I've had the great pleasure of reconnecting with someone I knew in college: a self-described "tunnel rat" who knew how to navigate all over campus using the underground steam tunnels. Though I recalled that he knew all about the phone system, I didn't realize that he was paying his way through school by working for Southwestern Bell. It's good to learn that he got his electrical engineering degree, got married, and recently retired in rural Southwest Colorado, where he volunteers for a narrow-gauge railroad.
What pleasant memories I have of his taking me under his wing and showing me how things worked behind the scenes. It's odd that I never had any hesitation about following him into dark underground places. He always gave off a simple big-brother vibe: a Morlock checking to see if he could make friends with one of the Eloi.
That sounds like a wonderful time. I'd have enjoyed it myself.
ReplyDeleteBack when I was an undergraduate, I used to know many different hidden routes around Atlanta. It was often possible, if you knew how, to enter a building here and emerge from one several blocks away. If I'd known how to access the underground tunnels, that would have been even more true.
Ah yes. Memories of navigating through the extensive steam tunnels of Texas A&M...
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