A Bridge Too Clear

On my first day when I reported for duty at my new ministry, after paying courtesy calls to both the Minister and the Deputy Minister, it was time for me to see my new office. After getting out of the lift on the 5th floor, my officers told me that my office is across this glass bridge. Horrors! I looked at the bridge and did a quick calculation whether a 180 kg person can walk across safely.

At that time I was thinking that I was more scared of this bridge than anything I had faced in the past. Who in their right mind would want to walk across a glass bridge? The problem is that I have been watching too many disasters documentaries on National Geographic channel. I asked whether there was anything holding it or whether there was any beam supporting it. They replied that there are two beams holding the bridge and that's on the sides and I told them that I am going to walk on the side then holding on to the handrails. I was immediately warned against doing that. Apparently due to some physics either because of the hanging bridge or because of the glass blocks, the handrails are full of static electricity and holding to them would be quite painful.

By then I had no choice and decided to walk across saying my prayers. I did and 10 days later I am still saying my prayers everytime I walked across the bridge which is about 20 times a day. The other day, the DPS told me that he was the engineer in charge of building the bridge and that it is very safe. I looked at him and thought about all the engineers and architects in the documentaries who certified that those buildings later involved in disasters were safe. It's not that I don't trust engineers but they are just as humans as you and me despite their engineering prowess. I am going to say my prayers just to be on the safe side.