Florida Man Fed Up With Potholes Plants Banana Tree In Middle Of Road

FORT MYER (CBSMiami/AP) – A Florida man, fed up with the potholes near his business, planted a banana tree in the pothole to make a point.

Bryan Raymond planted the tree, right in the middle of the road in south Fort Myers, as a warning to drivers about the pothole.

Raymond, who owns Progress and Pride Fitness Group, said he was tired of filling the potholes with cement, so he planted the banana tree instead.

Because the road is a private street, county officials said, it's up to the business owners to maintain the street.

For Raymond, the banana tree is an attention-grabbing repair.

"If we have to maintain it and make sure nobody gets hurt, we are going to put something obvious there to make sure nobody gets in the hole," Raymond told television station WBBH.

For some time, Raymond's security cameras have captured problems along the street, including a pothole damaging cars and floodwaters causing his trash bin to float away.

Some who work along the road say anything is better than potholes.

"I love it, I think it's hilarious. We should have more of these," said Scott Shein, who works at a nearby business, told WBBH. "I think it is sending a message."

He's seen so many cars hit a pothole on the street and "bottom out" that it's a real concern.

Charlie Lopez, who lives in nearby Cape Coral, agrees.

"It messes up your tire, messes up the rim and then it basically messes up your day," he said.

For some, though, the sight of a tree brings disbelief.

"I pulled up and I'm like, is that really a tree in the middle of the road?" said John Hulker, who lives in Fort Myers, speaking with WINK-TV.

(© Copyright 2021 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)