Midleton Chemist Confronts Mystery Bus Stop Relocation
A chemist at number 78 Main Street in Midleton experienced a severe blow to trade when a bus stop suddenly appeared directly outside his shop in October 1971. Mr Butler arrived at his business one afternoon to find the transit stop installed at his doorway, creating immediate difficulties for his daily commerce. The disruption persisted for approximately a month, prompting the shopkeeper to take formal action.
Mr Butler wrote directly to the town clerk to voice his objections and threatened legal action if the council failed to relocate the stop. The local authority replied to state it bore no responsibility for the placement. Direct inquiries yielded the same denial from nearly every council member contacted during the dispute, with only one local representative showing any interest in solving the problem. As far as the chemist was concerned, democracy was dead on Main Street.
Tar and Gravel Erase the Midleton Bus Stop
Weeks of arguments and confusion ended abruptly one morning when Mr Butler arrived at work to find the white road markings covered over with tar and gravel. The bus stop had completely disappeared from his storefront. It remained absent for roughly two weeks before the mystery deepened further when workmen returned one afternoon to reinstate the stop in the exact same position. Following five weeks of unanswered questions, Mr Butler remained unable to establish who held authority over the stop or who ordered its removal and return. As far as he was concerned, the phantom decision-maker could have been Mr Magoo, leaving him no closer to finding out who was truly in charge. The incident on the main street in Midleton was featured in an episode of Hall’s Pictorial Weekly broadcast on 27 October 1971.
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