Is recycling fueling a new wave of road tattoos? New hypothesis emerges from Deer Isle meeting.
see original on Penobscot Bay Press 2026-06-11T13:58:50-04:00
By Jack Beaudoin
DEER ISLE—What’s fueling the recent spate of fresh road tattoos appearing on island byways this spring? A new hypothesis that emerged at the June 4 select board meeting in Deer Isle comes straight out of supply-side economic theory.
According to Town Manager Jim Fisher, it’s likely that the town’s recent efforts to boost recycling—and reduce the amount of waste being shipped to a landfill—has created a large supply of “free” tires for the local drivers who enjoy burning rubber, spinning out and laying down patches on the road.
“We had about fifty tires (at the transfer station) but there’s less now,” he reported to board members. “I think people are going in and pulling them out to ‘burn rubber’.”
“It’s all over town right now,” agreed select board member Peter Perez. “There was one young fellow out there doing it and he had an audience of three or four buddies there watching him.”
Road tattoos are made when the rotational force applied by the engine to the vehicle’s drive wheels exceeds the maximum static friction between the tires and the road surface, according to Wikipedia. In plain English, it means that the driver is spinning his tires wicked fast. The result? A lot of smoke and noise, and black tire tracks that can run for tens or hundreds of yards in large snake-like paths. As Fisher pointed out, it’s become so much a part of island culture that there’s even a 30-minute documentary movie, Tire Tracks, that celebrates the practice.
While the practice can melt surface asphalt because of the heat generated, the tires—and the vehicle itself—sustain most of the damage, leading one wit to call it a “self-inflicted crime.” That’s not to say town officials condone it.
“They’re doing these doughnuts and all,” Fisher said. “So that’s reckless driving.”
“Well, if they cross the yellow line,” said Ronald Eaton, the chair of the select board, “they can be written up for failure to stay in your lane.”
Recycling
The town has ramped up recycling as one way of coping with the skyrocketing costs of municipal waste management. It has also imposed disposal fees on certain items such as mattresses ($20), tires ($6 for cars, $30 for trucks) and appliances like air conditions, refrigerators and heat pumps ($12). While Deer Isle doesn’t generate any significant revenue through its recycling programs—the town’s website says the fees are just what it is charged for disposing or recycling the items— merely keeping products like tires and food waste out of the waste stream can save taxpayers hundreds of dollars every time a truckload of trash leaves the transfer station.
Both Eaton and his colleague, select board member Patricia Oliver, said they’re growing concerned about the uptick in illegal dumping. Oliver noted that a mattress and box spring recently appeared on Reach Road, and wondered why the town’s public works crew hadn’t picked it up. But Eaton said he didn’t think it was the town’s responsibility, and worried that would only encourage people to dump materials that they would be charged for at the transfer station.
“Well, somebody’s got to pick it up,” Perez said. “What are you going to do?”
“The (abandoned) mattresses and tires are going to start adding up,” Fisher warned, asking if the board wanted him to draft a policy on the matter.
“I’d wait and let them build up until there’s 75 or so,” Eaton replied. “Then go out and collect them all in one day.”
Downtown improvements
In other business, Fisher advised the board that the state plans to begin installing a crosswalk, flashing signs and detection plates in Deer Isle’s village district. Fisher is planning to convene a working group of representatives from many of the town’s committees to create a master plan for village improvements and restoration at Mill Pond. He said the master plan could help Deer Isle seek and win federal grants, which would be used to provide a local share to any roadway improvements to Routes 15 and 15A that the state might consider.
“Minor collector roads typically require these local shares,” Fisher said. “Every time I mention improvements MaineDOT brings up the 30-50 percent local share… So it would be good if we could get some federal money to fund our local share.”
Publication data
title: Is recycling fueling a new wave of road tattoos? New hypothesis emerges from Deer Isle meeting.
date: 2026-06-11T13:58:50-04:00
outlet: Penobscot Bay Press
words: 711
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