More seriously, East Coast DUers, check your local news

[EFerrari]

for the town fathers checking out bridges and tunnels. I hope you don't have aftershocks because they can be as upsetting as the initial quake. But taking a minute to check out damage along your commute route might not be a bad idea.

[Donnachaidh]

1. My guess is we'll start seeing reports of inspections not happening because of budget cuts.

People should also be looking to pull together emergency packs for their cars. Spare shoes, spare glasses, blankets, etc.

Be Safe.

[EFerrari]

2. Yeah. After the Cypress Structure (on my commute route) pancaked here

trapping and even killing some commuters, we found out how lax the inspections had been. When I had to drive that way, I used to get of and go around because it just felt unsafe and it cost me an extra half hour every time. I felt like a paranoid idiot until the day it fell down on commuters. :(

[dtexdem]

4. I used to take it into SF in the morning and up top coming home to Oakland in the evening.

Down below, it looked so solid, like a fortress. It always felt safe to me. And quite a few were killed on there, including some up top coming off the bridge -- nothing like having the roadway give way below you, except that is having it come down on top of you.

But I moved to Long Beach a few months before Loma Prieta.

[EFerrari]

12. I'd just gone back to school after commuting to San Jose

for a year and I used to hit the Cypress at 5pm every day on the way home. :scared:

[myrna minx]

3. That's what's so unsettling.

Our bridge collapsed without an earthquake, just from neglect, so this is my worry for our east coast friends - this exacerbated existing, hidden problems. Stay safe, my friends.

[loudsue]

5. Thank you for your concern, my friend.

It was pretty scary when it happened. I'm still a little freaked-out. And I know for certain that many of our bridges and over-passes are NOT safe, because I have friends/family that work at DOT in many parts of the state.

And for the first time in over 100 years, the republicans took control of both houses of the NC legislature in 2010. They sure as hell aren't going to be funding much of anything, since they're trying to "lower taxes".

[myrna minx]

7. I hope you and yours stay safe from Irene, too. The damage to what's left to

the infrastructure is what frightens me most. All of my best. :hug:

[EFerrari]

9. It's okay to honor your freak out.

I hope you've seen the last of the shaking. :hug:

[loudsue]

13. Thanks, Myra and Beth. The hurricane doesn't look like it's going to be

very kind to the east coast, does it? Some hurricanes just go inland, do a huge mess of damage, and die. This one looks like it wants to tear up the entire eastern seaboard, from south to north.

Mother Earth is rockin' & rollin' out here this week! Thanks for the kind words. :hug:

[Lone_Star_Dem]

6. Great advice. If you have an online local state Department of Highways, check there.

They'll have information even your local news may deem too minor to relay to you.

Edit to add a dropped T to state. :blush:

[lindysalsagal]

8. yeah. How much money would it take to get me into the holland tunnel right about now

:scared:

[myrna minx]

10. Welcome to DU, lindysalsagal.

:hi: Are you a New New Yorker or lass from Jersey? Regardless, hang in there.

[lindysalsagal]

11. Thanks. Connecticut, actually.

How about yourself?