Old TZB Still Tweeting As Bridge Comes Down

» Find Hudson Valley Patches' Facebook Pages » Find Your Patch and more news of the day, including our most-read stories»

NYACK, NY — The Old Tappan Zee Bridge has been tweeting for just over a year now. Its Twitter motto: "Bridging since 1955. Living like there's no 2019." Patch was fortunate to catch up with the OTZB during a quiet moment for this exclusive interview.

PATCH: Why did you start tweeting?

@oldtzb: I was on tumblr for a while. Then I heard they might double the character limit on twitter, so I figured I'd give it a shot. Besides, tumblr's weird.

Q: When did your tweets start going viral?

A: Well, I think more people liked the movie "Gigli" than look at my tweets, so I'm not sure "viral" is the right word. Unless you're talking about stuff that makes people sick, in which case, I was probably good at that from the beginning.

There was a huge spike in interest when two of you had some sort of argument about me on TV recently. Not using the "Tappan Zee" part of my name on the new bridge was not an inspired move, imo

Q: What are people telling you?

A: Some folks miss traveling over me. Tons of people miss my name on the signs. Others say I was scary and about to collapse. Today, people said I should have run a write-in campaign for some political office. I think they're just pissed at the folks that did run.

Q: What are you responding?

A: I tell the folks who miss me that we'll always have twitter. And to the folks who say I was scary, I like to say "Boo!"

Q: You've been the bridge for a long time. What started this?

A: Mostly Curiosity. As in the rover named Curiosity on Mars that started tweeting a few years back. I mean, he's way younger and smarter than me, but I'm bigger and actually ON EARTH, so I figured why not.

Q: What do you think of the new uses to which your parts are being put?

A: Standing in the Hudson River estuary for more than 60 years, I try to be ecologically aware. So I've always been a fan of recycling and organ donation. I will say that it has been weird standing here getting taken apart, piece by piece.

And while everybody crows about how pretty the new bridge is. You know, I was pretty when I was young, too.

Q: How unstable are you at the moment?

A: From what I can tell, I'm as stable as any of you people.

Q: Your disappearance is imminent. How does that feel? What will happen to the twitter account?

A: As for the imminent demise, it's just goodbye to my steel and concrete. Twitter accounts are forever (unless you violate their TOS and get banned, of course.)

Nice chatting with you.

-oldtzb

PHOTO/ courtesy

» Find Hudson Valley Patches' Facebook Pages
» Find Your Patch and more news of the day, including our most-read stories