The William Preston Lane Jr. Memorial Bridge spans nearly five miles of the Chesapeake Bay to connect Maryland's eastern and western shores

The structure is regularly subject to violent storms and instills fear in thousands of Baltimore and Washington residents every time they cross it

Business Kent Island Express has more than 5,000 terrified customers it shuttles across the bridge, charging $25 each way

on't look down! The Maryland bridge so terrifying locals pay $25 to be driven across in their own car

An entrepreneurial Maryland man is charging $25 to drive motorists in their own cars across one of the world's scariest bridges because they are too terrified to do it themselves.

The William Preston Lane Jr. Memorial Bridge, known as the Bay Bridge, spans nearly five miles of the Chesapeake Bay to connect Maryland's eastern and western shores. Standing 186 feet tall at its highest point, the structure, which is regularly subject to violent storms, instills fear in thousands of Baltimore and Washington residents every time they drive across it.

This gave Alex Robinson and his family the idea of doing it for them, charging them for the peace of mind of not having to tackle the nerve-racking stretch themselves. And this Memorial Day weekend, as the annual pilgrimage to the beach towns and sailing harbors of the Eastern Shore began, business was booming.

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Scariest structure: The William Preston Lane Jr. Memorial Bridge, known as Bay Bridge, pictured, instills fear in thousands of Baltimore and Washington residents

Massive: The Chesapeake Bay Bridge, pictured, is five miles long and stands 186 feet tall at its highest point

Burgeoning industry: Aside from Kent Island Express, two other companies ferry drivers across the nightmare bridge, pictured

'About 5,800 people use our service,' Robinson, of Kent Island Express, told The New York Times on Friday as he fielded calls from some of those nervous customers.

The bridge, which when it first opened in 1952 was the longest continuous over-water steel structure, has been rated by Travel & Leisure Magazine as the ninth scariest bridge in the world for the panic it instills in Maryland residents.

When bad weather hits, which is often, drivers can barely see the shore when they get to the middle.

It also has tall ships that pass beneath it and flimsy-looking guardrails that reveal a vertigo-inducing drop to the choppy waters below.

'Everyone talks about the fear of crossing the bridge,' Carolyn Casey, who lives in Washington and has a second home near St. Michaels, Maryland, told The Times.



With the passenger seat taken up by two Labrador retrievers, she squeezed into the backseat between her three-year daughter and a nanny as Robinson got behind the wheel.

Long stretch: The massive bridge spans 4.3 miles from start to finish

Fear: The bridge, pictured, was rated by Travel & Leisure Magazine as the ninth scariest bridge in the world for the panic it instills in Maryland residents Driving: Even on clear days, the bridge takes some nerve to tackle

'When I told people I'd found someone to drive me over the bridge, they laughed,' Casey, 41, said. 'But it all came out — everyone is afraid of the bridge.'

That's because crossing the bridge is quite an endeavor, even when the weather is fine.



First, drivers have to tackle a disconcerting comes a dogleg curve, then travel up a steep incline over the initial suspension span; then the bridge drops and the motorist drives downhill and over a second span, a cantilever with boxy sides and a roof that feels like a claustrophobic tunnel.



Robinson took over the unique business last year from his mother and stepfather who ran it for five years. He told The Times it had made him something of an amateur psychologist.



Robinson hires only upbeat drivers, and instructs them to talk about anything but the bridge for the 10-15 minutes it takes to cross.

'Their stress and anxieties feed off of your mood,' he explains to them.



He said most customers, nervous, talk a lot during the trip - about everything from their children to their first boyfriend.



Bad weather: The area is subject to violent storms, which makes driving the bridge particularly perilous as shown in this video

Upbeat drivers: Robinson hires only upbeat drivers, and instructs them to talk about anything but the bridge for the 10-15 minutes it takes to cross

But he also described construction workers who rode in the back seat of their trucks, hats pulled over their eyes and their ears plugged, and a woman who rode with a blanket over her head because she was so scared.

One man, Robinson told The Times, asked to be put in the trunk, but the request was refused.

Another has paid $50-a-day for years to be driven across the bridge to his job in the morning and then back at the end of the day.

'Nervous about crossing over the Chesapeake Bay Bridge?' the website states. 'If so, you’re not alone. Our Bay Bridge Drive-Over Help will let you relax and enjoy the ride and the view!'



The company instructs drivers who are 'nervous or need assistance for any reason' to contact them an hour before they get to the bridge.



'Once you call we'll coordinate a meeting location an assist you from there by driving your vehicle over the bridge for you,' the website states, adding that the drive-over service is provided from 5am til 12am.

Tall ships: The bridge, pictured, also has tall ships that pass beneath it and flimsy-looking guardrails that reveal a vertigo-inducing drop to the choppy waters below

Busy: 'About 5,800 people use our service,' Robinson, of Kent Island Express, said Summer season: This Memorial Day weekend, as the annual pilgrimage to the beach town and sailing harbors of the Eastern Shore began, business has been booming However, drivers of motorcycles, rental vehicles, or commercial vehicles are left to their own devices, as the company said it cannot accommodate such vehicles. Customer, Kathleen Busch, explained her fear of the bridge stemmed from getting trapped in the Baltimore Harbor Tunnel for hours.

The next time she tried to drive through the tunnel she told the newspaper 'everything went white. I had a full-blown panic attack. I thought I was going to pass out.'

Scared the same thing would happen on the Bay Bridge, Busch hasn't attempted to drive it herself.

The terrifying structure isn't the only bridge to have driver assistance programs in place, but because it links two major cities, it is the only one with enough traffic to support a shuttle service industry. Aside from Kent Island Express, two other companies ferry drivers across the nightmare bridge. Booming business: Alex Robinson of Kent Island Express, whose website is pictured, charges $25 to drive nervous motorists across the bridge Cars: Generally, the drivers use the customer's car but sometime they will shuttle passengers in Kent Island Express vehicles The bridge is part of U.S. Routes 50 and 301, and serves as a vital link in both routes. As part of U.S. Route 50, it connects the Baltimore-Washington Metropolitan Area with Ocean City, Maryland and other coastal tourist destinations.

As part of U.S. Route 301, it serves as part of an alternate route for Interstate 95 travelers between northern Delaware and the Washington, D.C. area. The bridge has been closed four times due to extreme weather, mainly hurricanes.

On September 18, 2003, it was closed during Hurricane Isabel, and on August 27, 2011, Maryland Governor Martin O'Malley ordered it closed to all traffic when sustained winds exceeded 55 miles per hour during Hurricane Irene. On October 29, 2012, Hurricane Sandy brought traffic to close and on March 6, 2013, during a nor'easter, high winds again forced motorists to seek other routes.







