Tuesday, October 02, 2007

Devastation Can Happen Anywhere

by Craig Glab, Regional Manager (Central)



I was in Minneapolis on September 13, to visit Erik’s Bike Shop in Dinky Town. They have more than one store, but the one I visited is right there in the U of M campus area and they are a great Kryptonite dealer. I went to the store and conducted business and then drove across the bridge that is the closest bridge to the I-35 bridge collapse.

When I was driving, I decided as a former Minnesotan I wanted to capture the view to show other people what I saw. The destruction was phenomenal. I had been there just a couple of months before the bridge collapse. And, in the past, I’d driven across the I-35 bridge many times – anyone who has driven it can probably still remember all the pot holes and where they were, I know I do.

I guess it is different for all of us – we’ll all have our own thoughts on this tragedy. If you don’t live in the Twin Cities area think of it this way - if it was a tunnel in Boston or a bridge in San Fran or wherever you live, it would mean more to you, I guess, especially if you drove it every day and then all of a sudden it wasn’t there any more. You might even think it could be you. It could be any one of us. This is particularly devastating for anyone who lives in, or has lived in, Minneapolis.

It really brings to my mind the question, “how short is life”? In a split second this could happen to you…or me. It could be any one of us. This huge bridge was there once and now it is gone…amazing. I guess I still have a hard time with it.

Here are some interesting photos of what I saw last month.

















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