Repeating an action and expecting a different result?

Many moons ago, someone, much cleverer than I, told me that to repeat an action and expect a different result was a sign of silliness.

I have only just realised I am guilty of that very thing.

Every few months I write to the Peninsula News complaining about the method of repairing potholes used by Central Coast Council and expect that something will be done.

Silly boy.

In my latest Council Bulletin, which arrived with my water rates notice, is an article telling me what they are doing to fix potholes, both great and small.

The answer: the same thing that didn't fix it last time.

Or the time before that, or the time before that, ad infinitum.

Late last year I travelled to Junee, on to Hillston, and returned via Bathurst.

Not the entire state but a pretty representative cross-section.

I studied the roads as I went and can safely say we have the worst roads in NSW bar none.

Council's bulletin poses the question 'Why do potholes form?' and posits that the main cause is water getting through the road surface.

The reason water lays there waiting to be pushed through the surface is because the road, when built, has no proper camber.

That is, the road should slope toward the gutter, so the rain runs off.

If the road had been built properly in the first place most of our potholes wouldn't have formed at all.

Unfortunately, it is too late to re-build all the roads on the Peninsula, but surely they can do better than the bloke observed a fortnight ago stamping down cold mix with his foot at the intersection of Victoria St and Ocean Beach Rd.

Could the Council at least test-drive one pothole-filling truck for a couple of weeks?

Go to Google and you will find this wonderful machine completing a seamless repair in minutes.

Email, 13 Feb 2020

Laurie Powell, Woy Woy