It's easy to spot the pride that VB locals have, especially coming from an area that isn't like any other. Caught between city and country, East and South, beach and farmland, we have enough of everything to satisfy us. Being privileged in this way we sometimes forget that the rest of the world is not as rad as we are, and we are reminded of this when tourists and outsiders freak out over something we think is the norm. One of the first things you notice when coming to VB, or Hampton Roads in general, is that we have A LOT OF WATER. We're also a military town with many naval ports. So how do we travel from one place to another that's separated by water? Bridges and drawbridges should be an obvious answer, but again I've lived here my whole life and think this is general knowledge. However, tunnels are even better for traffic because you don't have to risk getting caught at openings and closings or have to leave for work so blessed early that it might as well be yesterday.
One of the biggest "attractions" to others is just an annoyance to everyone living or traveling throughout Hampton Roads: the bridge tunnels, although we just refer to them as the tunnels. While most of the world seems to think this is a hoax, we have several, each with their own levels of anger-induced hate. There's the HRBT (Hampton Road Bridge Tunnel), the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel, and the Monitor-Merrimac (MMMBT or Monitor-Merrimac Memorial Bridge Tunnel, though we just call this the). I didn't realize how out-of-the-ordinary these were until I stumbled across a picture of one our bridge tunnels and read questions and thoughts that left me shook.
Here is the picture that launched a thousand questionable and glorious comments:
There were several types of people commenting, including those who thought it was fake. The first, and my absolute favorite, were those whose immediate thought was wtf happens
-when the tide rises
-when there's flooding
-when a big wave comes
-WHEN A TSUNAMI HITS THE EAST COAST
Ironically enough, there was little mention of what would happen if there was a hurricane…
The next group are the ones who brag about using one of the tunnels once a year when they flood in with all the tourists. Even if they hadn't mentioned they were tourists we'd be able to tell because they think so highly of these blessed tunnels.
Get over yourself Giphy
It's not that cool Instagram
Next we have those confused as to why "the bridge was never finished?"
Virginia's Bridge TunnelsInstagram
Virginia's Bridge TunnelsInstagram
Also, calm down Denmark and Sweden. No need to be so salty.
Virginia's Bridge Tunnels Instagram
Virginia's Bridge Tunnels Instagram
In fact, VB locals and Hampton Roads travelers know these tunnels ain't shit and they cause so much traffic it's enough to wish that a tsunami would come and take it away.
Virginia's Bridge Tunnels Instagram
Virginia's Bridge TunnelsInstagram
Virginia's Bridge TunnelsInstagram
And finally, the only comment that matters
Virginia's Bridge TunnelsInstagram
