If you’ve ever gotten a flat tire from a rusty nail, you know roads are full of unseen hazards. One Atlanta man has taken it upon himself to do something about those hazards: Alex Benigno, also known on Instagram as Atlanta Magnet Man. Using a bike trailer equipped with magnets, he canvases Atlanta roads, picking up all manner of debris.
Alex Benigno spoke with GPB’s Peter Biello.
Peter Biello: So why did you start doing this?
Alex Benigno: During the pandemic, I was an essential worker, and I was picking up nails and screws with my tires. And I realized that if I’m out here alone (mostly) and I’m picking up all these nails and screws, that means that everyone else’s tires are picking up all these nails everywhere. And I think the catalyst to get this project started was when I went to the Kroger on Howell Mill (Road) one morning and I saw a five-pound bag of screws had fallen off of a contractor’s truck on the driveway. And I was like, oh, man, I hope somebody does something about this. And I came back around lunchtime and I saw that everything was still there and realized, okay, by the end of the day, if this hasn’t been done, I’m going to take care of it. So I borrowed a broom and dustpan and a little magnet sweeper from work. And I went there and I picked up everything, and I realized, okay, well, I’ve got to get my idea rolling because these things are everywhere, and no one’s taking care of it.
Peter Biello: And then you affixed to the back of your bike a few different versions of what is essentially a trailing magnet facing the ground. If you scroll through your Instagram, you see these photos of not just nails — you expect nails and screws and stuff — but … cables; metal cables. I don’t know what these are, why they’re on the road, what they could have fallen off. Giant clumps of metal. I can’t tell what they are. All of this in the street?
Alex Benigno: Yeah. It’s everywhere.