According to wikipedia, Gephyrophobia is an anxiety disorder brought about by the fear of bridges.
I have that! I am not horrified completely of bridges but if I am driving, I will drive extra fast over a bridge because I hate the thought of plummeting in my car into a ravine or water! So, my theory is that if I drive fast, there is less time on the bridge for error! (I know driving fast is not the answer though)
Yesterday, as we are leaving North Station on the commuter rail, we have to go over the bridge that is over the Charles. I go over this twice a day and try not to think about how the train could fall into the Charles. I burry my head in my book or update myself with my friends Facebook feeds and before I know it, I’m over the bridge and didn’t even know we crossed it. Yesterday was another story. I had my head buried in a book…for a while. I hear over the loud speaker that we are having problems with our “Ay-ah” (For you non-Bostonians, that’s Air). I look up from my book and look around. We are stopped dead on the bridge. I also make the realization that the air conditioning is on and blowing cool air so why on earth did we stop the train for 15 minutes… on a bridge due to “Ay-ah” problems.
Well, when they say “Ay-ah” it’s the “Ay-ah Brakes”. As in, we don’t have brakes to stop the train! Awesome! As we wait, other trains are coming by in the other lane and shaking the entire bridge. It’s not making me feel “sturdy” or “safe”. We sit a little longer and then have to go back to North Station and change trains. We disembark the train and were directed to track number five. However, we get to track number five and there is no train buuut there is a train at track number six! Everyone starts getting on the train on track six. I have learned my lesson and don’t get on trains unless I know 100% where they are going so I stop to ask the conductor. This conductor is busy calming down a woman who was either robbed or lost something very important to her. So, I wait…and wait… and wait! There is a hand full of people waiting with me to verify the train’s destination. The rest of the group is just following like cattle on to the train. Finally, they get the lost item issue squared away and the train is verified. When I get on the train, the people that saw me standing by the conductor are coming up to me asking “Train to Lowell
We finally all get seating and the woman comes over the loud speaker and tells us that our once express train is no longer an express train and will have to make stops at all the stops because we are now behind the train that makes all the stops. She also announces we have a problem with the “Ay-ah” and this time it was the A/C! It decided to blow hot air instead of cool air. It’s 82 degrees out, everyone is packed in and sweaty after a long day. No one is smelling pretty and now hot “Ay-ah” is being blown on us. Great!
We finally hit all the stops. No one get’s on or off at any of the stops until Anderson-Woburn! Finally, 82 degree’s feels cool to me and I’m off the train and ready to head home. What a long day! Who knew both of my trains coming home would have “Ay-ah” problems?
Me, too. The bridges, I mean. I will drive ten miles out of my way to avoid a bridge I don't like. Smaller bridges, not a problem. Big ones (think Mystic River Bridge, for instance) I will never drive over unless somebody's life is at stake.
ReplyDeleteI find this a completely normal reaction to life. Everybody who drives over the things without a second thought are the odd ones.
(My Dad once tried to comfort me while we were both in a car he was driving over the Mystic River Bridge - The Tobin, in case you weren't familiar with the other name for it. We were on the upper deck. He said, "Look, what's the worst thing that can happen? Even if the entire deck here disintegrates, the most we'll fall is fifteen feet onto the other deck."
I replied, "Wonderful. Only fifteen feet. Of course, you've overlooked the fact that we'll fall directly into the face of oncoming traffic in the opposite direction."
He conceded I had a point...)
By the way, not to get overly nosy or anything, but is your last name Culpa?
ReplyDeleteOh my goodness! I would have freaked out in the car if my dad pulled that. Ya, you drop 15 feet to traffic LOL! That's no fun!! :)
ReplyDeleteHaha! My last name isn't Culpa but it does start with a C. :)