Resourceful 23-year-old mechanic is making $2,200 every night setting up shop next to a single pothole in New York City
Published on Mar 28, 2026 at 2:25 PM (UTC+4)
by Henry Kelsall
Last updated on Mar 26, 2026 at 7:09 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Emma Matthews
Imagine the city you live in having such poor pothole repairs that you decide to set up shop next to one and sell replacement car tires in the heart of New York City.
That is exactly what one mechanic, Javier Yat, has done, with potholes in the city causing all sorts of problems for motorists.
As they can puncture or rip tires apart, and because New York City is full of them, he set up his shop right next to a large hole.
It turns out that was a smart decision, as he is currently making $2,200 every night just sitting next to a solitary pothole.
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How the mechanic is making so much money next to a New York City pothole
Javier Yat spoke to the New York Post about how he has done what he has done.
The location is Exit 9A on the Belt Parkway.
Yat told the paper that he changes so many tires there, he has to get more brought to the van mid-shift.
In the day, he performs around four or five tire changes daily when he is running his local auto shop.
But it’s at night when his tire-changing numbers really shoot up.
According to the Post, hordes of customers are waiting for him at the large pothole.
“I think the pothole is approximately 60 square inches [wide] and 12 inches deep,” said Yat.
During the day, the pothole is easier to see.
But it’s easy to miss, and drivers end up heading straight for it when the sun has set.
Why so many tires need changing in NYC
Yat said he charges around $150-$300 per tire, depending on the tire, and changes 15 to 25 each night.
The money he makes goes back into his business and the resupplying of tires.
Yat has been able to achieve so much success here because of the poor quality of pothole repairs in the city.
This particular pothole was repaired over several months, but the rain and cold reopened it.
That leads to more motorists hitting it, and more motorists needing new tires on their cars.
It seems to have become a big problem for residents in the Big Apple.
This is despite what the Department of Transportation has said.
“We have adequate staffing to address these conditions,’’ they said.
A brief history of New York City
Pre-1600s: The indigenous Lenape people inhabit the region, referring to the area as Lenapehoking
1624: The Dutch West India Company establishes the trading settlement of New Amsterdam on the southern tip of Manhattan
1664: The English capture the settlement from the Dutch without a fight and officially rename it New York
1789: New York City temporarily becomes the first capital of the newly formed United States, where George Washington is inaugurated
1825: The completion of the Erie Canal connects the city’s ports to the American Midwest, cementing its status as a dominant global commercial hub
1898: The modern city is formed through the consolidation of five distinct boroughs: Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx, and Staten Island
1904: The first official underground line of the New York City Subway opens, revolutionizing the city’s expansion and daily transit
1931: The Empire State Building opens during an intense skyscraper boom, defining the city’s world-famous 20th-century skyline
2014: One World Trade Center officially opens to the public, becoming the tallest building in the Western Hemisphere and marking a new architectural era for the city
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Henry joined the Supercar Blondie team in February 2025, and since then has covered a wide array of topics ranging from EVs, American barn finds, and the odd Cold War jet. He’s combined his passion for cars with his keen interest in motorsport and his side hustle as a volunteer steam locomotive fireman at a heritage steam railway.
