Woman tickets the Department of Transportation for wasted gas
We've all been stuck in construction traffic and cringed at the unmitigated waste of resources, time, and money -- not to mention carbon emissions. While we might have thoughts about standing up to The Man when we get screwed over, most of us rarely do anything but crank up the radio and stew. Well, one woman in Michigan actually sent in a letter, billing the Department of Transportation $16 for her wasted gas. Apparently, Carol Greenburg and her cat Sammy were on the way back from the vet when they got caught in a 50min span of traffic hell. A situation that Greenburg says she could have avoided if MDOT had posted the proper construction signage.
What do celebrities drive?
Of course, Greenburg didn't expect to be reimbursed, she wrote the letter to vent. Call her a whiner if you want, but I call her a patriot.From the letter:
"Thousands of vehicles from both Interstates, including mine, sat an estimated 50 minutes, wasting thousands of dollars worth of $4-per-gallon gasoline, belching tons of emissions into the atmosphere."
Apparently, this kind of complaint doesn't actually come across the desk of MDOT's desk nearly often enough. In Detroit, MDOT spokesman Rob Morosi said that the road maintenance was necessary and that Greenburg's letter was not the norm. According to him:
"We usually get damage claims about stones kicked up from the roadway or overspray from painting I have never heard of anyone being compensated for the loss of gasoline."I've often wondered if it was really necessary to do construction work at 5 o'clock on a Friday afternoon, or on the day before Thanksgiving -- but I've never come up with a cost effective way to complain. Maybe someday, state highway departments will be the subject of lawsuits from clean air groups when they commit traffic atrocities like this one.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 6)
8-07-2008 @ 2:45PM
David said...
Let me see now, a woman sues DOT because there are too many cars on the road and she gets stuck in traffic. Can anyone out there suggest a way to decrease traffic by ONE car?
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8-07-2008 @ 3:24PM
kpjm said...
no she got stuck in traffic because as she said if they would have posted the correct signage she could have avoided it. but as usual the construction workers who got off the drugs just long enough to get the job didnt post any signage.
8-07-2008 @ 4:27PM
JIM said...
Greenburg !!! Anyone surprised here??? $16 bucks---Get a life "Greenburg"
8-07-2008 @ 5:49PM
bikingail said...
ride a bike!
8-07-2008 @ 7:42PM
Julie said...
The article said she sent them a bill...Not that she "sued" MDOT...I only wish I had thought of that...lol...She knew she wouldn't get reimbursed but I bet complaining made her feel better...
8-07-2008 @ 3:05PM
keithfly said...
She and her ignorant lawyer should be sentenced to 30 days stuck in traffic in a car with no air conditioning! Then the lawyer should be disbarred! Grow up lady... that's life.
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8-08-2008 @ 9:05AM
duh said...
Where in this post does it say she "SUED" and where does it mention "LAWYER?" As another person stated she SENT A LETTER and didn't expect to get compensated.
ASSume nothing
8-07-2008 @ 3:10PM
Debrah Herron said...
I love this! You go girl! Did you get your money? More people should do what this lady did.
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8-07-2008 @ 3:12PM
Brittany said...
I agree with you. I'm just plain sick of all the traffic. The contruction is never finished on time and I live in DC so on top of the ridiculous amount of time spent in traffic, I still have to endure car damage from the never ending craters in the street. YES, CRATERS!! They're so enormous they can no longer be classified as potholes. Bottom line infrastructure can no longer handle the volume of people currently commuting. I'm terrified to see what the future looks like
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8-07-2008 @ 4:48PM
JMO said...
Brittany, Im in DC too and the "craters" are beyond horrible! They appear out of nowhere and cause so much damage. The construction around here is never ending, traffic will always be sucky here.
8-07-2008 @ 3:14PM
Carrie C said...
I can TOTALLY relate! The first sign of summer in Oregon is road construction - EVERYWHERE -highways, main arterials, quiet country roads. You can't get away from it. My question is why aren't the major projects completed at night? Since traffic is light, drivers aren't inconvenienced, and less fuel is wasted.
Hmmmmm....maybe that makes too much sense..????
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8-07-2008 @ 6:50PM
vahn9001 said...
i just moved from portland to sacramento. the road work here is so bad it makes me long for oregon. you have no idea how good we have it in oregon. i have been to lots of states and oregon roads are the best.
8-07-2008 @ 3:16PM
Christina said...
This woman is pure genius. It's about time someone addressed the wasted resources incurred by poorly managed road work. And it's fantastic that her comments have been shared for all to see and support! Well done, Carol and Sammy!
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8-07-2008 @ 3:23PM
Max said...
Is there no bus service there near the vet or maybe the bus service inept or have drivers who can't speak English? Why can't she live near the vet and walk/bike home?
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8-07-2008 @ 4:13PM
John said...
what a dumb ass comment MAX..what bus is going to let you take a pet on board? suppose she has a pitt bull or rottie. go play in traffic for being so stupid
8-07-2008 @ 3:25PM
Rasha said...
I find it hilarious that people bitch and complain to the city that they want the roads fixed, than bitch and complain when the city is out there fixing the roads.
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8-07-2008 @ 3:42PM
panth753 said...
LOL I know right. If someone doesn't like the triffic, DON'T DRIVE.
8-07-2008 @ 7:16PM
Sandi Beche said...
But the city is fixing the roads at the worst possible times. Here in Baltimore, I think they get a kick out of closing a lane 2 miles ahead of the construction on a Friday afternoon rush hour. Do the work during the day when the traffic is lighter, not heavier.
8-07-2008 @ 7:40PM
sparklspd said...
no one is bitching about the fact that the roads are being fixed, just about that lack of signage. Traffic could easily be routed around construction zones if motorists were only given a simple heads-up
8-07-2008 @ 3:28PM
Dave said...
I think there should be a federal law mandating ALL highway work, local, state, and federal highway work be performed overnight. The benefits are two-fold...fewer cars on the road would be safer for the highway workers AND would result in fewer traffic jams. Yes, there would be an added cost for lighting, overtime pay, etc. But these costs would be less than wasting people's time during heavy travel times and would result in fewer accidents as well.
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