Ads create a safety hazard? What about the gaping craters in the pavement?

That would be awesome - they could replace the meter clocks with chicken-shaped kitchen egg timers.

As for the asphalt, they'll probably fill the potholes with the contents of a KFC Gravy Bowl - congeals into a smooth solid surface in mere hours!

I will boycott KFC and all YUM brands if this goes into effect on any road I drive on.

@Murph1908: why.... im sure they'll come up with an ad that isnt that distracting

I love Chicago, I live here. I worry about the relatively high number of times that it pops up on consumerist, compared to other cities.

Are we really that messed up?

@Murph1908: Good. More chicken for me.

I don't care who fixes the potholes, as long as they are fixed. If they want to spray their logo on it, more power to them. Every one is happy.

But I'll be the first to call April Fools on this one.

I will support anything that keeps my bus from breaking clear in half on Lake Shore Drive.

Chicago just ought to get it over with and sell the naming rights of the city to the highest bidder.

Quarterpounder, Illinois. With the honorable Mayor McCheese running the city.

Next step: delta city. What's your name, son?

@exploded: Yes.

Sounds like what I have heard about Chicago is true.

@Murph1908: I'd rather they spend advertising dollars making my life just a little bit better rather than deceiving me.

This reminds me of the hotels.com ads with the staff kissing butt for good reviews. If you want my business, do stuff for me.

@rpm773: This idea brought to you by Carls Jr.

Argh, why is it not just "Refreshed"?
Also, I read IDOT as "IDIOT". I like the idea of being the IDIOT spokesperson better.

@exploded: Look on the bright side. At least they still report on Chicago! Some cities *cough*Detroit*cough* that are beyond hope have no one reporting what is going on there serves little purpose other than to depress and slowly kill off folks.

I like this idea, I can't see how this would be any more distracting than the lines and arrows already in the road.

However I should point out that there is a line they could easily cross. Simply stamping their logo on a pothole is not bad. But making additional messages or giving directions to the nearest KFC would indeed cross that line and become too distracting for drivers. As long as this would be done tastefully, it would be done well.

@Murph1908: So you'd rather drive over potholes?

"STOP TAKING OUR TAXES! WAIT WAIT! But don't let corporations sponsor fixes that I don't want to pay for with taxes! Just leave the damn potholes!"

I read in the Trib the other day about them doing this in another city, and immediately said to Ms. Scorpio "They should do that here." I'm glad to see it's actually being considered.

If the city can't be bothered to pay to fix the potholes, I've got no problem with some corporation doing it.

Of course, if they'd stop using asphalt for the main roads to begin with, this would be less of a problem.

@winshape: April Fools would be nice ... if it were, indeed, April 1st.

@exploded: I think Meg is a Chicago native, so she has an affinity for our beloved (if not a little odd), city.

I just had to pay to get my alignment fixed after hitting a pothole that they should put a ramp in front of and let motorcross folks jump. So, I'm all for it.

Love it. If I have to see an ad, might as well serve a purpose.

In my wildest dreams it would result in lower taxes since the city saves on pothole repair. Oh, if only capitalism were that user-friendly.

@Hank Scorpio:
Sorry, that should be Mrs. Scorpio.

@rpm773: Don't think Emperor Daley hasn't already thought of this.

Depends on the product-

I could see tire companies/car repair companies, etc. really benefitting from this idea.

KFC? Do all those KFC signs mark potholes repaired or just where they picked up the roadkill to fry up for lunch.

I'm in favor of this as long as some friends/relatives of politicians can somehow reap some monitary reward. We can't break from tradition.

@Murph1908: You're a wise man. You should find some potholes that haven't been fixed and purposely drive through them, too. That'll show 'em!

@exploded: I'm not from Illinois, but I live here now. Yes, Chicago is screwed up and so is the whole state.

@nakedscience: April Fools jokes don't necessarily fall exactly on 4/1.

I think they should come here and fix the pot holes in Atlanta. If the city won't fix them let them put their little logo on it. who cares?

This may sound like a good idea, but what KFC isn't telling the city is that the potholes will be filled with mashed potatoes, layered with sweet kernel corn, loaded with bite-size pieces of crispy chicken, and topped with homestyle white pepper gravy sprinkled with a three cheese blend.

In a completely unrelated move, I'm sure the rainbow/push coalition will be announcing a boycott of KFC now until they agree to put a bunch of jesse jackson's business partners on the payroll.

Also, LOL at a logo on a pothole being a "distraction" -- what about all those billboards? Those aren't "distractions"?!

Best comment I heard about this program was that it should be renamed.

To:

The "A Chicken in every Pothole" program

@winshape: It's still 2 entire days early. And if it's not on April 1st, it's just a prank and not an April Fools joke. Since, you know, April Fools is on April 1st, not March 30th.

@NoWireHangers: I, for one, welcome our new delicious pothole fillings. That asphalt really sticks to the roof of my mouth.

@winshape:

... doesn't that kind of defeat the purpose...

@HiPwr: Well this is how it could go down: the DOT will only allow a specific company to do delicious pot hole patching, and that company is owned by the brother of the president of the road commission. I could totally see that happening.

@rpm773: Who will run the police force? Will they bring the Hambugerler to justice? Can these potholes kill the Grimace?

It's a great idea that won't work. And why is an opinion attributed as fact: "Despite the fact that the ads would be a 'distraction and safety hazard'"?

But why wouldn't it work? Well, the union people who are supposed to fix the roads would file grievances, that's why! Look what happened when the non-profit "Green of Detroit" tried to do some beautifying -- the city employees grumbled that it was their job, and effectively put a halt to the beautification efforts.

@exploded:

Having lived in Chicago for several years as well as living in a few other places throughout the country...

Yes, yes it is.

@balthisar: Oops, "Greening of Detroit" is the correct spelling.

@invisiblenemies: Yeah, I think the 6 inch deep hole you see seconds before you hit it, and either swerve to miss it or drive into it blowing out your tire/cracking a wheel off/etc... are MUCH more of a hazard. That and them Duke boys.

@trujunglist: Yes, yes it does, but some people think they are ~special~.

If it's not on APRIL 1st, it's not APRIL FOOLS.

March 30th is not April 1st, last I checked. Hell, it's not even April.

@Hank Scorpio: You only speak to Ms. Scorpio when Mrs. Scorpio is out of town, right?

@nakedscience: OK, please disregard my previous post. It should read:

But I'll be the first to call "End of March Prank Since It is Technically Not April First and Couldn't Possibly Be Considered an April Fool's Joke" on this one.

Better?

I don't see a problem with this. They already have signs on the side of the road saying that this stretch of highway is sponsored by some company or group, who go out a couple times a year to pick up trash. They already have signs on landscaped medians that have been sponsored by some company.

Why can't they do the same thing here? Maybe not advertise on each pothole, but have a sign saying the roadway surface is sponsored by KFC. As long as the proper asphault used in the proper method, then it shouldn't make a difference who paid for it.

@trujunglist: I've lived in IL my whole life, so I don't have anything to compare it with.

@h3llc4t: Argh, why is your comment so far down? Why didn't someone point this out eralier?

@DeanOfAllTrades: I agree, all the potholes (which I swear are recent) on Peachtree in Buckhead need to be fixed, ASAP...