–The Jal el Dib bridge (Photo credit: Gino)–
You know how when a plane crashes somewhere in a remote jungle in Brazil you get second thoughts about boarding that flight tomorrow? Or when a relative dies of a heart attack and you decide to renew your gym membership? Well, we’re now having a collective experience of that kind in Lebanon.
We have suddenly decided that the bridge in Jal-el-dib is about to collapse. It was only a matter of time before we get a blog post helpfully suggesting that you can avoid death by taking alternative routes.
But guess what? The only reason we’re afraid is because a building in rather-distant Ashrafieh has collapsed. Yes, yes, the bridge is faulty, “at maximum risk” and all, but that was also true last week, and that didn’t prevent people from using it and abusing it with abandon.
The population is now primed for fear of crumbling structures, and it will remain twitchy for a while. But all that will go away. In the end, after the fears subside, you will board that flight and you will go back to your sedentary lifestyle. Life goes on, until it stops. That’s the Lebanese way.
Hello, my name is Mustapha and I've been blogging about Lebanese society, business and politics since February 2005.
lol, the silly lebanese people.
What’s funny is that the minister is saying it! tayyeb en2eber and order it taken down, isn’t that your job?
well they ve been talking abt this bridge for a year now and they’re waiting for it to fall down. u can see cracks everywhere so maintenance is a must! mech yontro la you2a3 as usual!
One thing WILL change, though: The ministry of public works will increase its budget to astronomical, which will make all its sub-contractors jump in Joy.
But all of that will happen behind thickly opaque glass, of course, and that’s corporate Lebanon for you.