To the editor: The city of Compton's cease-and-desist order to residents Daisy and Alex Delarosa to stop filling potholes in the city's streets may seem mean and counterproductive, but that's not the case.
Potholes form when water seeps into cracks in the road surface when it rains. Water is virtually incompressible and when trapped in the layer between the road surface and the subgrade, the pressure of cars traveling on the roadway generates a hydraulic pump. With nowhere else to go, the water follows the path of least resistance, further cracking the road surface and forming potholes.
Patching with porous material will not prevent further water leakage below the surface of the road. It's only a temporary fix. In the long run, it can actually make the problem worse.
To solve this problem, the road surface must be waterproofed.
Jack Dibes, Santa Monica
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To the editor: I empathize with the Comptons' frustration with the potholes in their neighborhood.
When I called 311 in Los Angeles to report a large hole at La Cienega Boulevard and Beverly Place, I was told that this was the fifth such complaint I had made. The hole had already been repaired, but it caved in and remains as an axle breaker.
The person who answered my phone said that repairs were pending and that if my car was damaged, I could file a claim with the city for the repairs. Good to know.
In the meantime, since I'm from the “Creative City” of West Hollywood, I might take some inspiration from one of the many local marijuana dispensaries and temporarily fill it with plants, a “pothole” solution. .
Carolyn Campbell, West Hollywood