It's Curious City Editor Alexandra Solomon.

Now, every Chicago driver has probably encountered a speed hump.

You might know it as a speed bump, but the official name is hump.

Anyway, there are those raised portions of pavement that you're supposed to slow down for,

unless you're in the mood for a rude awakening and some damage to your car.

It's probably safe to say that nobody particularly enjoys going over one, but they certainly

annoy some more than others. One Chicagoan got so fed up with a speed hump in his alley,

he took matters into his own hands. For nearly three weeks, Nicholas Benitez hacked away at a bump in his alley near his home

in Brighton Park.

Benitas grabbed a pickax and whittled away at it.

The Brighton Park resident said he was tired of the damage being done to his car and the lack

of response from the city.

Now, he faces a $500 fine and a court case for damaging city property.

You might also have to pay for the city to put in a new one.

Now, while some like Benitez might find speed humps unpleasant, they are supposed to make streets safer.

And traffic safety is a really big deal.

On-street traffic fatalities have actually increased in Chicago between 2019 and 2020.

From 96 to 139, that's a 45% increase.

And transportation officials attribute this to increase speeding in residential areas.

But one curious city listener isn't convinced that speed humps actually increase safety.

Oh, I'm anti. I don't think they work.

Rob Cassidy is a longtime resident of Chicago and someone who thinks a lot about urban infrastructure.

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