Can I Survive Crossing the Mackinac Bridge with My Girl Scouts?

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Discussion Overview

The thread centers around a participant's anxiety about crossing the Mackinac Bridge while driving a group of Girl Scouts. Various participants share their personal experiences and coping strategies for dealing with bridge-related fears.

Discussion Character

  • Anecdotal
  • Opinion-based
  • Exploratory

Main Points Raised

  • One participant expresses fear of bridges and seeks advice on managing this while driving a group of girls.
  • Another participant suggests driving in the middle lane and gripping the wheel tightly as a coping mechanism.
  • One participant shares that singing songs with the girls could help distract from the fear of crossing the bridge.
  • Several participants mention specific songs that could be sung during the crossing to alleviate anxiety.
  • Another participant notes the importance of staying in the outside lane for a smoother ride.
  • One participant recalls their own dislike of bridges but shares that they managed to cross the bridge in winter.
  • Another participant mentions the bridge's safety record and encourages not to obsess over it.
  • Several participants discuss the pronunciation of "Mackinac" and "Mackinaw," sharing their thoughts on local dialects.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Views differ on how to cope with the fear of crossing the bridge, with some participants suggesting singing as a distraction while others focus on practical driving tips. No clear consensus emerges on a single approach.

Contextual Notes

The discussion reflects personal experiences and fears related to driving over the Mackinac Bridge, particularly in the context of managing a group of young girls. Participants share a mix of humor and concern regarding the experience.

Who May Find This Useful

Participants in the consultant community who may face similar fears or challenges when traveling with groups, particularly in contexts involving children.

Take the SS Badger, especially if you have kids. It's something that stays with them. I have many fond memories of my Lake Michigan crossings on the old Pere Marquette 21 & 22 and on the City of Midland. In those days, they hauled railroad cars, and I was fascinated to stand on the aft deck and watch them load the cars. Nowadays, the car deck is where thy put vehicles of all kinds. On my crossings this year, they were loading oversize trucks and that was almost as fun to watch as railroad cars. One of the oversize load drivers was from Tennessee (at least, he was wearing a Volunteers hat) and I almost needed a Volunteer --> English dictionary to understand him.I've written quite a bit about the http://jrmanning.com/. (BTW, my adventures as a bridge hunter follow the entry about the Badger.)
 
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Here ya go, Chris, a couple more for your consideration. This first one is known as the Wheeling Bridge and it crosses the Ohio River from downtown Wheeling, WV to Wheeling Island. It was built in 1849 (it was rehabbed in 1999) and, at the time, was the longest suspension bridge in the world. It is, as far as I know, the only antebellum suspension bridge extant and I do know it is the oldest suspension bridge, still in use, in the western hemisphere. It has a steel deck and I crossed it many times in the last month. It is, IMHO, gorgeous!
Wheeling1.jpg
This next one is a truss bridge that crosses the Ohio River from Benwood, WV to Bellaire, Ohio. It opened in 1926 and has always been privately owned. It operated as a toll bridge for its useful life. In 1991, it was closed when the Ohio end of the bridge was lopped off to allow construction of Ohio Highway 7 and the west portal of the bridge is just sort-of there, about 60 feet above grade. There are still entrance ramps on the West Virginia side but those are well closed. There has been talk of demolishing this stunning old bridge but no action has been taken yet.Scenes from Silence of the Lambs were shot in Benwood and on this bridge.
BellaireBranded.jpg
I wish this bridge could be rehabbed and reopened somehow. Many of the citizens of Benwood and Bellaire would also like to see that, but almost as many want it destroyed.
 
Watch that last step - it's a lulu!

WatchThatLastStep.jpg
 
Falling ice closes Mackinac Bridge -- 02/22/2008Falling ice from cables and towers has closed the Mackinac Bridge to all traffic.

Michigan State Police said some of the ice struck vehicles on the bridge, forcing the Mackinac Bridge Authority to shut it down Friday morning.

No injuries have been reported.

Motorists are being advised to reduce their speed to 20 mph while approaching the bridge.
 
And the car ferry doesn't run during the winter anymore, so if you're stuck in Da Yoop dere, you may have to stay dere until Spring or go t'ru Chickago, doncha know.By the way, there are photo essays of the Wheeling Bridge and Bellaire Bridge are online now at Bridge Hunters website, if you'd like to learn more.
 
chefjeanine said:
Falling ice from cables and towers has closed the Mackinac Bridge to all traffic. Michigan State Police said some of the ice struck vehicles on the bridge, forcing the Mackinac Bridge Authority to shut it down Friday morning.No injuries have been reported.Motorists are being advised to reduce their speed to 20 mph while approaching the bridge.
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I just looked at the Mac' bridge cam - it's open again.http://cam.mackinacbridge.org/fullsize.jpg
 
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I thought all the bridge "fans" would appreciate that article I cut and pasted from my morning paper.
 
This site spans so many topics...
 
The_Kitchen_Guy said:
This site spans so many topics...
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Ugh. Where is the grimacing smiley?
 
You're in a suspended reality. And, when it comes to puns, I have no pier.
 
When KG sends the puns flying, just hit the deck.. but you gotta admit, most are pretty grate.
 
pcchris, you have to see this posting.Cairo Mississippi River Bridge.Read the stories at the bottom of the listing and it will make the Mighty Mac seem like a concrete culvert. You'll also be happy to learn that you are not alone in your fears!
 
crappity crap crap. I would have had a major panic attack riding over this one for sure. I certainly couldn't have driven it. Why would they make it so long and narrow?
 
There are two main reasons for that, I would suspect. First of all, at the time that many of those bridges were built, cars and trucks were a lot smaller. They were built to accommodate the vehicles of the day, which were all about the size of a Model T. Secondly, it was for expense. Widening a bridge, even a few inches, would add thousands of dollars to the construction costs, especially one that long. If you take a look at any of the other 60+ bridges that cross the Ohio River, you can see that many of them could be considered a thrill ride!
 
The_Kitchen_Guy said:
If you're going to the island anyway, why do you have to cross the bridge? You can get ferries to the island from St. Ignace, too.
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I was just going to say the same thing. You don' have to cross the bridge if you are going to the island. They have ferries on both sides of the bridge.
 
Because their hotel was in Mackinaw City, on the other end of the bridge.
 
There is a Wikipedia entry for Crossings of the Ohio River. It has a listing for the Silver Bridge, between Gallipolis, Ohio and Point Pleasant, WV, that collapsed in 1967. That accident caused the federal government to forge new rules for the inspection of any bridge, on a public highway, longer than 20 feet. Those bridges must be inspected at least every 2 years. (The closest I've been able to come to the correct pronunciation of the town's name is gal-eh-po-LEECE.)The collapse of the Silver Bridge is remembered in Point Pleasant, including a miniature in the museum. It also spawned an urban legend about the Mothman, who purportedly predicted the collapse. A 2002 movie, The Mothman Prophecies, grew out of that legend.Wikipedia doesn't have as many pictures as Bridge Hunter, which is also missing documentation of many of the crossings. However, Bridge Hunter is adding bridges, from around the country, almost daily, including a lot of the little ones you take for granted.
 
Well, Chris, how do you feel about the new Marquette Interchange? You're gonna love the ramp that carries I-94 from the high level bridge to the westbound lanes.It's 180 feet in the air - that means you're going to be driving on a bridge at about the same level as a 16 story building.Oh, yeah, you're gonna do real well on that one!
 
pcchris said:
website is Mackinac Bridge Authority in case you aren't sure of the bridge in question. I'd do a like, but I don't know how. KG may be able to help me with that....he's such a computer guru! Or, someone else might be able to do that too....

It's a MONSTER!
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This bridge seems to be very simaliar to the Bay Bridge that goes from Annapolis Maryland to the Eastern shore of Maryland...:confused:
 
2 nights ago I had a panic attack concerning the Mackinac Bridge, although it wasn't about crossing it. I was watching "Dirt Jobs" and Mike Rowe was climbing down the inside of one of the large upright leg structures to help repaint the inside bottom of it. The space was getting smaller and smaller and I could see him struggling to get through the openings and he kept getting stuck. It was totally making me claustrophobic and I actually had a panic attack. I'm not outrageously claustrophobic-usually, but this was the first time just watching something on TV made my heart race and made breathing a little difficult.

I actually felt much better once he was out and walking up the cables to the top. Now that is something that I could do. Heights don't bother me, just small spaces.
 
You'd never catch me walking on those cables!Of course, you wouldn't catch me crawling around in the towers, either.How'd you like the shots from the top of the tower?
 
fikibiff said:
2 nights ago I had a panic attack concerning the Mackinac Bridge, although it wasn't about crossing it. I was watching "Dirt Jobs" and Mike Rowe was climbing down the inside of one of the large upright leg structures to help repaint the inside bottom of it. The space was getting smaller and smaller and I could see him struggling to get through the openings and he kept getting stuck. It was totally making me claustrophobic and I actually had a panic attack. I'm not outrageously claustrophobic-usually, but this was the first time just watching something on TV made my heart race and made breathing a little difficult.

I actually felt much better once he was out and walking up the cables to the top. Now that is something that I could do. Heights don't bother me, just small spaces.
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We just came back from St. Ignace....and one night, while we were sitting at Moms Ice Cream (local hang out) eating our Cupcake ice cream, we struck up a conversation with a man who works on the Mighty Mac bridge! Fascinating to talk to him! He is actually one of those men who climbs all over the towers and has been all over the bridge. He confirmed for us the fact that the bridge is ALWAYS undergoing repairs and upkeep...and told us that there are men on-call 24 hours a day for bridge repair emergencies!

He also said that the pay is great......but you couldn't pay me enough!
 
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The_Kitchen_Guy said:
pcchris, you have to see this posting.

Cairo Mississippi River Bridge.

Read the stories at the bottom of the listing and it will make the Mighty Mac seem like a concrete culvert. You'll also be happy to learn that you are not alone in your fears!
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Yikes! No thank you!!!

Thanks for posting though....sorry it took me 4 months to see it...lol
 
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The_Kitchen_Guy said:
Watch that last step - it's a lulu!

WatchThatLastStep.jpg
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Oh my God.........

There's NO WAY I could EVER do that!
 
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  • #265
The_Kitchen_Guy said:
Well, Chris, how do you feel about the new Marquette Interchange? You're gonna love the ramp that carries I-94 from the high level bridge to the westbound lanes.

It's 180 feet in the air - that means you're going to be driving on a bridge at about the same level as a 16 story building.

Oh, yeah, you're gonna do real well on that one!
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I stay away from the M-Change. That will help me...ha ha ha...

I haven't been down to that part of Milwaukee for quite some time.

Thanks for the heads-up though! Much appreciated.
 
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The_Kitchen_Guy said:
You'd never catch me walking on those cables!

Of course, you wouldn't catch me crawling around in the towers, either.

How'd you like the shots from the top of the tower?
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Made me totally queasy. Can't beat the view though. It certainly is beautiful.
 
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ChefBeckyD said:
We just came back from St. Ignace....and one night, while we were sitting at Moms Ice Cream (local hang out) eating our Cupcake ice cream, we struck up a conversation with a man who works on the Mighty Mac bridge! Fascinating to talk to him! He is actually one of those men who climbs all over the towers and has been all over the bridge. He confirmed for us the fact that the bridge is ALWAYS undergoing repairs and upkeep...and told us that there are men on-call 24 hours a day for bridge repair emergencies!

He also said that the pay is great......but you couldn't pay me enough!
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Me neither!
 
The top of the tower is less scary to me than the inside bottom.
 
pcchris said:
Oh my God.........

There's NO WAY I could EVER do that!
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That guy didn't either. Ain't Photoshop grand?
 
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