Free Republic

A man fed up with a private road in poor condition near his southwest Florida business has a novel solution: plant a banana tree in a pothole to warn motorists away. Last week, Bryan Raymond planted the tree in a stubborn pothole along Honda Drive just off U.S. 41 in south Fort Myers. Raymond, who owns Progress and Pride Fitness Group, said the idea of planting a banana tree ripened in his mind after having to fill holes in the street with cement multiple times. Because Honda Drive is a private street, county officials said, it’s up to the business...

Oprah Winfrey got a "big mahalo" for opening her private road on her property in Maui to help people quickly escape a brush fire that broke out Thursday. Residents in the town of Maalaea and parts of Kihei were sent an evacuation notice on their phones, and flights to the island were diverted. "@Oprah there's a huge brush fire on Maui right now! People are trying to evacuate Kihei-my husband and son included!" one resident tweeted. "If you would kindly share the code to your gate/road, folks can evacuate through Kula." Winfrey responded that she had given immediate access to...

...."Wow," was the response to the 85 mph speed limit by Dave Goldberg, a spokesman for Transportation for America, which promotes alternative transit systems. Goldberg questioned the motivation, contending the road's builder is worried mostly about attracting motorists who are willing to pay tolls to drive fast rather than safely. "The need to recoup investment trumps almost every other consideration," Goldberg said.....