A Compton couple working as independent couriers were fed up with city potholes sending them to the mechanic and tire store, so they started fixing the cratered streets on their own, and community support is pouring in.
Daisy De La Rosa, born and raised in Compton, and her husband Alex told The Epoch Times that after replacing multiple tires and suspensions in their work truck they were desperate for a solution. She said sometimes arguments broke out as they struggled to afford the repairs, so they decided on a whim to do the job themselves.
“We were discussing it over and over, you know, how many tires we have gone through, how many blown suspensions. … Our expenses were too much,” Ms. De La Rosa said.
She said she and her husband, who is originally from Mexico, have been working on their own as couriers in Compton for the last four years with no breaks, on the road seven days a week, but much of their income has been spent on maintenance because of the city’s broken streets.
“We were just earning everything towards maintenance of a vehicle. … My husband, he had the initiative, he told me ‘Let’s go to Home Depot.’ … ‘If I could just get rid of one pothole at a time, I might just as well do that,’ and we did it,” Ms. De La Rosa said.
She said they also asked the city for help but never heard back.
In a statement sent to The Epoch Times, the city said the Public Works Department’s pothole crew is “critically understaffed.”
“The City of Compton is aware of the recent reports regarding residents taking it upon themselves to fill potholes within our community. We understand the frustration felt by our residents and share their concerns regarding the state of our roads,” the statement says.
It added that addressing infrastructure issues remains a top priority and encouraged residents to download the city’s app to inform officials of exact pothole locations.
Mr. De La Rosa had been part of a community group on Facebook, so the two figured they’d share their idea online. It quickly went viral, until they were removed from that page for an unknown reason, according to Ms. De La Rosa.
They decided to create a Facebook page called Compton Daily News—now nearing 700 members—where the two now share pictures, updates, and information on their efforts to fix city streets. They have also had live TV interviews with local media and have spoken on local radio stations, receiving strong community support.
They have filled in about 35 potholes in the last two weeks, Ms. De La Rosa said. The street repair company RoadSoup donated 30 bags of asphalt to the cause, which helped fill eight potholes.
To make sure their repairs last, she said, her husband uses a tool to properly compress the asphalt into the hole, which has proven effective during recent rains. She said the city’s repairs tend not to last as long.
“If you’re not doing the job correctly, even if they’re willing to try to do something, it’s not working,” she said.
