The Washington Post ran a story about phobias Monday that began:
"There are plenty of people who coast across the Chesapeake Bay Bridge without even a flicker of anxiety, never giving a thought to any greater calamity than whether they forgot the sunscreen or made an error in judgment in packing the Speedo.
"But for some people, the 4.3-mile span sparks feelings from mild consternation to outright panic. What if the bridge sways or collapses? What if an erratic driver forces them out of their lane and into the drink? Or worse still, what if they completely freak out and in a state of panic accidentally drive themselves into the bay?"
On Monday, there was a fatal accident on the bridge, in which a tractor-trailer broke through the Jersey barrier on the side of the span and plunged into the bay.
Timing is everything.
