The Bridge and Tunnel of Love
Love does not know any boundaries but it does have some borders. We were reminded of them when we read this piece about the North-South of the River loving divide in London. Dating far, far outside your hood can indeed be a pain. In London, black cabs won’t go Sarf of the river Thames after a certain hour. As for getting home, well, just don’t get yourself laid in the outer post codes because you’ll be doing the commuter train ride of shame in the early a.m. unless you want to kiss away those hard-earned pounds on a minicab ride home.
Similarly, in New York, there are several dating demarcation parallels including the 14th Street Mason-Dixon line for downtown-ers who won’t go up, the various bridges for Brooklyn snobs who refuse to take Manhattan and the Holland Tunnel for those who won’t consider courting New Jersey’s finest. Los Angeles’ troublesome traffic situation means that a union between a Westside gal and an Eastside boy is rather unlikely. Apparently, sitting in jams to see someone – no matter how beloved – is just not sexy. And we’ve heard of Angelenos, who think that getting together with someone who lives in the 818 (the San Fernando Valley area) constitutes a long-distance relationship.
The main pro of close quarters coupling is that you get to see each other without the travails of the Tube, expense of cabs and hassles of the road. The easy access can also be a con – especially if it does not work out (or if you have a Very Worst Date) and then you have to see him or her at your neighborhood spots. There’s also something to be said about broadening your horizons beyond the usual burg suspects.
Still, it seems more or less, we all date and mate in close proximity to our habitats. Because there are many bridges and tunnels all over the world, we know that there are many similar divides. Tell us about the geographic dating cut-off points in your city or town. How far would you (or won’t you) go for love?
