Can you believe this bridge collapse in Minneapolis?

**merv** · 2nd August 2007, 19:33

For you in Auckland hope your bridge never does this http://www.stuff.co.nz/4150404a10.html

No mention of bikers involved.

**Winston001** · 2nd August 2007, 21:21

Yeah that is bloody horrifying, saw it on tv tonight. Not exactly third world construction, you'd wonder how it could happen.

**kro** · 2nd August 2007, 21:26

Bizarre thing. The yanks are usually so gung-ho on engineering standards, and often over engineer to ensure longevity. Sad state of affairs when people die as a result of structural failures.

**The Pastor** · 2nd August 2007, 21:29

too many fat yanks.

Good to see our harbour bridge has nice large cracks in the welds

**karmakillernz** · 2nd August 2007, 21:42

What I can't believe is that they had to reassure people it wasn't an act of terrorism - as if nothing bad in the world happens unless terrorists are involved.

**merv** · 2nd August 2007, 21:45

Originally Posted by renegade master

Good to see our harbour bridge has nice large cracks in the welds

Yeah man your Nippon Clip-ons have been on the verge of collapse for years especially when the hikois march over the bridge.

**Steam** · 2nd August 2007, 21:48

Disaster in first-world country claims seven lives!
And makes great TV!

Meanwhile...

Daily death toll from starvation: 35,000 deaths per day.
Daily death toll of civilians in Iraq according to conservative UN estimates: 100 deaths per day.
Daily death toll from AIDS: 8,000 deaths per day.

Still, it made interesting TV, to see that mangled bridge. Disasters are cool.

**karmakillernz** · 2nd August 2007, 22:05

Originally Posted by Steam

Disaster in first-world country claims seven lives!
And makes great TV!

Meanwhile...

Daily death toll from starvation: 35,000 deaths per day.
Daily death toll of civilians in Iraq according to conservative UN estimates: 100 deaths per day.
Daily death toll from AIDS: 8,000 deaths per day.

Still, it made interesting TV, to see that mangled bridge. Disasters are cool.

Ahh, but of course those things are happening every day so it's not technically news, is it?

People wouldn't tune in every day to hear "x people died today from AIDS... again."

And of course 7 people dying in a western country is much more digestable and relateable to Joe Public than many thousands dying in some far-away foreign land. I mean, look how quickly they were to start comparing it to our own Harbour Bridge.

**Steam** · 2nd August 2007, 22:13

You are quite right. We even recorded tv1 news while watching TV3, to see more pictures of it. But they were the same.

**sAsLEX** · 3rd August 2007, 00:54

America has a long legacy of crappy bridges.

Tacoma Narrows.

**Street Gerbil** · 3rd August 2007, 01:04

The worst part is that they are now using the term "recovery" instead of "rescue".

**Waylander** · 3rd August 2007, 01:24

Oh yes a Bridge collapses and it's fat stupid lazy americans. We try to help others, we get told to get lost not wanted, yet at the same time we're ridiculed for not helping.

Get fucked the lot of you.
How about no more TV for you? Cars? Computers? Phones? The internet?
Also, I see more fat people when walking down the street in this country, no matter what city, than I EVER did anywhere back in the states.

**MisterD** · 3rd August 2007, 06:18

I work for a Minneapolis-based company (not hard to guess which one), still waiting for confirmation that nobody I work with is affected...mobile network totally clogged yesterday afternoon.