Lawmakers consider making trespassing on Mackinac Bridge a felony

[TexasTowelie]

Under Michigan law, the Mighty Mac isn’t technically classified as critical infrastructure — and that loophole, some lawmakers say, prevents law enforcement from meting out adequate punishments to trespassers.

The Mackinac Bridge spans five miles across the Straits of Mackinac and has linked Michigan’s upper and lower peninsulas since it opened to traffic in 1957.

It’s an iconic piece of Michigan infrastructure, but under the Michigan penal code, it’s currently not designated as a “key facility.” That means a person trespassing on the bridge is not subject to a felony as they would be if they illegally entered a power plant, a water treatment facility, a railroad switching yard or other types of property deemed key facilities.

Law enforcement first discovered this loophole when a felony trespass charge was dropped against a person who climbed the bridge without permission to take photos. Two bomb threats at the bridge this summer also threw the bridge’s security into the spotlight, prompting an updated safety assessment last year.

Read more: https://www.mlive.com/public-interest/2022/01/lawmakers-consider-making-trespassing-on-mackinac-bridge-a-felony.html

[multigraincracker]

1. As a little kid,

I remember taking the car ferry across before the bridge was done.

[Biophilic]

3. Loved the ferries, but hated the long waiting lines to go on.

My father was always worried about 'vapor lock' and it made for a stressful time. We went north at least once each summer.

[3Hotdogs]

6. I thought vapor lock was a winter thing.

Keep your gas tank at least 1/2 full.

[Biophilic]

7. back in the olden days it was a summer thing apparently especially if your

car was inching forward in a huge group (4-5 lines of cars), in the middle of summer time. We had it happen a couple of times. It actually was most distressing when there was an even longer line waiting and now stuck behind you. I can understand my father's fears. We are talking late forties through the fifties.

[CentralMass]

2. My brother went to school up in thr U.P.. we traveled over the bridge a number of time.

[captain queeg]

4. I crossed that bridge about 40 yrs ago. Most impressive bridge I've ever actually been on.

[rurallib]

5. how do you trespass on a bridge?

would that be the same as blocking traffic?