Anonymous 'Pothole Vigilantes' Fix Damaged Streets In Oakland
OAKLAND (KPIX 5) -- Sick and tired of all the beat up streets in their neighborhood, two Oakland residents have taken the much needed repairs into their own hands. They call themselves "Pothole Vigilantes."
The two men don't want their names used or their faces on television. At night, under the cover of darkness, they fix potholes dotting the roads of their East Bay town.
When asked where they got their asphalt, one of the Pothole Vigilantes explained, "We're going out to Vallejo to a place called Easy Street Asphalt. It's actually the same asphalt that Oakland uses."
They are starting out on their own street, but have expanded their covert repair operations. The Pothole vigilantes have started a Go Fund Me page. Oakland residents can post a photo of a pothole with a note about where the problem is located. Once $50 has been donated to cover the cost, the vigilantes go to work.
Neighbors are fed up with bad streets.
"They're very, very deep you know, Some are half foot deep," said Oakland resident Cody Kretizer.
Judy Matluck has lived on her street in Oakland for more than 20 years. She has seen it all.
"You cannot walk across this street in heels!" exclaimed Matluck.
The potholes are not just bad for cars. They also present dangerous obstacles for bicyclists.
"I'm afraid I'm gonna hit a hole. And then I'm gonna land on ma head, like I always do," said cyclist Jes Porter with a nervous chuckle.
"They shouldn't have to do that," Matluck said about the work the anonymous road-work heroes are doing.
KPIX 5 reached out to the Oakland Dept of Public Work several times Monday to ask about the Pothole Vigilantes. As of Monday evening, there was no response.
The Pothole Vigilantes say they are just getting started.
"Right now, we're watching cars drive over these potholes where they would have fell in. But now it's a smooth ride," said one of the Pothole Vigilantes said.
