Bridge and tunnel
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Bridge and tunnel (often abbreviated B&T) is a derogatory term used by residents of Manhattan to refer to the large number of people who commute into the borough from the New York Metropolitan Area, especially from New Jersey and Long Island, both for work and for the New York nightlife. The term is now often generalized and used in other regions of the U.S., especially in San Francisco, where it refers to anyone who does not live on the San Francisco Peninsula.
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[edit] Etymology
Though the name originates from the Triborough Bridge and Tunnel Authority, which services the five boroughs that make up New York City, the term has come to encompass all people who originate from outside of the five boroughs of Brooklyn, The Bronx, Queens, and Staten Island, and includes Westchester County, Long Island, Connecticut, and New Jersey (i.e., must use a bridge or a tunnel to enter New York City).
[edit] Origin
The earliest known instance of this phrase in print is below.
December 13, 1977, edition of the New York Times, pg. 83:
"On the weekends, we get all the bridge and tunnel people who try to get in," he said.
Elizabeth Fondaras, a pillar of the city’s conservative social scene, who has just told Steve Rubell she had never tried to get into Studio 54 for fear of being rejected, asked who the bridge and tunnel people were.
"Those people from Queens and Staten Island and those places," he said.
[edit] Usage
As the residents of the outer boroughs of New York City and of the New Jersey and Long Island suburbs or New York are assumed to be generally less affluent than the residents of Manhattan, the term "bridge and tunnel" has picked up several connotations in the New York nightlife scene. As many of the neighborhoods in the boroughs and Long Island and New Jersey are racially undiverse, this also sometimes can imply certain prejudicial practices. Popular clubs will have bouncers and door staff that specifically screen for a "good crowd".
- A location with an undesirable 'ratio' of Manhattan residents to Outer-borough residents and suburbanites:
- "That place used to be cool, but now it's all Bridge and Tunnel"
- A local who is tawdry and meretricious.
- Any person who has a strong Outer-borough, New Jersey, or Long Island accent (three often indistinguishable accents).
- A Guido
- A New York Metropolitan Area suburbanite
Many life-long residents of the outer-boroughs (all part of New York City, many areas being within a 15 minute walk of a subway station) find the term to be extremely insulting, especially when used by transplants who currently live in Manhattan but originated from other areas such as the Midwest or South.
[edit] Comparisons
The preference of local crowd over tourists by upscale establishments is common in many vacation destinations including San Francisco, Honolulu, and Las Vegas. Tourists are often seen as louder and more obnoxious, as compared to local patrons.
[edit] Effects
Many clubs in Manhattan are quite popular among local residents during the work week. This is mostly to avoid the crowds associated with the huge influx of bridge and tunnel commuters on weekends.
[edit] References in popular culture
- In Made Vince Vaughn's character mocks his friend for not being able to get "the Bridge and Tunnel" girl.
- Less Than Jake, a ska punk band, wrote a song called "Bridge and Tunnel Authority," which appeared on their album B is for B-sides.
- The Honorary Title, a New York City indie rock band, released a song called "Bridge and Tunnel" as a single from their 2004 album Anything Else but the Truth.
- Idle Minds, a former underground Bronx rock band, released a song called "A 'Bridge & Tunnel' Love Story" on their 2004 debut album Some Distant, Boundless Place....
- In Loser, a character states that bridge and tunnel girls on an unnamed university campus "sleep around" in order to avoid commuting back home.
- In Chasing Amy, Alyssa's friends are trying to figure out who she's dating. One exclaims, "Eww! Not a bridge-and-tunnel Jersey dyke!"; another adds, "With huge hair and acid-washed jeans!"
- In Boiler Room a gay man in a restaurant says to the main characters, "What's up with those clothes? Did you just come from a city council meeting or are you just trying to get lucky with the bridge and tunnel crowd?"
- In How I Met Your Mother, Barney says that he should call his "Bridge and Tunnel Girl".
- In The Sopranos , Christopher Moltisanti is referred to as "bridge and tunnel boy" in a Manhattan nightclub, in reference to his commute from New Jersey.
