COMMENT OF THE DAY: DOWNTOWN’S TUNNELS ARE THE SCENE 
“As someone who uses the tunnels everyday, I contest that they are glorious. My sweatless armpits and rain-free coiffure are a testament thereto.” [Superdave, commenting on Downtown Houston Is Now Down To A Single Street-Level Subway] Photo: Ed Schipul [license]
Sign up for the Newsletter
“You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means.” – Inigo Montoya
You know, I never seem to get as sweaty on street level downtown as elsewhere in the city anyway. Probably due to shade from the tall buildings plus the natural wind tunnel effect they produce. I never really felt the need to use the tunnels–anything less than a 15 minute walk doesn’t seem to make me very sweaty unless it’s high noon or a particularly broiling day.
I work downtown and hate the tunnels. I completely avoid them unless my co workers drag me down there.They’re crowded, ugly, have low ceilings, smell like bad fast food, and don’t have anything to interesting to offer. I’d much rather sweat and enjoy the beauty of hositon’s architecture and better lunch spots like Local foods and the Conservatory.
Yes, it’s very popular to hate the tunnels. When you have to walk 10 blocks during a torential downpour you’ll use them. I would not have been near as open to using public transportation to get downtown when I worked there were it not for the tunnels. If I drove into the office I had about a 100 ft walk to the building that was covered, when I rode the bus it was a 1/2 mile uncovered walk. On nice days I would walk on the surface but a 1/2 mile walk in the rain left me so soaked once I had to go home even though I had my umbrella I carried everyday. After that if it weren’t for the tunnels I would have driven to work everyday on the off chance that it could rain.
The tunnels are one of the dumbest things the backwards people of yesteryear Houston created. So lame.