SCRANTON -- If you're thinking the potholes this year are worse than before, you're not imagining things.
Mechanics say the weather this year made for a perfect storm when it comes to potholes, meaning the last few days have been very busy in the auto repair business.
The January thaw means one thing for drivers and another for those who help us along the side of the road.
“It was crazy. Yesterday was crazy with the rain, it amplifies things. The roads are absolutely horrible, but with the rain you can’t even see the potholes. All you can see is wetness on the ground and boom,” said Mark Moletsky at Moletsky’s Service Center.
Mondays are usually busy at Moletsky's Service Center in west Scranton but this past Monday went beyond. Constant calls from customer who did what we all dread: hitting a pothole, popping a tire, or denting a rim.
It's understandable, since parts of Main Avenue look like a mine field.
“People are swerving left and right to avoid them and you can’t avoid them. It’s taking rims out. It’s taking out control arms. It’s causing a lot of damage on the cars.”
Pothole season is a given in Pennsylvania but this one is one of extremes. Extreme cold last week then the warm up and rain this week, so those in the pothole business say it made for a perfect storm.
Kevin Cito, who drives all day for work, fell victim and drove on a leaky tire to Moletsky's to get it fixed.
“Just trying to dodge the potholes and unfortunately I must have hit one or two. I get to a lady’s house and my tire is leaking, so that’s where I am now, trying to get it fixed,” Cito said.
The folks who do the fixing say they often meet people under unfortunate circumstances, and the repairs don't come cheap. They say at least take comfort in knowing that this week, you're not alone.
One roadside assistance worker we spoke to this week said he was called out to almost 30 cars in one day that had flat tires and said here in Scranton at least, this may be the worst pothole season he's seen in quite a while.