Man Forced to Drive 600 Extra Miles a Month, Just to ‘Look Fresh’

Man Forced to Drive 600 Extra Miles a Month, Just to ‘Look Fresh’
Speed Bump Sign. (Makarios Tang/Unsplash)

A 23-year-old driver spent $3,875 to lower the suspension of his car, and now he’s forced to travel 600 extra miles a month to commute to and from work, reported the Daily Mail.

Christopher Fitzgibbon, 23, from Galbally in Limerick County, Ireland, lowered his car to about four inches above road level—just “to look fresh.”

Normally, it takes 30 miles a day to commute to his maintenance job and back. But since the county council installed a number of speed bumps on secondary roads in his area, he can no longer take a shortcut through the village of Galbally to work, and he’s forced to travel double the distance, daily, adding up to 600 miles extra a month.

“I used to drive through the village to get to work—but now I have to drive around Galbally, which adds on 15 miles in the morning and 15 in the evening,” Mr. Fitzgibbon told the Daily Mail.

“That’s an extra 30 miles a day, 150 miles a week, 600 miles a month, and 7,000 miles a year—all because of speed bumps that are too high for my car,” Fitzgibbon said.

The first speed bump was installed in September last year—but meanwhile, a number of other matching humps have been put in on the other two entry roads into the village.

He continued: “These new ones have been up for about eight weeks, and they’re just absolutely ridiculous because they stop me from driving through the village.”

“I feel discriminated against because I’m driving a modified carit’s lowered, so it’s four inches off the roadand I’m being denied my right to drive on these roads.”

Moreover, he had to spend $2,583 to fix damages caused to his vehicle by the speed bumps, including a tow hitch, shock absorbers, drop links, springs, and bumpers, he claims.

NTD Photo
Galbally, Limerick County, Ireland from the air. (Google Maps)

“I complained about the first one for about six weeks, and they basically responded to me with two fingers up and four more ramps in February,” Fitzgibbon told the Daily Mail.

He even went to the county council to obtain redress, but he was sent away, and staff were instructed to ward him off again the next time around. Fitzgibbon was further admonished to give the county officials some peace.

A letter from Leahy Reidy Solicitors on behalf of the council obtained by the Daily Mail reads: “We refer to our client’s letter to you dated the 1st of February 2018.

“In the letter, they clearly indicated to you that you were not to engage on any future occasion with our clients by telephone.

“Furthermore, you are not to call their offices as your activity is causing considerable disruption to the running of the business of the Council.”

Fitzgibbon continued: “I went to the council office where the road engineer is based—but I got nothing back but physical and verbal abuse and intimidation. The road engineer was so mad with me. He kept pushing me about. … I’ll never forget, he called me ‘frivolous’ and ‘vexatious.'”

Limerick City and County Council deny Christopher’s claim that the bumps are six inches high and assert they are only about three inches high.

A spokesperson told the media outlet: “The speed ramps/cushions that were placed in the Galbally this year were put in as per Limerick City and County Council’s Traffic Calming Policy Document are only 75mm (3 inches) high and were placed on the R662.

“We have received no other complaint in relation to them.

“A traffic survey carried out prior to installation indicated high levels of speed through the village and non-compliance with existing speed limits. The introduction of the measures has resulted in a safer village for all.

“Similar speed cushions were introduced in other areas of the county without issue.”

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