# How hard can it possibly be to drive through a tunnel? **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [April 15, 2003, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-hard-can-it-possibly-be-to-drive-through-a-tunnel/168902 "2003-04-15T16:28:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Koffing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/898d66/32.png) [@Koffing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Koffing)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2003, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-hard-can-it-possibly-be-to-drive-through-a-tunnel/168902/41 "2003-04-17T16:34:09Z")
I knew, without even opening the thread, that the OP was talking about Pittsburgh, and it’s wonderful “slowing down before the tunnel” phenomenon. It’s not visiting Ohioans or Philadelphians doing the slowing down; it’s native Pittsburghers, people who have been here the majority of their lives. I don’t have a cite, but I’ve been told that there was once a sign before the Squirrel Hill Tunnels telling drivers to slow down before entering the tunnel. It could be that some people who learn to drive in Pittsburgh are taught to slow down before tunnels because of the legacy of that damned sign. ---
**Author:** ![Doctor\_Goo\_Fee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Doctor\_Goo\_Fee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doctor_Goo_Fee)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2003, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-hard-can-it-possibly-be-to-drive-through-a-tunnel/168902/42 "2003-04-17T21:09:58Z")
Right… like the Dutch drivers wouldn’t go through there at 150km anyway… even if there were no lights whatsoever.😉 ---
**Author:** ![amarinth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3be4f8/32.png) [@amarinth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amarinth)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2003, 10:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-hard-can-it-possibly-be-to-drive-through-a-tunnel/168902/43 "2003-04-17T22:48:56Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by koeeoaddi \* > \*\*I live near Seattle and I’m convinced that the earthquake will hit when I’m either right in the middle of the tunnel or at the apex of the Tacoma Narrows Bridge. Tunnels and bridges are just plain evil. \*\* Don’t be silly. The big one will hit while you’re on the viaduct, and your last sight will be the it crumbling down from the force of the earthquake while a wall of water reaches your car due to the sound tsunami-ing. Which one does the final damage, you’ll never know. But yes, slowing down for tunnels is weird, it must just be Pittsburgh. ---
**Author:** ![Eats\_Crayons](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/278dde/32.png) [@Eats\_Crayons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eats_Crayons)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2003, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-hard-can-it-possibly-be-to-drive-through-a-tunnel/168902/44 "2003-04-17T23:06:47Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Shade \* > \*\*WAG: People are scared of hitting the walls? \*\* Yeah, it’s kinda got that “trying to blow up the Death Star” feel to it… ---
**Author:** ![Morbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morbo/32/389_2.png) [@Morbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morbo)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2003, 11:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-hard-can-it-possibly-be-to-drive-through-a-tunnel/168902/45 "2003-04-17T23:49:37Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by blainer \* > \*\*This “Scary Tunnel” phenomenon also occurs at the tunnel in the middle of the Bay Bridge connecting San Francisco and Oakland. \*\* That’s b/c half of the drivers are clueless tourists. A tunnel! Pretty! Drives me crazy. ---
**Author:** ![sugaree](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/cc9497/32.png) [@sugaree](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sugaree)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2003, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-hard-can-it-possibly-be-to-drive-through-a-tunnel/168902/46 "2003-04-17T23:50:54Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by bernse \* > \*\*Pittsburgh has _mountains?_ Really? I had no idea. \*\* Mainly steep-assed hills, to be technical. Most everything’s on a slant. ---
**Author:** ![lezlers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/258eb7/32.png) [@lezlers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lezlers)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2003, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-hard-can-it-possibly-be-to-drive-through-a-tunnel/168902/47 "2003-04-17T23:59:53Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by blainer \* > \*\*This “Scary Tunnel” phenomenon also occurs at the tunnel in the middle of the Bay Bridge connecting San Francisco and Oakland. \*\* Hell yeah. I drive the bridge at about 7:00 a.m. so traffics not that bad yet but I still never fail to see brakelights and have to slow from 70ish to 40ish at the tunnel. Drives me up the wall. And it can’t be a light thing, because the damn things _lit_. Funny thing though, the tunnel after the Golden Gate Bridge northbound _isn’t_ lit, but I’ve never had to slow down for that one. 😕 ---
**Author:** ![koeeoaddi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/koeeoaddi/32/408_2.png) [@koeeoaddi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/koeeoaddi)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2003, 1:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-hard-can-it-possibly-be-to-drive-through-a-tunnel/168902/48 "2003-04-18T01:20:38Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by amarinth \* > \*\*Don’t be silly. > > The big one will hit while you’re on the viaduct, and your last sight will be the it crumbling down from the force of the earthquake while a wall of water reaches your car due to the sound tsunami-ing. Which one does the final damage, you’ll never know. > \*\* I’ve thought that too and drive accordingly - like the Nazgul are right behind me. I suspect though, that when the thing really hits, I’ll be in my kitchen sipping coffee and won’t even have time to see the mountain overtake the house. :eek: ---
**Author:** ![catsix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e19b73/32.png) [@catsix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/catsix)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2003, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-hard-can-it-possibly-be-to-drive-through-a-tunnel/168902/49 "2003-04-18T01:42:24Z")
> [@](#): > > **Koffing** said: > I don’t have a cite, but I’ve been told that there was once a sign before the Squirrel Hill Tunnels telling drivers to slow down before entering the tunnel. On Saturday, when I was through that area last, the sign posted said ‘Maintain Speed Through Tunnel’. > [@](#): > > **bernse** said: > Pittsburgh has _mountains_? Really? I had no idea. We love our hills that go straight up and straight down and surround our city. They confuse the hell out of any Ohioans who find their way to the 'burgh. Us Yinzers also love our bridges, and the fact that all 200-odd of them are yellow. When out of towners ask for directions we like to say ‘take da yella brich an go up da hill’, so as to really confuse them. Sometimes we send them on long detours to Eessahiya Stree and then wonder why they can’t figure out what the hell we’re saying. If you wish to enter or leave Pittsburgh, you will either go over a gigantic steep fucking hill with streets poorly made of uneven brick or through a tunnel. Just for fun, we threw in bridges immediately following those hills and tunnels. Oh yeah, and because Yinzers are really fuckin sadistic bastards, during the last two summers we’ve closed the most major artery for leaving the city - the Fort Pitt Bridge and Tunnel. Take that West End detour around rush hour, it’s almost like a walking tour of the city except _slower_. And next week on ‘As the Yinzers Drive’: Potholes. Can they be repaired? Also, tune in for a special edition of our new reality TV show, ‘What Do You Mean Every Street in Oakland is A One Way Going in The Same Direction?’ Don’t miss the trailer for Pittsburgh’s new musical ‘Look Left For Buses’ now showing on Fifth Avenue. ---
**Author:** ![Coldfire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a587f6/32.png) [@Coldfire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Coldfire)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2003, 3:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-hard-can-it-possibly-be-to-drive-through-a-tunnel/168902/50 "2003-04-18T03:53:31Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Doctor Goo Fee \* > \*\*Right… like the Dutch drivers wouldn’t go through there at 150km anyway… even if there were no lights whatsoever.😉 \*\* Trust me, you don’t want to pass _that_ tunnel with 150 km/h! Local speed limit is 100 km/h, and it’s filled to the brim with speed cameras. I’ve gotten numerous tickets in it over the years (mostly of the “103 km/h” variety), but I know people who temporarily lost their licenses for zooming through it with 160 km/h at night. Just a heads-up should you ever visit. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Magickly\_Delicious](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magickly\_Delicious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magickly_Delicious)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2003, 5:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-hard-can-it-possibly-be-to-drive-through-a-tunnel/168902/51 "2003-04-18T05:47:45Z")
I haven’t been to Pittsburgh in a long time, but I always assumed it was because of [traffic calming](http://pti.nw.dc.us/task_forces/transportation/docs/trafcalm/Trafcalm.htm): “Narrower streets, in contrast, calm traffic. Vehicle speeds decline.” For whatever reason, when the road gets less wide, we slow down, and I would think that applies to tunnels, too. ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2003, 6:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-hard-can-it-possibly-be-to-drive-through-a-tunnel/168902/52 "2003-04-18T06:22:25Z")
It’s obviously the ‘black hole’ phenomenon. And it’s perfectly understandable. From the outside looking in, you can’t see a damned thing in the tunnel. When your visibility is reduced, you tend to slow down. That’s why many tunnels have canopies in front of the entrance, or bright lights going inside, even in daylight. It increases the efficiency of the tunnel with high traffic flow. If you’ve got a busy tunnel where people slow down a lot before entering, it’s just bad engineering, and/or someone decided to trade off the lower traffic capacity for construction and operating cost. ---
**Author:** ![Rilchiam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/2bfe46/32.png) [@Rilchiam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rilchiam)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2003, 1:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-hard-can-it-possibly-be-to-drive-through-a-tunnel/168902/53 "2003-04-20T01:56:11Z")
I swear, all I can think of it whatsisname in **The Stand** , having to walk through that tunnel to get out of Manhattan. And, in the unabridged version, Trashcan Man coming back to tell The Kid that there’s a bottleneck at the “Eesenhoover Tunnel”. ---
**Author:** ![danceswithcats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9e8a1a/32.png) [@danceswithcats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/danceswithcats)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2003, 2:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-hard-can-it-possibly-be-to-drive-through-a-tunnel/168902/54 "2003-04-20T02:33:04Z")
Methinks it’s a factor in the hypothesis first expressed by the ancient philosopher Painintheass, regarding the ability of a driver, despite familiarity with a given route, to suffer a recto-crainial inversion without warning every .95 times he or she operates a motor vehicle. This is the only explanation I’ve been able to reach regarding people who will, upon sight of a sign reading “LEFT LANE CLOSED 2 MILES AHEAD” slam on their brakes, despite clear roadway ahead, and my being behind them, driving a truck that weighs as much as their house. I’m so glad I don’t drive a truck any more. My lifetime pucker factor is all used up. :eek: ---
**Author:** ![kniz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/c37758/32.png) [@kniz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kniz)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2003, 5:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-hard-can-it-possibly-be-to-drive-through-a-tunnel/168902/55 "2003-04-20T05:54:19Z")
Driving through tunnels is for sissies, try doing it in a boat: [**North End**](http://www.roberthudson.org/tunnel-mouth.htm) and [**South End**](http://www.mike-stevens.co.uk/reports/cruise1981a/67a43.htm) > [@](#): > > _from [**here**](http://www.users.waitrose.com/~theheath/Canal09.htm)_ > **The entrance to Blisworth Tunnel - 2 miles (30-40 minutes) long; very dark, very wet and little to steer by. An impressive manual excavation effort!** The fun gets even better when you meet a boat coming the other way. I proudly drink from my **“I’ve Been Though The Blisworth Tunnel”** coffee mug. ---
**Author:** ![legion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/838e76/32.png) [@legion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/legion)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2003, 6:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-hard-can-it-possibly-be-to-drive-through-a-tunnel/168902/56 "2003-04-20T06:38:51Z")
Maybe they should hang some bush around the tunnel entrance? I dunno about the Burghers, but a Freudian wet dream like that would make ME speed up! ---
**Author:** ![KGS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/90ced4/32.png) [@KGS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KGS)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2003, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-hard-can-it-possibly-be-to-drive-through-a-tunnel/168902/57 "2003-04-20T17:28:01Z")
[Skinner’s mom] I don’t want you driving through tunnels. You _know_ what that represents! [/Skinner’s mom] ---
**Author:** ![danceswithcats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9e8a1a/32.png) [@danceswithcats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/danceswithcats)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2003, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-hard-can-it-possibly-be-to-drive-through-a-tunnel/168902/58 "2003-04-20T20:17:06Z")
[Whiny voice] But Mom, everybody is doing it! Why can’t I? [/Whiny voice] [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-hard-can-it-possibly-be-to-drive-through-a-tunnel/168902.md?page=2)