Wednesday, August 08, 2007

Bridge Collapse.

More specifics later, but on the frivolous side, I had no idea what the "R.T." in "R.T. Rybak" stood for before I read this BBC article.

8 comments:

Grendel said...

There's always the "Bong" bridge in Duluth. Damned drug using hippies. . .

Vika said...

Snicker...so you ARE alive. I was hoping....(just kidding, I knew you were fine :D)

I was a bit worried there for a bit when I realized how close that bridge was to the university, though. I kinda like MEL, and being squished is a very ignominious way to go.

I do hope they manage to find enough of the people who didn't make it in order for their families to have a proper funeral, though.

Kate said...

We used the live 5 blocks from the collapse, and I used the drive over that bridge several times a day. And we still sometimes use(d) it now. But I was at the airport when it collapsed, and MEL was at home. If fact, when the CNN story hit, I was watching the screen (that was when I realized how few people watch the CNN screens at the airport). The sound was off, and then caption didn't have any detail, so I called MEL to check online and find out what had happened--I knew it had to be huge to hit CNN so soon after it had happened. For about 15 minutes, I was the only person at the gate who knew what happened. I didn't think spreading the news, since I didn't know much, would be helpful. As it was, when people started to get calls, there were a bunch of people from up north whose rides to the airport had to cross that bridge to get home who still didn't know if their kids/friends/spouses were OK by the time the plane took off.

Kate said...

And I would like to point out that I called my parents to let them know that I was fine, knowing that they probably hadn't heard yet and would try to call and verify that I was still breathing when my phone was off on the plane. And I asked them to spread the word. Which they didn't because every one of my sisters and several relatives called or texted, slightly panicked, the next day.

Sigh.

Vika said...

Believe it or not their theory was that if we hadn't heard anything from them that we would assume that you were both okay.

Sure.

And I called them three times during the day before I finally got in touch with mom.

Vika said...

Hey, question: the video they kept showing of the bridge collapsing, was that shot from that other bridge where we walked that evening with the huge spiders on it (the time when the 'rents, CGB and I drove out to see you?)

Kate said...

It was not, but it may generally be from the direction of the Stone Arch Bridge (which is the one you are talking about). I would have to look at the footage again.

Vika said...

Oh, okay, I wasn't sure. It looked like a similar view of the skyline.