As many of you know, Boston has been in the throes of a major highway rebuilding project for about fifteen years. The plan was to take the elevated highway that cut through Boston and replace it with large tunnels under the city. Like all such projects, it's really late and way over budget. The original estimates were for something like five years to do the whole thing. However, they broke ground the day I found out I was expecting DD, and she's nearly fifteen now. I hope they're done by the time she finishes college.
Recently, we had some company who were visiting the city for the first time. Normally, I'd take them on a tour to see all the sights, but since I can't drive, they took a commercial bus tour instead. Now, I know that these tours aren't 100% historically accurate, but this one took the cake:
The tour guide showed his customers a hole in the ground, and told them it was the multi-billion dollar "Big Dig," and that they were all paying for it through their federal taxes. He also claimed that approximately 700 people a year drive into the holes for the construction project and nearly all of them die.
[Pause for a moment and think about that]I pointed out that 700 deaths a year would be about two per day over the past fifteen years, more or less. That would mean over 10,000 Bostonians had fallen to their deaths during the course of this construction project, and that's not counting the workers building the tunnels and bridge. I asked if they had ever heard about such an accident on their news. When they said no, I told them I have never heard of even one such accident.
Yup, yet another government conspiracy. Ten thousand Bostonians have been offed by falling into holes, and no one knows about it except tour bus drivers. Wow, those bus drivers know _everything!_
Wouldn't you think that I would know at least one of the ten thousand victims, since I've lived here all my life? Government must be hiding that, too. :-) I'd best put on my tinfoil hat, in case they want to read my mind, too.
Kathy N-V