Pothole was becoming a local tourist attraction

The most important issue in my neighbourhood the last couple of weeks, has been the pothole down the street.

This I discovered thanks to joining a community WhatsApp group – probably the most enlightening experience of my life.

The pothole started out as a little divot, but no sooner had appeared when it made the headline news on the group.

Someone posted a warning, complete with an SOS icon, a danger sign and goodness knows what other emojis, as well as a picture of the divot and a location pin.

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The little divot was instantly famous.

Over the next couple of days, however, it grew with every passing vehicle. And as it grew, so did the attention it was receiving.

After about a week, it was a fully fledged pothole. I’m talking real menace. By now, people were stopping and taking selfies with the hole.

Someone actually started measuring it and posted almost hourly updates on our community group.

It was fascinating, like watching a little puppy grow.

Our community was mesmerised. The pothole dominated the local narrative.

I was starting to wonder if we shouldn’t name it. It was becoming a local tourist attraction.

We could put signs up all over town directing people to our hole.

READ MORE: SA’s municipalities in a R51 billion pothole, says Ratings Afrika

Perhaps we could charge people to take pictures of it, set up a food truck or even a souvenir shop. Judged on the responses to my vision, it was obvious that my enthusiasm was not shared, or appreciated.

Everyone was demanding that the hole be filled and the road surface restored.

On the other hand, I thought it would be best to try and save it, perhaps even declare it a world heritage site.

Then, out of the blue, it was gone, fixed by some community organisation.

I was still wondering what on earth our little WhatsApp group would talk about next when someone posted a photo of a child in what I thought was a forest.

Turns out the grass on the island in our street has not been cut forever and it’s now become the biggest threat to our little civilisation.