believe your vehicle has sustained damages on a state trunkline,from a pothole or other cause,you can contact the MDOT office in the region where the damages occurred,about filing a damage claim. The state will consider an award only for the damages beyond what has been paid by your insurance company,and the state must have been aware of the pothole for 30 days without repairing it in order for a claim to be eligible for reimbursement.
My favorite line is “the state must have been aware of the pothole for 30 days without repairing …”On the bright side,only 20 days until spring.
