Can you say, "Phobia?"

Just last week, on July 26th, I wrote a column about people's fears, taking responses from a survey done by an on-line newspaper. In it, I mentioned that I always felt uncomfortable on bridges or in tunnels, long before the terrorist attacks of 9/11. Like most of those people who shared their fears, mine was something I rarely thought about, largely because at this particular point in my life I don't encounter any bridges.

Last night I heard that an interstate bridge spanning the Mississippi River in Minnesota had collapsed under the weight of rush hour traffic, and that a handful of people were confirmed dead and a larger number was missing. This is a nightmare come true for many myself and people who have deep-rooted fears of being suspended high above water and having the ground give way.

Today came the news I expected - that many bridges in the United States are desperately overdue for extensive repairs, including the Tappan Zee Bridge that connects Westchester and Rockland Counties in suburban New York, with the greatest number of bridges needing repairs located in the states of Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, and Rhode Island.

I'm just heartsick at the thought of people driving home from work or to see a baseball game suddenly finding themselves plunging into the waters of the Mississippi. If you've ever seen the this mighty river in person, you'll know that it's a muddy mess, that it's right up there with the alligator-laden, swampy Florida Everglades for just about the worst body of water to fall into. I saw it for the first time during a New Orleans vacation a few years back (pre-Katrina). We crossed it just last month, between Illinois and Missouri and again between Arkansas and Tennessee, with the latter bridge looking a little raggedy to me and causing some uneasy moments.

My prayers go out for those lost, and to their families and friends.

And I pray for the safety of all those who cross bridges every day, and that the repairs will soon get underway.

In view of what occurred yesterday, I don't think that there will be much grumbling about inconvenience.