Does this make anyone else incredibly mad?

statdoc · #1 07-12-2006, 09:40 PM

I suspect we have all seen builders of all sorts (cars, houses and bridges) cut corners in all sorts of ways. It is really tragic that something that was such a boondoggle in the first place (and should have never been done) has resulted in an innocent person's death.

Curious Joel · #2 07-12-2006, 09:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by statdoc

I suspect we have all seen builders of all sorts (cars, houses and bridges) cut corners in all sorts of ways. It is really tragic that something that was such a boondoggle in the first place (and should have never been done) has resulted in an innocent person's death.

The problem with the Big Dig is that they cut so many corners.. There were major leaks in the tunnels because the contractors didn't remove gravel where they should have, or something.. now this. Next thing you know the Zakim Bridge is going to tip over.

Thunder22 · #3 07-12-2006, 10:18 PM

no, no it doesn't.

carry on.

JCL · #4 07-13-2006, 01:30 AM

Doesn't make me mad. Does make me feel sorry for the taxpayers. $14 billion for a tunnel? One that is short enough to walk through? And it leaks? Even before it starts falling apart? Put the accident in perspective though. How many traffic fatalities in Boston so far this year? I dare say many of those were preventable as well.

On a related note, we came through an alternate tunnel on the way to Logan on Tuesday morning, flying home from our NY/Boston vacation. Traffic was bad, but at least we missed the falling concrete by 8 hours.

The Swiss tunnel fire (the big one) was the Mont Blanc, in 1999. It prompted a lot of re-engineering for fire safety, interesting reading on the web. It was closed for several years. We drove from the UK to Tuscany in 2001, and it was still closed. Had to take the St. Gotthard tunnel, IIRC. That was in September. The St. Gotthard tunnel didn't catch on fire until October 2001, at which point it was closed.

Maybe we should stop taking tunnels.