1 00:00:00,040 --> 00:00:04,920 Speaker 1: Fellow Ridiculous Historians. Have you ever been in a situation 2 00:00:05,240 --> 00:00:09,520 Speaker 1: where you say, Hey, I've got to ask an unfamiliar 3 00:00:09,600 --> 00:00:10,680 Speaker 1: person for a favor. 4 00:00:11,000 --> 00:00:15,280 Speaker 2: H You know I have, and it's awkward, But when 5 00:00:15,280 --> 00:00:18,040 Speaker 2: you're desperate, you do what's got to be done. Yes, 6 00:00:18,239 --> 00:00:23,080 Speaker 2: this classic episode is about our friends in West Virginia 7 00:00:23,280 --> 00:00:29,280 Speaker 2: who once upon a time begged the USSR for foreign 8 00:00:29,440 --> 00:00:31,560 Speaker 2: aid at the height of the Cold War. 9 00:00:32,080 --> 00:00:33,680 Speaker 3: Yeah, let's go ahead and roll the tape. 10 00:00:36,800 --> 00:01:04,679 Speaker 1: Ridiculous History is a production of iHeartRadio. Hello, Hi, how 11 00:01:04,720 --> 00:01:08,400 Speaker 1: are you? Thank you for tuning into Ridiculous History. Several 12 00:01:08,440 --> 00:01:11,679 Speaker 1: of us listening today will be familiar with an area 13 00:01:11,760 --> 00:01:17,440 Speaker 1: of the world known as Appalachia, the Appalachians, the Appalachian Mountains, Right, 14 00:01:17,520 --> 00:01:22,000 Speaker 1: I've got I've got some past there. And the thing 15 00:01:22,040 --> 00:01:24,319 Speaker 1: that's interesting about it is, even if you live in 16 00:01:24,360 --> 00:01:28,160 Speaker 1: the US, odds are that you have not been there 17 00:01:28,240 --> 00:01:32,560 Speaker 1: because it's quite a rural area. But it's where today's 18 00:01:32,560 --> 00:01:34,360 Speaker 1: story takes place. My name's Ben. 19 00:01:34,520 --> 00:01:36,480 Speaker 3: My name is no Ben. Have you did you know 20 00:01:36,520 --> 00:01:39,240 Speaker 3: that if you hike certain parts of the Appalachian Trail 21 00:01:39,640 --> 00:01:42,319 Speaker 3: you get little rings on your walking stick or there's 22 00:01:42,360 --> 00:01:44,480 Speaker 3: some kind of merit badge you're supposed to get where 23 00:01:44,520 --> 00:01:47,520 Speaker 3: you can show unequivocally that you have hiked the entire 24 00:01:47,560 --> 00:01:51,120 Speaker 3: Appalachian Trail. I have exactly zero of those. 25 00:01:52,600 --> 00:01:55,320 Speaker 1: I also well have hiked parts of the trail. I 26 00:01:55,320 --> 00:01:58,160 Speaker 1: have not hiked the entire thing. It's a heck of 27 00:01:58,160 --> 00:02:02,080 Speaker 1: a commitment, but it's a no thing to do. Almost 28 00:02:02,200 --> 00:02:07,520 Speaker 1: as noble as being the producer on shows like Ridiculous History, 29 00:02:07,520 --> 00:02:09,760 Speaker 1: which reminds me we should shout out our super producer, 30 00:02:09,840 --> 00:02:15,840 Speaker 1: Casey Pegrip. So nol, you have never hiked the trail, 31 00:02:15,880 --> 00:02:17,639 Speaker 1: but you've been to the Appalachians yet I. 32 00:02:17,600 --> 00:02:19,840 Speaker 3: Have, and I have been on parts of the trail. 33 00:02:19,919 --> 00:02:22,480 Speaker 3: That's where I found out about the medallion system, where 34 00:02:22,480 --> 00:02:26,160 Speaker 3: it's these little kind of curved metal pieces that indicate 35 00:02:26,200 --> 00:02:28,799 Speaker 3: which parts of the trail you successfully completed. And if 36 00:02:28,840 --> 00:02:31,880 Speaker 3: you're like a real ball or a real Appalachian trailhead, 37 00:02:32,400 --> 00:02:34,600 Speaker 3: you have a stick that's just like you know, covered 38 00:02:34,639 --> 00:02:35,760 Speaker 3: in these things. 39 00:02:35,560 --> 00:02:39,000 Speaker 1: Right right, just lousy with them. One of the most 40 00:02:39,000 --> 00:02:43,040 Speaker 1: interesting things about exploring this area of the world is 41 00:02:43,080 --> 00:02:47,799 Speaker 1: that you'll run into places where time seems to have 42 00:02:48,360 --> 00:02:54,000 Speaker 1: slowed down or things go at their own relatively isolated pace. 43 00:02:54,400 --> 00:02:58,720 Speaker 1: And in today's episode, we're going to explore a tiny 44 00:02:58,760 --> 00:03:02,200 Speaker 1: community that is, in its own way, very isolated. It's 45 00:03:02,200 --> 00:03:06,639 Speaker 1: called Vulcan in the western edge of West Virginia. 46 00:03:06,800 --> 00:03:09,919 Speaker 3: That's about as west as it gets, my friend, right, Okay, 47 00:03:09,960 --> 00:03:12,400 Speaker 3: that's that's actually not entirely true, but it's as west 48 00:03:12,440 --> 00:03:13,760 Speaker 3: as it gets in West Virginia. 49 00:03:13,960 --> 00:03:18,160 Speaker 1: Right, it's a Virginia wise, this is the westest Vulcan. 50 00:03:18,360 --> 00:03:23,600 Speaker 1: West Virginia is an interesting case. It's located along the 51 00:03:23,760 --> 00:03:28,240 Speaker 1: Tug Fork, which is, you know, part of the Tug River, 52 00:03:28,520 --> 00:03:32,200 Speaker 1: and this is often called one of the US's most 53 00:03:32,240 --> 00:03:37,680 Speaker 1: storied waterways. Vulcan is named after, you know, spoiler alert, 54 00:03:38,000 --> 00:03:42,000 Speaker 1: the god of fire and Roman mythology, Vulcan, and this 55 00:03:42,040 --> 00:03:45,440 Speaker 1: is something we had talked about off air. Vulcan makes 56 00:03:45,480 --> 00:03:49,400 Speaker 1: an appearance in a fantastic novel and set of TV 57 00:03:49,480 --> 00:03:52,880 Speaker 1: adaptations called American Gods by Neil Gayman. You saw that, right. 58 00:03:52,920 --> 00:03:56,040 Speaker 3: I did a season two out yet been either. 59 00:03:57,800 --> 00:04:01,360 Speaker 1: Or it's about to come out. Yeah, I'm excited. That's 60 00:04:01,400 --> 00:04:03,720 Speaker 1: one of those shows where I don't know about everybody else, 61 00:04:03,760 --> 00:04:07,360 Speaker 1: but I made the decision a while back that if 62 00:04:07,400 --> 00:04:09,840 Speaker 1: I really enjoy a show I want to wait until 63 00:04:09,880 --> 00:04:12,960 Speaker 1: the entire season is out before watching it because Netflix 64 00:04:13,040 --> 00:04:16,359 Speaker 1: ruined me. Man. I just I can't watch something and 65 00:04:16,400 --> 00:04:18,800 Speaker 1: wait for a week and hope it shows up next week. 66 00:04:19,040 --> 00:04:21,400 Speaker 1: It just it triggers all kinds of you know, abandonment 67 00:04:21,400 --> 00:04:22,440 Speaker 1: issues and patients. 68 00:04:22,600 --> 00:04:24,520 Speaker 3: You know, I'll tell you, I actually kind of I 69 00:04:24,720 --> 00:04:26,760 Speaker 3: like it in a different way. I like being able 70 00:04:26,800 --> 00:04:29,200 Speaker 3: to binge, but I also like the old school cliffhanger 71 00:04:29,240 --> 00:04:32,960 Speaker 3: having to wait a week mentality of traditional television release. 72 00:04:33,480 --> 00:04:35,800 Speaker 1: I'll do that with maybe Game of Thrones. 73 00:04:35,880 --> 00:04:38,839 Speaker 3: Game of Thrones did it with True Detective, you know, 74 00:04:39,200 --> 00:04:40,880 Speaker 3: the ones that are real edge of your seaters. 75 00:04:41,960 --> 00:04:45,719 Speaker 1: I halfway did it with True Detective season three. Watched 76 00:04:45,720 --> 00:04:47,680 Speaker 1: the first four episodes and I said, I'll wait. 77 00:04:48,000 --> 00:04:49,680 Speaker 3: Then you took a couple of weeks off, and then 78 00:04:49,720 --> 00:04:52,560 Speaker 3: you had some little bingeable episodes for you. 79 00:04:52,640 --> 00:04:58,919 Speaker 1: Yep. In the case of Vulcan, West Virginia, we find 80 00:04:58,920 --> 00:05:03,840 Speaker 1: a town that is very much isolated by geography more 81 00:05:03,880 --> 00:05:07,240 Speaker 1: so than say culture. Right, Can we talk a little 82 00:05:07,279 --> 00:05:10,279 Speaker 1: bit about where Vulcan is? We said, it's in this 83 00:05:10,480 --> 00:05:15,240 Speaker 1: very southwestern corner of West Virginia. But what's it around? 84 00:05:15,680 --> 00:05:18,200 Speaker 3: Well, it's I mean, it's kind of its own weird 85 00:05:18,240 --> 00:05:22,320 Speaker 3: little island in some ways in that there's no connection 86 00:05:22,520 --> 00:05:28,120 Speaker 3: to the surrounding areas except through a little footbridge. The 87 00:05:28,600 --> 00:05:32,880 Speaker 3: Norfolk and Western Railway runs through the middle of the town, 88 00:05:33,760 --> 00:05:38,160 Speaker 3: and that separates the two sides of the town from 89 00:05:38,760 --> 00:05:42,080 Speaker 3: one being located on the river bank. And then there 90 00:05:42,120 --> 00:05:45,880 Speaker 3: are ones that are up more inland on a hill 91 00:05:46,839 --> 00:05:50,160 Speaker 3: that is very near to a cemetery called Vulcan Hill. 92 00:05:50,880 --> 00:05:53,920 Speaker 3: And here's the thing. I mean, even to get out 93 00:05:53,960 --> 00:05:57,080 Speaker 3: of the city, out of this little hamlet, you would 94 00:05:57,080 --> 00:06:03,480 Speaker 3: have to sometimes cross underneath parked railway cars. Kids school 95 00:06:03,560 --> 00:06:06,760 Speaker 3: kids had to catch the bus on the Kentucky side 96 00:06:06,800 --> 00:06:09,120 Speaker 3: in order to get there. They had to go to 97 00:06:09,160 --> 00:06:13,360 Speaker 3: some pretty perilous ends to catch the bus, and some 98 00:06:13,480 --> 00:06:15,520 Speaker 3: kids have even been injured. And I believe there was 99 00:06:15,560 --> 00:06:18,400 Speaker 3: the case of a child losing a leg in such 100 00:06:18,400 --> 00:06:19,039 Speaker 3: a situation. 101 00:06:19,480 --> 00:06:25,760 Speaker 1: Yeah, yeah, it's absolutely true. So we're looking at mountains, rivers, 102 00:06:26,520 --> 00:06:30,080 Speaker 1: terrain that is very difficult to traverse, so much so 103 00:06:30,440 --> 00:06:36,080 Speaker 1: that had coal not been discovered in the general vicinity here, 104 00:06:36,320 --> 00:06:39,599 Speaker 1: you could make a fairly strong argument that no one 105 00:06:39,640 --> 00:06:43,200 Speaker 1: would be living there at all. You know, maybe some 106 00:06:43,320 --> 00:06:47,080 Speaker 1: guy decades and decades ago would have hit a moonshine 107 00:06:47,080 --> 00:06:51,040 Speaker 1: still out there, but even that would be pretty arduous. 108 00:06:51,200 --> 00:06:53,560 Speaker 1: It'd still be a lot of work to get there. However, 109 00:06:53,960 --> 00:06:58,680 Speaker 1: when coal was discovered in this area the very beginning 110 00:06:58,720 --> 00:07:03,320 Speaker 1: of the twentieth century, a mining camp was constructed, and 111 00:07:03,360 --> 00:07:07,920 Speaker 1: this would later grow into what we recognize as Vulcan 112 00:07:08,040 --> 00:07:14,440 Speaker 1: West Virginia. But the thing is, when the mining camp 113 00:07:14,520 --> 00:07:17,760 Speaker 1: was first constructed, when coal was first discovered there, the 114 00:07:17,760 --> 00:07:20,679 Speaker 1: miners who lived in the area had to row across 115 00:07:20,720 --> 00:07:23,000 Speaker 1: the river every day just to go to work. 116 00:07:22,840 --> 00:07:26,320 Speaker 3: That's right. And it wasn't until that mining company created 117 00:07:26,440 --> 00:07:30,480 Speaker 3: this very narrow wooden foot bridge that folks could actually 118 00:07:30,880 --> 00:07:33,920 Speaker 3: get in and out of town without having to get wet. 119 00:07:34,440 --> 00:07:36,400 Speaker 3: So the thing I was talking about with the kids 120 00:07:36,880 --> 00:07:40,040 Speaker 3: and the railway cars, that was a little bit later. 121 00:07:40,360 --> 00:07:42,520 Speaker 1: Yeah, yeah, that was a little bit later, but it's 122 00:07:42,560 --> 00:07:47,960 Speaker 1: an excellent example of the importance of this bridge and 123 00:07:48,080 --> 00:07:52,240 Speaker 1: the problems with this bridge. Picture this. If we're going 124 00:07:52,240 --> 00:07:56,280 Speaker 1: to do a rod Serling intro picture this town. There's 125 00:07:56,280 --> 00:07:59,280 Speaker 1: one way in, there's one way out, and that's when 126 00:07:59,320 --> 00:08:05,080 Speaker 1: the bridge is. It drives straight into the Vulcan zone. 127 00:08:04,760 --> 00:08:09,520 Speaker 1: So the I'm freestyling here. So over the years, the 128 00:08:09,560 --> 00:08:14,160 Speaker 1: people who lived in this community, realizing the key nature 129 00:08:14,160 --> 00:08:19,040 Speaker 1: of this bridge, they took great care to maintain it. 130 00:08:19,480 --> 00:08:23,720 Speaker 1: And when automobiles arrived, when they became a thing in 131 00:08:23,760 --> 00:08:27,000 Speaker 1: this part of the world, the people of Vulcan took 132 00:08:27,360 --> 00:08:30,760 Speaker 1: upon themselves to expand this bridge so that they could 133 00:08:30,840 --> 00:08:36,600 Speaker 1: drive these vehicles across. However, to your point, Noel, when 134 00:08:36,640 --> 00:08:40,400 Speaker 1: we say expanding, we mean that they just barely made 135 00:08:40,440 --> 00:08:43,440 Speaker 1: it big enough for one car to drive across. 136 00:08:43,559 --> 00:08:46,880 Speaker 3: Yeah, and this was diy ingenuity at its finest, because 137 00:08:46,880 --> 00:08:49,520 Speaker 3: they didn't have somebody swooping in to help them with infrastructure. 138 00:08:49,679 --> 00:08:52,720 Speaker 3: It was literally an effort of the townspeople to solve 139 00:08:52,720 --> 00:08:55,760 Speaker 3: a problem they needed solved and to cross that bridge, 140 00:08:55,760 --> 00:08:58,960 Speaker 3: a swinging foot bridge on a car. Good Lord, that 141 00:08:59,080 --> 00:09:02,800 Speaker 3: sounds like the was terrifying experience ever of all time. No, no, 142 00:09:02,920 --> 00:09:04,160 Speaker 3: thank you, sir or madam. 143 00:09:04,400 --> 00:09:07,120 Speaker 1: The way that The New York Times described this bridge 144 00:09:07,160 --> 00:09:11,600 Speaker 1: in an article on December sixteenth, nineteen seventy eight, by 145 00:09:11,600 --> 00:09:15,480 Speaker 1: an author named Gregory James, was that there was no 146 00:09:15,640 --> 00:09:19,800 Speaker 1: more than a quote thumb length margin for error on 147 00:09:20,040 --> 00:09:23,319 Speaker 1: either side have you ever driven around in the mountain snow? 148 00:09:23,920 --> 00:09:26,360 Speaker 3: Yeah, with the crazy switchbacks and like where you're right 149 00:09:26,440 --> 00:09:30,040 Speaker 3: off the edge of the cliff. You were so close, 150 00:09:30,160 --> 00:09:32,040 Speaker 3: especially when you can't see what's in front of you, 151 00:09:32,080 --> 00:09:35,319 Speaker 3: and you were just trusting that around that turn, you're 152 00:09:35,360 --> 00:09:36,839 Speaker 3: not just going to plummet to your death. 153 00:09:37,200 --> 00:09:40,000 Speaker 1: Oh and you know what this makes me remember when 154 00:09:40,320 --> 00:09:45,000 Speaker 1: we did an epic road rally car trip. Casey you 155 00:09:45,080 --> 00:09:46,840 Speaker 1: were there, and Noel you were there, and I was 156 00:09:46,880 --> 00:09:49,760 Speaker 1: there as well as my good friend Scott Benjamin. We 157 00:09:49,880 --> 00:09:52,680 Speaker 1: had to drive through parts of West Virginia that were 158 00:09:52,720 --> 00:09:54,920 Speaker 1: exactly like this, switchbacks and all. 159 00:09:55,080 --> 00:09:57,040 Speaker 3: Yeah, that's where that's where my main memories of it 160 00:09:57,080 --> 00:10:01,320 Speaker 3: come from. Is that very sketchy leg of that trip. 161 00:10:02,000 --> 00:10:04,600 Speaker 3: And Scott. I don't know if you know this about Scott, folks, 162 00:10:04,600 --> 00:10:08,280 Speaker 3: but he is a bit of a speed demon. 163 00:10:08,960 --> 00:10:09,880 Speaker 1: He's got a lead foot. 164 00:10:10,000 --> 00:10:12,160 Speaker 3: Yeah, he was not. He was taking those curbs like 165 00:10:12,320 --> 00:10:15,480 Speaker 3: Steve McQueen and leaving us kind of clutch at least 166 00:10:15,480 --> 00:10:18,200 Speaker 3: me personally clutching my pearls. 167 00:10:18,559 --> 00:10:22,319 Speaker 1: That's that's why I pressured him to switch switch to 168 00:10:22,360 --> 00:10:26,240 Speaker 1: the wheel and ride shotgun for a while and let 169 00:10:26,280 --> 00:10:29,000 Speaker 1: me drive. But if you've ever been not just in 170 00:10:29,320 --> 00:10:32,320 Speaker 1: the Appalachian area, but if you've ever been in a 171 00:10:32,360 --> 00:10:34,320 Speaker 1: mountainous area in general in the car, you know what 172 00:10:34,320 --> 00:10:37,600 Speaker 1: we're talking about. These very narrow roads and lanes that 173 00:10:38,040 --> 00:10:42,560 Speaker 1: hug the side of the incline with maybe maybe some 174 00:10:42,600 --> 00:10:47,280 Speaker 1: wooden railing, maybe nothing, And it can be very disconcerting 175 00:10:47,320 --> 00:10:50,120 Speaker 1: if you're a person who doesn't drive there every day, 176 00:10:50,320 --> 00:10:52,720 Speaker 1: because people who drive there every day this is a 177 00:10:52,760 --> 00:10:56,640 Speaker 1: normal experience to them, so they think that they'll think 178 00:10:56,679 --> 00:11:02,160 Speaker 1: that you are driving like, you know, like an elderly person, 179 00:11:02,480 --> 00:11:06,520 Speaker 1: right whereas we'll think they're driving like lunatics. This is 180 00:11:06,559 --> 00:11:08,839 Speaker 1: one of those bridges, but it's not just in a 181 00:11:08,880 --> 00:11:12,760 Speaker 1: mountainous area. It's over water, there's not much margin for error. 182 00:11:13,720 --> 00:11:17,000 Speaker 1: And then throughout the decades, right they're taking care of 183 00:11:17,000 --> 00:11:21,120 Speaker 1: this bridge. It's a key artery of the town. But 184 00:11:21,559 --> 00:11:25,679 Speaker 1: as we know, as recent history is shown, coal mining 185 00:11:25,840 --> 00:11:32,120 Speaker 1: doesn't last forever. Toward the nineteen sixties or so, the 186 00:11:32,200 --> 00:11:36,600 Speaker 1: coal resources begin to dry up and the town feels 187 00:11:36,679 --> 00:11:40,240 Speaker 1: like it's entering an economic decline. It feels like there's trouble, 188 00:11:40,280 --> 00:11:42,600 Speaker 1: but they still have the bridge, at least that is 189 00:11:43,040 --> 00:11:45,199 Speaker 1: until July nineteen seventy five. 190 00:11:45,760 --> 00:11:48,080 Speaker 3: Yeah, that's when, you know, despite their best efforts to 191 00:11:48,280 --> 00:11:51,160 Speaker 3: keep it up. I mean, they're not professional bridge caretakers, 192 00:11:51,200 --> 00:11:53,680 Speaker 3: and you know, understandably they've got work to do down 193 00:11:53,720 --> 00:11:56,680 Speaker 3: in those other dangerous part of town, being the mines. 194 00:11:57,280 --> 00:12:01,680 Speaker 3: So the bridge collapses, it crumbles, and it leaves them 195 00:12:01,840 --> 00:12:04,319 Speaker 3: pretty much for all intents and purposes in an automobile 196 00:12:04,360 --> 00:12:08,760 Speaker 3: based society at this point, cut off from the outside world. Yeah, 197 00:12:08,880 --> 00:12:10,679 Speaker 3: and in desperate need of some assistance. 198 00:12:11,200 --> 00:12:15,360 Speaker 1: So even though things had never been particularly opulent in 199 00:12:15,400 --> 00:12:19,840 Speaker 1: the town of Vulcan, West Virginia, now things seemed increasingly desperate. 200 00:12:20,200 --> 00:12:22,559 Speaker 1: One person in the town described it as living at 201 00:12:22,600 --> 00:12:27,880 Speaker 1: the tail end of nothing. They knew that this situation 202 00:12:28,440 --> 00:12:33,400 Speaker 1: was unsustainable. The town depended upon this bridge. Around the 203 00:12:33,440 --> 00:12:36,720 Speaker 1: time of the bridge collapse, a woman named Nelly Holly 204 00:12:36,840 --> 00:12:41,000 Speaker 1: had ordered a living room suitep from upstate further up 205 00:12:41,040 --> 00:12:44,920 Speaker 1: in West Virginia, and the truck arrived with the furniture, 206 00:12:45,559 --> 00:12:50,480 Speaker 1: but the driver refused to bring the goods to the 207 00:12:50,559 --> 00:12:54,320 Speaker 1: Holly household because the driver learned that the only road 208 00:12:54,440 --> 00:12:58,240 Speaker 1: into Vulcan was this How is it described a ribbon 209 00:12:58,360 --> 00:13:01,960 Speaker 1: of gravel and it was an even public property, right. 210 00:13:02,200 --> 00:13:03,760 Speaker 3: No, it belonged to the railway. It was more of 211 00:13:03,800 --> 00:13:07,199 Speaker 3: a more or less an access road, not intended for 212 00:13:07,600 --> 00:13:10,760 Speaker 3: this kind of use, and kind of in a similar 213 00:13:10,800 --> 00:13:13,320 Speaker 3: situation we were talking about, and that it was very narrow, 214 00:13:14,080 --> 00:13:17,160 Speaker 3: very dangerous, and you'd be putting yourself at risk, and 215 00:13:17,920 --> 00:13:25,119 Speaker 3: especially since it would technically be trespassing on private property. 216 00:13:26,360 --> 00:13:30,520 Speaker 1: And so now we introduce you to a fascinating character, 217 00:13:30,720 --> 00:13:36,160 Speaker 1: one John Robinette, who had lived in the area for 218 00:13:36,559 --> 00:13:39,679 Speaker 1: his entire life. He worked as a notary public, a 219 00:13:39,679 --> 00:13:43,040 Speaker 1: car mechanic, a carnival barker. That's something that happens in 220 00:13:43,120 --> 00:13:45,720 Speaker 1: a lot of small towns. There will be people who 221 00:13:45,760 --> 00:13:50,040 Speaker 1: have multiple different types of occupation depending upon the service 222 00:13:50,160 --> 00:13:53,040 Speaker 1: needed at any given day. You know. So the person 223 00:13:53,040 --> 00:13:56,640 Speaker 1: who runs the grocery store might also be the person 224 00:13:56,679 --> 00:13:59,719 Speaker 1: who hosts the annual harvest festival or something. Right, the 225 00:14:00,040 --> 00:14:02,840 Speaker 1: person who's the dentist might also be the youth pastor. 226 00:14:02,600 --> 00:14:05,200 Speaker 3: Yeah, sort of the way that football coaches don't often 227 00:14:05,280 --> 00:14:07,720 Speaker 3: teach history in high school. 228 00:14:07,520 --> 00:14:10,800 Speaker 1: Right, oddly, or social studies. Also, sure, that's the other one. 229 00:14:11,080 --> 00:14:15,760 Speaker 1: So this guy, John Robinette, he is so sad that 230 00:14:15,840 --> 00:14:20,400 Speaker 1: Miss Holly is not getting her living room sweet. It 231 00:14:20,680 --> 00:14:25,160 Speaker 1: moves him on an emotional level, and he says, so 232 00:14:25,320 --> 00:14:28,080 Speaker 1: I up and appointed myself mayor and set out to 233 00:14:28,160 --> 00:14:31,880 Speaker 1: get us a bridge. Because the bridge had obviously collapsed. 234 00:14:32,160 --> 00:14:34,880 Speaker 1: Miss Holly was seventy four years old, she had to 235 00:14:35,360 --> 00:14:38,280 Speaker 1: hire herself a boy to go fetch a few sticks 236 00:14:38,280 --> 00:14:41,120 Speaker 1: of furniture and haul it on back against the law 237 00:14:41,200 --> 00:14:46,000 Speaker 1: on railroad property private property. And so he made it 238 00:14:46,080 --> 00:14:52,560 Speaker 1: his mission as self appointed mayor to prosecute for the 239 00:14:52,600 --> 00:14:58,040 Speaker 1: construction of this new bridge and talk to regional politicians, 240 00:14:58,520 --> 00:15:02,680 Speaker 1: area politicians. He eventually gets as far as speaking to 241 00:15:03,240 --> 00:15:07,400 Speaker 1: the office of former Governor Arch Moore. However, it's a 242 00:15:07,440 --> 00:15:11,040 Speaker 1: close but no cigar situation, a close but no bridge situation, and. 243 00:15:11,000 --> 00:15:12,680 Speaker 3: Just for a little bit of contact. This article from 244 00:15:12,680 --> 00:15:15,200 Speaker 3: the New York Times that you can find online is 245 00:15:15,200 --> 00:15:19,000 Speaker 3: from nineteen seventy eight, so this is a very contemporary 246 00:15:19,040 --> 00:15:23,440 Speaker 3: account of this problem. So what happens is Phyllis Blankenship, 247 00:15:23,640 --> 00:15:29,040 Speaker 3: who ran the sixteen post office Box post office in Vulcan, 248 00:15:29,800 --> 00:15:32,960 Speaker 3: recounts the story like this. He the person who appointed 249 00:15:33,000 --> 00:15:36,320 Speaker 3: himself mayor, mister Robinette, got on the phone got on 250 00:15:36,320 --> 00:15:40,880 Speaker 3: the horn with the governor and demanded a bridge be builds, 251 00:15:41,200 --> 00:15:46,960 Speaker 3: demanded satisfaction and close but no cigar. So you know 252 00:15:47,600 --> 00:15:51,520 Speaker 3: what's the obvious next step. He's been turned down by 253 00:15:51,720 --> 00:15:56,560 Speaker 3: the government of his own city, abandoned, left in the cold. 254 00:15:57,640 --> 00:15:59,840 Speaker 3: You know, they're doing this this town based around the 255 00:16:00,040 --> 00:16:06,080 Speaker 3: very dangerous occupation contributing to the economy of the state. 256 00:16:07,000 --> 00:16:09,400 Speaker 3: And the governor says, no, thank you. You are forgotten. 257 00:16:09,880 --> 00:16:14,840 Speaker 3: You are marooned and forgotten. So mister Robinette comes up 258 00:16:14,840 --> 00:16:17,480 Speaker 3: with what I would say is one of the most 259 00:16:17,560 --> 00:16:21,680 Speaker 3: brilliant uses of like pr blackmail. 260 00:16:22,040 --> 00:16:28,080 Speaker 1: Almost yeah, yeah, So it's nineteen seventy six. They've just 261 00:16:28,160 --> 00:16:32,320 Speaker 1: been stonewalled every time, every time they ask for a 262 00:16:32,360 --> 00:16:35,160 Speaker 1: little bit of help. Again, the bridge that collapsed was 263 00:16:35,200 --> 00:16:37,920 Speaker 1: the only legal way in and out of the town. 264 00:16:38,000 --> 00:16:42,640 Speaker 1: People were having to drive illegally on this flimsy ribbon 265 00:16:42,680 --> 00:16:46,200 Speaker 1: of gravel that the train company owned. They every time 266 00:16:46,240 --> 00:16:48,840 Speaker 1: they asked, they were told there was no money. There's 267 00:16:49,240 --> 00:16:52,840 Speaker 1: no money available to spend on the bridge, according to 268 00:16:53,280 --> 00:16:56,080 Speaker 1: reports from the West Virginia Gazette. So this is what 269 00:16:56,200 --> 00:17:01,040 Speaker 1: Robinette does. Mayor Robinette rights to not the local paper 270 00:17:01,160 --> 00:17:04,520 Speaker 1: he's already done that, not the New York Times, any 271 00:17:04,600 --> 00:17:08,600 Speaker 1: paper of note. Instead, he writes directly to the USSR, 272 00:17:09,000 --> 00:17:13,280 Speaker 1: the Soviet Union, and he says, Hi, I'm the mayor 273 00:17:13,560 --> 00:17:16,080 Speaker 1: of Vulcan, West Virginia, a small town here in the 274 00:17:16,200 --> 00:17:20,560 Speaker 1: United States, and we are our town is going to 275 00:17:20,680 --> 00:17:23,560 Speaker 1: die if we don't get this bridge. The state is 276 00:17:23,600 --> 00:17:28,360 Speaker 1: not going to fund us. And in my opinion, dear Russians, 277 00:17:28,960 --> 00:17:32,640 Speaker 1: I don't think Uncle Sam cares one wit about us. 278 00:17:32,960 --> 00:17:36,879 Speaker 1: He sends this letter to the Soviet Embassy in Washington, DC, 279 00:17:37,560 --> 00:17:40,920 Speaker 1: and at first, you know, at first it's like, well, 280 00:17:41,040 --> 00:17:44,640 Speaker 1: is this joke? Is this just a prank, a little 281 00:17:44,680 --> 00:17:48,840 Speaker 1: bit of trolling? And the Soviet government doesn't immediately answer 282 00:17:49,600 --> 00:17:55,240 Speaker 1: until that is Robinette is contacted directly by a journalist 283 00:17:55,320 --> 00:18:00,440 Speaker 1: named Iona Andronov, a Soviet reporter who won to hear 284 00:18:00,480 --> 00:18:01,479 Speaker 1: this story in person. 285 00:18:01,800 --> 00:18:06,119 Speaker 3: So in December of nineteen seventy seven, this reporter Andronov 286 00:18:06,640 --> 00:18:10,080 Speaker 3: touches down in Vulcan and starts making the rounds, getting 287 00:18:10,119 --> 00:18:13,200 Speaker 3: the scoop, pounding the pavement or the gravel, I guess, 288 00:18:13,680 --> 00:18:18,280 Speaker 3: and asking questions of the residents and broadcasting it to 289 00:18:18,920 --> 00:18:20,920 Speaker 3: the rest of the world right right. 290 00:18:21,000 --> 00:18:27,200 Speaker 1: So Endrov works for a publication in Moscow called Litterata 291 00:18:27,280 --> 00:18:34,640 Speaker 1: Naval Gazeta, and this is solid gold, platinum level ammunition 292 00:18:35,119 --> 00:18:40,040 Speaker 1: for the propaganda war that's going on between the USSR 293 00:18:40,480 --> 00:18:46,000 Speaker 1: and the US. The problem is from Uncle Sam's side 294 00:18:46,320 --> 00:18:49,440 Speaker 1: that US papers also know a good headline when they 295 00:18:49,480 --> 00:18:53,959 Speaker 1: see it, and the US based publications pick it up 296 00:18:54,000 --> 00:18:56,840 Speaker 1: as well, so in a way they are disseminating Russian 297 00:18:56,880 --> 00:19:01,240 Speaker 1: propaganda for the USSR. The Spokane and Daily Chronicle rites 298 00:19:01,280 --> 00:19:06,359 Speaker 1: about this in seventy seven with the following quote Soviet officials. Well, 299 00:19:06,359 --> 00:19:08,399 Speaker 1: I'm used today by reports that the small town of 300 00:19:08,440 --> 00:19:10,520 Speaker 1: Olk in West Virginia has appealed to the Kremlin for 301 00:19:10,560 --> 00:19:12,840 Speaker 1: four and eight. The town, with a population of two hundred, 302 00:19:12,880 --> 00:19:15,280 Speaker 1: asked the Soviet government for financial help to build a 303 00:19:15,320 --> 00:19:17,320 Speaker 1: bridge after the town was turned down by the US 304 00:19:17,320 --> 00:19:18,560 Speaker 1: and West Virginia governments. 305 00:19:18,760 --> 00:19:21,000 Speaker 3: It's crazy that newsmen still talked like that in the 306 00:19:21,040 --> 00:19:22,240 Speaker 3: late seventies. 307 00:19:21,840 --> 00:19:23,920 Speaker 1: Especially since it was a printed paper and not a 308 00:19:24,040 --> 00:19:24,800 Speaker 1: radio announcement. 309 00:19:24,840 --> 00:19:27,320 Speaker 3: Well, you know, sometimes they have to dictate, you know. 310 00:19:28,920 --> 00:19:33,960 Speaker 1: So this is this is also during the not the 311 00:19:34,000 --> 00:19:37,439 Speaker 1: height of the Red Scare, Communist panic but this is 312 00:19:37,480 --> 00:19:40,760 Speaker 1: still a time and place where people would accuse you 313 00:19:40,800 --> 00:19:43,199 Speaker 1: of being a communist as an insult or ask you 314 00:19:43,280 --> 00:19:46,240 Speaker 1: if you were a card carrying communists. Someone did ask 315 00:19:46,400 --> 00:19:48,960 Speaker 1: Endanov and he said, yes, actually. 316 00:19:48,600 --> 00:19:51,399 Speaker 3: Yeah, that's sort of our thing. Yeah. It got so 317 00:19:51,480 --> 00:19:54,760 Speaker 3: far as to for there being rumors circulating in the 318 00:19:54,800 --> 00:19:58,520 Speaker 3: community that there would be bomb attacks on any bridge 319 00:19:58,800 --> 00:20:03,400 Speaker 3: that was built with communist cash. So you know, it 320 00:20:03,520 --> 00:20:08,800 Speaker 3: really created a hubbub, and that those headlines really were disseminated. 321 00:20:08,800 --> 00:20:11,560 Speaker 3: Because this is quite a juicy story. So of course, 322 00:20:11,600 --> 00:20:14,520 Speaker 3: all of a sudden, the good old us of a as 323 00:20:14,040 --> 00:20:16,040 Speaker 3: we don't like we don't like to be made fun of, 324 00:20:16,119 --> 00:20:19,280 Speaker 3: we don't like to be made to seem cheap, even 325 00:20:19,320 --> 00:20:21,160 Speaker 3: though we kind of are a lot of the time 326 00:20:22,400 --> 00:20:26,560 Speaker 3: acquiesced and was like, okay, okay, we can do this. 327 00:20:26,680 --> 00:20:28,880 Speaker 3: We can we can muster the money that we need. 328 00:20:28,960 --> 00:20:31,560 Speaker 3: Now that you've put our nose to the fire, we'll 329 00:20:31,600 --> 00:20:33,960 Speaker 3: give you one point three million and we'll get you 330 00:20:33,960 --> 00:20:36,119 Speaker 3: your little bridge. Because here's the thing, though, it like 331 00:20:36,160 --> 00:20:39,960 Speaker 3: it was really not. The families that stayed behind after 332 00:20:39,960 --> 00:20:44,280 Speaker 3: the coal industry crumbled were kind of these holdouts. They 333 00:20:44,320 --> 00:20:46,560 Speaker 3: didn't have anywhere else to go. They couldn't afford to 334 00:20:46,600 --> 00:20:49,359 Speaker 3: move perhaps, and they you know, this was their home. 335 00:20:49,400 --> 00:20:51,640 Speaker 3: And it was only like in the dozens of families 336 00:20:51,720 --> 00:20:53,399 Speaker 3: that lived in this very small area. 337 00:20:53,560 --> 00:20:55,320 Speaker 1: Right, it was less than it was less than one 338 00:20:55,359 --> 00:20:59,879 Speaker 1: hundred families, maybe maybe fifty families. But this is okay. This, 339 00:21:00,000 --> 00:21:03,040 Speaker 1: this is where the story divides. This is where there 340 00:21:03,080 --> 00:21:07,320 Speaker 1: are two different versions of the story, two different narratives 341 00:21:07,600 --> 00:21:13,400 Speaker 1: that persist in the modern day. So yes, the West 342 00:21:13,480 --> 00:21:18,000 Speaker 1: Virginian government does agree to build this bridge, or at 343 00:21:18,080 --> 00:21:20,400 Speaker 1: least provide the funds to build a bridge, but they 344 00:21:20,520 --> 00:21:27,120 Speaker 1: do it like within hours after Andronov actually gets into Vulcan. 345 00:21:27,119 --> 00:21:31,560 Speaker 1: They do it so quickly. So let's kick through two 346 00:21:31,680 --> 00:21:34,760 Speaker 1: different versions of this story. As The New York Times 347 00:21:34,800 --> 00:21:38,679 Speaker 1: puts it, whether by coincidence or design, the state of 348 00:21:38,680 --> 00:21:43,160 Speaker 1: West Virginia announced on the same day of Andronov's visit 349 00:21:43,480 --> 00:21:46,920 Speaker 1: that Vulcan would get this bridge they like the same 350 00:21:47,040 --> 00:21:49,480 Speaker 1: day he was there, he announced. 351 00:21:49,760 --> 00:21:53,600 Speaker 3: I wonder if that was because of some intelligence gathering. 352 00:21:53,920 --> 00:21:59,159 Speaker 1: Maybe yes, So the papers have been the US papers 353 00:21:59,200 --> 00:22:02,959 Speaker 1: and the Moscow papers were aware of this too, and 354 00:22:03,000 --> 00:22:08,199 Speaker 1: that means certainly the intelligence apparatus was also cognizant. But 355 00:22:08,720 --> 00:22:13,680 Speaker 1: from the official US government perspective, the explanation of this. 356 00:22:14,720 --> 00:22:19,840 Speaker 1: West Virginia's explanation is that they just they were just 357 00:22:19,960 --> 00:22:22,600 Speaker 1: in the approval process for months and months. It just 358 00:22:22,640 --> 00:22:25,600 Speaker 1: takes a long time to approve that much money and 359 00:22:25,720 --> 00:22:30,040 Speaker 1: the West Virginian government. But to the people of Vulcan, 360 00:22:30,560 --> 00:22:33,439 Speaker 1: and if we're being honest, to most of the people 361 00:22:33,480 --> 00:22:37,720 Speaker 1: reading this story from the outside, it seemed like they 362 00:22:37,840 --> 00:22:41,840 Speaker 1: only reacted this way because it was an international embarrassment 363 00:22:42,160 --> 00:22:46,080 Speaker 1: because Mayor John Robinette had just brought a Russian person 364 00:22:46,160 --> 00:22:50,400 Speaker 1: down there and he said Also Robinette, for his part, 365 00:22:50,440 --> 00:22:53,680 Speaker 1: said he doesn't he doesn't care where the money comes from. No, 366 00:22:53,800 --> 00:22:55,080 Speaker 1: he just wants the bridge built. 367 00:22:55,160 --> 00:22:55,640 Speaker 3: That's right. 368 00:22:55,720 --> 00:22:59,160 Speaker 1: He just wants Miss Holly to get her living room 369 00:22:59,240 --> 00:23:00,760 Speaker 1: suite with some dignity. 370 00:23:00,960 --> 00:23:03,000 Speaker 3: It really tied the room together. It was really important 371 00:23:03,040 --> 00:23:09,359 Speaker 3: for her to have that living room suite. But here's 372 00:23:09,400 --> 00:23:12,280 Speaker 3: the thing. I mean it it just goes to show 373 00:23:12,760 --> 00:23:17,560 Speaker 3: how sometimes a little weaponized pr move is exactly what 374 00:23:17,600 --> 00:23:20,200 Speaker 3: it takes to get those in power to act. It's 375 00:23:20,280 --> 00:23:23,680 Speaker 3: never doing the right thing, or often not, it's much 376 00:23:23,760 --> 00:23:26,639 Speaker 3: more about holding their feet of the fire and making 377 00:23:26,680 --> 00:23:29,800 Speaker 3: them fear the potential of looking. 378 00:23:29,480 --> 00:23:34,520 Speaker 1: Foolish, right, and in this case it worked. Two years later, 379 00:23:34,680 --> 00:23:38,159 Speaker 1: two years after this hubbub and Bujaha, on July fourth, 380 00:23:38,280 --> 00:23:42,719 Speaker 1: nineteen eighty, the bridge opened. It cost a little over 381 00:23:42,920 --> 00:23:46,560 Speaker 1: one million dollars, and the price was ultimately split between 382 00:23:46,640 --> 00:23:51,320 Speaker 1: the governments of West Virginia and Kentucky. The residents of 383 00:23:51,480 --> 00:23:54,959 Speaker 1: Vulcans celebrated the opening of what they called the bridge 384 00:23:55,000 --> 00:23:59,560 Speaker 1: the Russians almost built, with an American flag waving in 385 00:23:59,600 --> 00:24:05,520 Speaker 1: the breeze and a cartoonishly large amount of illegally imported vodka. 386 00:24:05,680 --> 00:24:07,800 Speaker 3: Now here's the PostScript of the story, or at least 387 00:24:07,840 --> 00:24:11,800 Speaker 3: the fictionalized PostScript, the part where the US government, in 388 00:24:11,880 --> 00:24:17,480 Speaker 3: a blatant act of revenge, poisons all the remaining inhabitants, 389 00:24:17,680 --> 00:24:20,080 Speaker 3: you know, in their sleep. Because you don't mess with 390 00:24:20,160 --> 00:24:23,760 Speaker 3: you know, you mess with the bull, you get the horns. Yeah. 391 00:24:23,960 --> 00:24:26,800 Speaker 3: I don't know, that's not true. But I would be pissed. 392 00:24:27,000 --> 00:24:30,919 Speaker 3: Wouldn't you be pissed if you were Uncle Sam. 393 00:24:31,160 --> 00:24:34,440 Speaker 1: It depends on the different levels, you know, on a 394 00:24:34,480 --> 00:24:38,600 Speaker 1: federal level, I probably would be more irritated with the 395 00:24:40,280 --> 00:24:44,000 Speaker 1: with the state government, like were I president at the time, 396 00:24:44,400 --> 00:24:47,040 Speaker 1: I wouldn't be irritated with the residents of vulcan I 397 00:24:47,040 --> 00:24:49,679 Speaker 1: wouldn't even be that irritated with the Soviets. I'd be 398 00:24:49,760 --> 00:24:53,119 Speaker 1: irritated with the governor of West Virginia. That's a good point, 399 00:24:53,320 --> 00:24:54,760 Speaker 1: you know what I mean, Maybe he got. 400 00:24:54,560 --> 00:24:55,040 Speaker 3: A talking to. 401 00:24:55,320 --> 00:24:59,480 Speaker 1: It rolls downhill, my friend, it really does. So this 402 00:24:59,480 --> 00:25:03,600 Speaker 1: this is fascinating, and this stunt was successful. We have 403 00:25:03,720 --> 00:25:09,600 Speaker 1: to wonder whether something like this could be replicated somewhere 404 00:25:09,640 --> 00:25:14,240 Speaker 1: else in the world, and we're working with our research associate, 405 00:25:14,320 --> 00:25:17,159 Speaker 1: Christopher Hasiotis. One thing we found was that there are 406 00:25:17,200 --> 00:25:21,879 Speaker 1: plenty of other examples of foreign aid being given to 407 00:25:21,920 --> 00:25:26,120 Speaker 1: the US or other countries attempting to give foreign aid 408 00:25:26,119 --> 00:25:31,439 Speaker 1: to the US, like famously, the Massi in Kenya after 409 00:25:31,560 --> 00:25:35,240 Speaker 1: the tragedy of nine to eleven on September eleventh, two 410 00:25:35,280 --> 00:25:37,520 Speaker 1: thousand and one, the attack on the World Trade Center, 411 00:25:37,880 --> 00:25:41,159 Speaker 1: the Massill donated cattle to the US. Did you do 412 00:25:41,200 --> 00:25:42,040 Speaker 1: you remember this story? 413 00:25:42,160 --> 00:25:42,560 Speaker 3: I do not. 414 00:25:43,280 --> 00:25:49,200 Speaker 1: Yeah, Y's heartwarmings. So the Massill live in a relatively 415 00:25:49,359 --> 00:25:55,520 Speaker 1: rural area of Kenya, but when they learned what happened 416 00:25:55,600 --> 00:26:00,760 Speaker 1: in New York on September eleventh. They were they were 417 00:26:00,800 --> 00:26:03,760 Speaker 1: so horrified and sad. They felt like they needed to 418 00:26:03,840 --> 00:26:08,119 Speaker 1: do something. So they blessed fourteen cows in a pretty 419 00:26:08,160 --> 00:26:11,680 Speaker 1: solemn ceremony and then gave these cows to the Deputy 420 00:26:11,760 --> 00:26:14,800 Speaker 1: Chief of Mission at the US Embassy and Nairobi, a 421 00:26:14,840 --> 00:26:19,680 Speaker 1: guy named William Brankick, and they said, here, please bring 422 00:26:19,760 --> 00:26:23,200 Speaker 1: these to the people of New York and let them know, 423 00:26:23,400 --> 00:26:25,639 Speaker 1: you know that they are in our thoughts. And I 424 00:26:26,119 --> 00:26:28,360 Speaker 1: thought that was hard warming, because that's not propaganda at all. 425 00:26:28,440 --> 00:26:31,120 Speaker 1: That's just being very human, you know what I mean. 426 00:26:31,160 --> 00:26:33,919 Speaker 1: So I want to I'm bringing that example up because 427 00:26:34,119 --> 00:26:37,840 Speaker 1: I do want to point out that not every foreign 428 00:26:38,000 --> 00:26:42,560 Speaker 1: act of charity is a propaganda move. The Russian one was, though, 429 00:26:42,680 --> 00:26:44,320 Speaker 1: totally the record. That was one. 430 00:26:44,560 --> 00:26:48,280 Speaker 3: Yeah, And now you can, I think, still visit this 431 00:26:48,440 --> 00:26:51,960 Speaker 3: area through that very bridge that was constructed, the bridge 432 00:26:51,960 --> 00:26:56,200 Speaker 3: that the Russians almost built, which is now a single small, 433 00:26:56,320 --> 00:27:00,560 Speaker 3: two lane road bridge over the Tug which is just 434 00:27:00,720 --> 00:27:04,760 Speaker 3: a single lane tunnel bridge that is covered in graffiti, 435 00:27:05,480 --> 00:27:07,640 Speaker 3: which I love that in and it's almost like its 436 00:27:07,640 --> 00:27:09,040 Speaker 3: own little mini Berlin wall. 437 00:27:09,520 --> 00:27:13,760 Speaker 1: And this is where our story ends today. However, never 438 00:27:13,760 --> 00:27:16,080 Speaker 1: fear it's not the end of our show. We will 439 00:27:16,160 --> 00:27:20,760 Speaker 1: be back with more strange dare we say, ridiculous tales 440 00:27:20,800 --> 00:27:25,600 Speaker 1: of people, places, and events throughout this the weird experiment 441 00:27:25,720 --> 00:27:28,920 Speaker 1: that we call human civilization. In the meantime, we want 442 00:27:28,920 --> 00:27:32,240 Speaker 1: to hear from you, folks. Do you have any stories 443 00:27:32,280 --> 00:27:36,560 Speaker 1: from it? I in particular will be personally fascinated by 444 00:27:36,640 --> 00:27:41,640 Speaker 1: any stories of the Appalachian Mountains. But regardless of where 445 00:27:41,640 --> 00:27:43,600 Speaker 1: you live in the world, do you have any stories 446 00:27:43,640 --> 00:27:46,719 Speaker 1: like this, any very isolated towns that had to use 447 00:27:46,840 --> 00:27:49,840 Speaker 1: unorthodox means to for survival? 448 00:27:50,160 --> 00:27:52,959 Speaker 3: Yeah, any bridge related stories? And hey, if you're a 449 00:27:53,000 --> 00:27:55,359 Speaker 3: New Yorker, are you a bridge or a tunnel person? 450 00:27:55,560 --> 00:27:57,959 Speaker 3: What do you prefer? Let us nice? It really is. 451 00:27:58,200 --> 00:28:00,080 Speaker 3: Cab drivers are often after that, and I'm like, I 452 00:28:00,119 --> 00:28:02,320 Speaker 3: don't know which everyone's best. 453 00:28:02,480 --> 00:28:04,600 Speaker 1: I think part of it is, you know, the cab 454 00:28:04,680 --> 00:28:07,960 Speaker 1: drivers will present it in terms of what's better given 455 00:28:08,000 --> 00:28:11,120 Speaker 1: traffic patterns. But a lot of people do have crippling 456 00:28:11,200 --> 00:28:15,440 Speaker 1: fears of either going on bridges, like my mother hates bridges, 457 00:28:16,280 --> 00:28:20,280 Speaker 1: or they have a fear of going into the ground, 458 00:28:20,520 --> 00:28:24,119 Speaker 1: you know. So it's really is a polite way to 459 00:28:24,160 --> 00:28:25,680 Speaker 1: ask which terrifies you least. 460 00:28:25,720 --> 00:28:27,119 Speaker 3: That's a really interesting way of looking at it, and 461 00:28:27,160 --> 00:28:28,520 Speaker 3: I never thought of that, So let us know which 462 00:28:28,640 --> 00:28:31,040 Speaker 3: terrifies you most or least. You can write to us 463 00:28:31,080 --> 00:28:34,040 Speaker 3: at Ridiculous at HowStuffWorks dot com. You can check out 464 00:28:34,040 --> 00:28:38,720 Speaker 3: our social media presencies at Facebook where you can join 465 00:28:38,800 --> 00:28:42,120 Speaker 3: our group called the Ridiculous Historians, which we find to 466 00:28:42,160 --> 00:28:42,680 Speaker 3: be a lot of. 467 00:28:42,640 --> 00:28:46,960 Speaker 1: Fun, and you can follow us both personally. We have 468 00:28:47,240 --> 00:28:50,920 Speaker 1: our very own instagrams nol you've got one, Yeah, it's. 469 00:28:50,800 --> 00:28:52,920 Speaker 3: At Embryonic Insider and. 470 00:28:52,960 --> 00:28:57,400 Speaker 1: I'm at ben Boland Thinks as always to our super producer, 471 00:28:57,840 --> 00:29:02,120 Speaker 1: Casey Pegram thanks to we're research associate. Friend of the show, 472 00:29:02,200 --> 00:29:05,520 Speaker 1: Christopher hasiotis who we're overdue to have a guest appearance. 473 00:29:05,520 --> 00:29:06,040 Speaker 3: We really are. 474 00:29:06,120 --> 00:29:07,320 Speaker 1: He's always the best. 475 00:29:07,080 --> 00:29:09,040 Speaker 3: In fact sometimes on the One thing you have to 476 00:29:09,080 --> 00:29:12,280 Speaker 3: do to join Ridiculous Stories on Facebook is say who 477 00:29:12,560 --> 00:29:14,880 Speaker 3: name one of us as the host and occasionally some 478 00:29:15,000 --> 00:29:18,520 Speaker 3: whole named Christopher, which I appreciate because he appears so infrequently, 479 00:29:18,800 --> 00:29:20,719 Speaker 3: his appearances must really make an impact. 480 00:29:21,040 --> 00:29:23,600 Speaker 1: I love all the guests that we have on our show, 481 00:29:23,720 --> 00:29:26,640 Speaker 1: and you know, it gets weird, but always weird in 482 00:29:26,640 --> 00:29:29,840 Speaker 1: a good Way. Thanks also to Alex Williams who composed 483 00:29:29,840 --> 00:29:34,280 Speaker 1: our track, to our research associate Gabe and Noel. Thanks 484 00:29:34,280 --> 00:29:35,720 Speaker 1: to the people of West Virginia. 485 00:29:36,000 --> 00:29:38,720 Speaker 3: Really, they are resilient people and they know how to 486 00:29:38,720 --> 00:29:46,520 Speaker 3: get stuff done. We'll see you next time, folks. For 487 00:29:46,600 --> 00:29:50,280 Speaker 3: more podcasts from iHeartRadio, visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, 488 00:29:50,320 --> 00:29:52,479 Speaker 3: or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.