The Tunnel

Last night that tunnel shit, just got real.

You can now hear one of those massive monster engines, ripping through the rock and dirt a few metres below. It sounds like everyone in the neighbourhood has turned on their washing machines and stuck a load of gravel inside (and set it on an epic spin-cycle). It is a roar, but thankfully monotonous.

It is pretty full on.

We learnt about this project over two years ago. And thus there was all this nonsense we had to go through — all those whole-day inspections (with the photos and these deadshits studying and photographing every inch of our property), all the clinically-bleached email updates — dripping with PR speak (but lacking any real detail), and then the occasional letter in the mailbox saying some PR person had visited in office-hours in some pretend showing of supposed-concern from the builders.

But now it is here. Like HERE.

And there was no talk of audibility. But there was one reference to audibility — it was buried in one notice. And it said something like, “You might experience reverberated noise”. That seemed to me like a bit of a rattle in a window-frame or a door rattling.

But last night it was like a very slow jumbo-jet was underfoot. And I could hear it. I really didn’t expect that.

And so today some PR person from TransCity called me from some “blocked number” and told me the machine was not underfoot but actually in fact 50ms away going under the street behind. And it is the “other” boring machine. the one that won’t go underneath our house. So I said, “Well, this is just gonna get worse?”

And she tried her best to say it would be all over soon saying it is just the front of the engine that makes all the disruption. Wow. Thanks.

A PERSONAL QUESTION

But then she asked me this question: “How did you sleep last night?”

I bristled. I really took offence.

I don’t know about you – but I didn’t sleep very well at all with all this nonsense and work stuff playing in my head. And anyway — that question, that insight into someone is a really fucking personal question.

So I told her it was none of her business — (and it wasn’t regardless) — and then I said “thanks for your call” and hung off.