Some low bridges, just like the 11-foot-8 bridge or just about any bridge on Boston’s Storrow Drive, are notorious for tearing open tall vans that drive beneath them. However none have as a lot attraction as “Large Penny,” a 12-foot bridge in Lansing, Michigan’s Outdated City district that not too long ago claimed its a hundredth sufferer since 2004. The bridge is so in style among the many locals that they threw a celebration to have fun this truck munching milestone, stories WLNS.
Large Penny is a railroad bridge over Pennsylvania Avenue close to Lindbergh Drive and Potter Park Avenue. You’ll be able to even discover it on Google Maps by its title. It’s distinctive amongst bridges that get pleasure from an everyday weight loss plan of vans in that it clearly exhibits its intentions with a set of fangs and a pair of googly eyes. These come courtesy of a pair of nameless directors of the STUPID Lansing Fb group, stories Mlive. Whereas there are lots of silly Fb teams, this one is an acronym for “Society for Completely Ineffective Pranks and Immature Dumbassery.”
Whereas some locations outlaw the innocent ornament of public property, Lansing has allowed Large Penny’s to stay, maybe in hopes of attracting truck drivers’ consideration earlier than driving below it after lacking quite a few indicators and flashing lights warning of the bridge’s low top. This has proved to be in useless. Large Penny claimed yet one more sufferer lower than 12 hours after its new face was put in.
Large occasion for Large Penny
The free group occasion featured a giveaway and Large Penny trivia. Ozone’s Brewhouse supplied themed foods and drinks specials. Artist Ryan Holmes created a portray of Large Penny throughout the occasion, which was then auctioned off. The celebrities of the present have been the native band Deer & Elk, who wrote a tune all about Large Penny. Even the official Metropolis of Lansing Fb web page bought in on the enjoyable, asserting a parody brand that made enjoyable of the failed Cracker Barrel rebrand.
I love how Lansing has taken what might be construed as a failed piece of infrastructure and turned it right into a people hero as a substitute. I’ve by no means seen a celebration on Storrow Drive throughout faculty move-in week, except you depend the inevitable horn occasion and site visitors jam, which I do not. In some unspecified time in the future, the ever-growing variety of truck impacts will most likely require Large Penny to be demolished and rebuilt. That will be the time to extend clearance, leaving Large Penny hungry as vans move harmlessly beneath. Till then, we will cheer on its vengeance on truckers who ignore the warnings and drive straight into its toothy grasp.
