“What makes their anxiety even worse is that their fear of bridges and their fear of heights is not irrational, so…the same thing happened to them when they were on this bridge. Because it proves that it could have happened,” Abujaoudeh said.
The horrifying sight of an out-of-control cargo ship destroying a 185-foot-tall bridge has inspired people who struggle with a variety of fears, including claustrophobia, hyperphobia (driving), and phobias (crossing bridges). caused anxiety. It’s not that far of a leap to watch the video of the collapse and imagine yourself falling into the Patapsco River. For some, it feels like a bad dream coming true.
Dave Scarangella, 67, a retired sales executive; I wrote to X On Tuesday, he said the Key Bridge collapse was a “reoccurring real-life nightmare” for him. He would have a panic attack on a high bridge, he wrote. And more than a dozen people responded to share their fears.
“I don’t know if it’s an innate fear of controls or the car somehow making a right turn and jumping into the water or something,” Scarangella said in an interview Wednesday, adding that that fear really put him over the top. He said that he had been arrested. “That doesn’t make sense.”
Ensure length to avoid bridges
Bridges are part of everyday life for many people. They take into account our holidays and vacations. People like Scarangella, who lives in Ashburn, Virginia, may plan a careful route to avoid anxiety-inducing intersections.
Abujaoudeh said one patient’s commute is three hours instead of the 30 minutes it takes to use the bridge. Scarangella said he has left bridge operations to his co-workers and family for many years. He has avoided the Francis Scott Key Bridge and the Bay Bridge in Maryland. Family trips are carefully planned.
“Where we choose to vacation, there are no high bridges,” he said. “If I happened to find it, I would look at a map and drive around it.”
Several bridges across the country allow nervous drivers to hand over their car keys to professional drivers. The escort program is operated by a combination of bridge operators and private transportation companies.
of Chesapeake Bay Bridge – Tunnel Drivers of Virginia has been helping nervous drivers since at least the 1990s. In 2006, authorities formalized the free program, which is available year-round.
“We get as many calls in the middle of the night as we do during the day,” said Corporal Spencer Parks.
If you are traveling by car, please make your reservations in advance, preferably at least 24 hours before your arrival time. They meet emergency personnel at each end of the bridge and pay a toll ($16 or $21, depending on the season). In the absence of a crew member, duties include driving a tow truck and assisting at toll plazas, and a police officer may also take the wheel.
Edward Spencer, chief of operations and police for the Chesapeake Bay Bridge and Tunnel District, said between 500 and 600 people request escort each year. Spencer, who answered the phone Tuesday night, said he highly doubts the number of calls will increase due to the Key Bridge collapse.
Drivers can help you cross the Chesapeake Bay Bridge in Maryland. Kent Island ExpressIt promises to “relax and enjoy the ride and scenery.” The service, which is not affiliated with the Maryland Department of Transportation, costs $40 in cash or $50 by credit card during regular business hours, according to its website. The driver must give at least one hour’s notice.
Patty McEwan, 60, took the Kent Island Express a few years ago when she needed to attend a work meeting on the Eastern Shore. She said it was worth it. Short bridges made of concrete don’t bother me much, but bridges with gratings or long bridges where you can see water are difficult to drive.
It was a windy day when she took advantage of the service, but “I thought, ‘God, I’m so glad I did this,'” she said. “Because I had driven across that bridge before, and it was a real experience for me.”
McEwan, now retired from nonprofit fundraising, called the company to schedule a meeting and followed up when she was nearby. A young woman got into a Chevrolet Spark at a location near the bridge. When another employee followed them, the driver stopped near the opposite store and McEwan took over again.
“It’s very efficient,” said McEwan, who lived in Alexandria, Virginia at the time but now lives in New York state. She remembers the driver praising him for doing a good job, even though she wasn’t closely observing what was going on. “Maybe her eyes were closed,” she said.
440 feet tall delaware memorial bridgeSpanning the Delaware River, offers a similar program. The traveler must call 10 to 15 minutes in advance and receive directions to a safe drop-off location, where he can wait for a police officer. Dispatcher Diona Glasgrow said calls typically spike during holidays and days of extreme weather (excessive wind, rain, or gorgeous sunshine).
“Summer is a big peak season for us,” she said.
The service is free, but car owners must pay a $5 toll.
The eight-mile Mackinac Bridge, which connects Michigan’s Upper and Lower Peninsulas, has offered assistance programs for nervous drivers since the 1980s. It’s partly because of my nerves. Strong winds could lead to warnings, road closures, and the possibility of bridge movement.
Drivers can request that bridge personnel take their vehicle across the “Mighty Mac” any day of the week.
The service was suspended at the beginning of the pandemic, but resumed at the end of 2021. By then, authorities had reviewed the cost of the previously free program and determined that users would have to pay. The current cost is $10 per trip plus tolls, increasing to $15 in 2025. The average cost of providing service is about $33 per trip, according to the Mackinac Bridge Authority.
Overcoming fear through interaction
Fear of bridges can be a single phobia or a combination of anxieties such as driving, heights, loss of control, confined spaces, and distrust of infrastructure. The type of bridge can also cause panic attacks.
“For some people, it’s the height of the bridge that matters. For others, it’s the structure of the bridge, the length, or whether it’s over water.” Martin Anthony, Professor of Psychology at Toronto Metropolitan University. “Of course, some people are scared of any bridge.”
Robert DupontA clinical professor of psychiatry at Georgetown University said he had not encountered any patients who feared bridge collapse. They feared what they would do while driving across the bridge, such as jumping off.
“This is a common phobia,” he says, adding, “It’s one of those phobias that people keep secret. Crossing a bridge in a car is something they won’t be able to do. [collapse] It might encourage people to face it again. ”
Anthony, who has written a book on overcoming fear, said the most effective, evidence-based treatment is exposure. He takes his clients to the bridge, where they and their friends repeatedly drive across the bridge. The idea is to remove fear by normalizing the experience.
“We’re going to go back and forth long enough to know that everything people are predicting isn’t going to happen,” he said. “Their fear usually fades over time.”
“The only cure is to do that,” DuPont said. “You have to get on the bridge and do it often. …Peace is on the other side of fear.”
In the cognitive realm of therapy, Abujoudeh uses rationalization techniques, such as pointing out how a client’s worst fears are unlikely to come true. The behavioral side of treatment involves safely and gradually exposing them to their fears through virtual reality and other technologies.
He said the bridge escort program is a “band-aid solution” but not a long-term solution. Travelers do not always have the time or logistics to take advantage of this service or bypass the bridge. To dispel fear, you need to face it head on.
“A minority of patients with fear of heights actually seek treatment,” he says. “Most of them deal with it by avoiding it.”
Scarangella, a former Virginia executive, said he watched the video of himself driving on the bridge “to heal himself” and noticed his heart rate increase after watching it. He is skeptical that further treatment will help.
“The only thing my therapist can do is drive me across the bridge,” he said.
Marlene Cimons contributed to this report.
