Man Tired of Speed Bump Smashes It and Gets Fined by the City

We don’t know about you, but when we see a speed bump or any bump in the road, we slow down to almost zero and inch over it. Speed bumps, they’re certainly a minor inconvenience, but are they worth getting fined by the city of Chicago over? Well, according to CBS News, the man’s disdain of certain speed bumps in his neighborhood warranted him to smash them and accept his fine.

Nicholas Benitez told CBS News that the speed bumps in the alley were “too high and wide.” The result? Damage to his vehicle, so he did what any man would do to protect his car, leading to a pile of slabs of asphalt leaning up against his garage. Ok, we didn’t mean what ANY of us would do, but he did what most of us think about doing and fail to follow through on.

The city of Chicago responded and gave Benitez a $500 ticket. The charge? Digging without a permit and destroying city property. It’s possible he would have paid more in damages to his car, and good thing cities are slow about replacing stuff that costs them money.

Benitez described how tired he was of “bottoming his car out on the speed bumps.” He claims the speed bump was already cracking, so he did the honors of removing what was left. Whether or not that’s true is another story. He said he smashed it over period of a few days, then piled it neatly in front of his garage, almost like a hunter putting their prize catch above their fireplace.

Benitez reached out to the city before his destructive spree, but he got tired of waiting and found a solution. He begged the city for smaller speed bumps but to no avail. He plans on fighting the ticket, and he’s ready to “replace the whole area.” His court date is scheduled in a few weeks.

Now, we’re not sure if we’d do the same thing, but we can understand his frustration. An entire decade of the city doing nothing after countless pleas? We get it, but destroying public property probably isn’t the best solution.

Please don’t take matters into your own hands Chicago! This man wasn’t happy about a speed bump. It has been in his alley for a decade. He removed it on his own & earned a $500 fine and a court case in the process. pic.twitter.com/XFCKjYc5Dp

— Ald. Raymond Lopez (@RLopez15thWard) September 20, 2021