Saturday, March 30, 2024

Passing Deception About Terrifying Bridges In The U.S. & Beyond


The Windows Edge browser has this Microsoft Start page which is a sort of aggregator of all sorts of information. With many various scroll through galleries on various subjects.

Such as what you see screen capped above.

"25 Terrifying Bridges in the US and Beyond"

I saw that which you see above and thought that this looked like Deception Pass Bridge in my old home zone of Washington.

I thought, this must be a Deception Pass Bridge look-alike, that Deception Pass Bridge can't be one of 25 terrifying bridges in the US and beyond.

So, I scrolled through the gallery, and, sure enough, I got to #23 and saw it was Deception Pass Bridge which was supposedly terrifying.

The text explaining why Deception Pass Bridge is supposedly terrifying....

23. Deception Pass Bridge — Oak Harbor, Washington
This gem of the Pacific Northwest looks like a pretty standard commuter bridge but it’s like something out of a horror movie. First off, there’s the name, which brings to mind urban legends about the ghosts of reckless drivers who may have plunged over its railings. 

Then, there’s the constant barrage of fog and mist that cover your windshield and make the crossing a white-knuckle experience for many. Deception Pass Bridge just gives off an eerie vibe all the way around.
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Deception Pass Bridge connects Fidalgo Island to Whidbey Island. The bridge is way closer to the Fidalgo Island town of Anacortes than it is to the Whidbey Island town of Oak Harbor.

Over the course of my time on planet Earth, I have driven, and walked across Deception Pass Bridge dozens upon dozens of times. I have never experienced the bridge barraged in fog and mist, making the crossing a white-knuckle experience. 

As for the Deception Pass name bringing to mind urban legends of ghosts of reckless drivers plunging off the bridge. I do not recollect such ever happening. Yes, there has been a suicide jump a time or two or three. 

The actual reason for the name is explorer George Vancouver gave it the name "Deception" because it had misled him into thinking Whidbey Island was a peninsula. 

The only time Deception Pass might be thought to be scary is when there is a big tide differential causing the water in the Pass to look like extreme rapids. That is a sight to behold.

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