It’s been a week since the tragic loss of our favorite childhood everyman, Robin Williams, and it seems this one is hitting much harder than other celebrity deaths. From the Internet to the streets, people are still openly remembering the funny, warmhearted man. Which is why it’s not surprising that there’s a Change.org petition currently trying to raise 5,000 signatures to rename the tunnel on U.S. Route 101 between the Golden Gate Bridge and Sausalito, aka Waldo Tunnel, aka Rainbow Tunnel, as The Robin Williams Tunnel. Williams was a longtime resident of Marin County, and I can just imagine him getting up in the morning to film Mrs. Doubtfire, driving through that tunnel to get to the set, San Francisco exploding into view on the other side.
For reference, the tunnel’s current namesake is William Waldo, who ran for Governor of California in 1853 and lost, after which he abandoned California for Minnesota. Why do we even care about him in the first place?
On Saturday, the recipient of the petition, California State Assembly Member Marc Levine, replied both on change.org and his personal website, saying, “I am very interested in this issue and will be exploring it further. Something like this should be done in consultation with Mr. Williams’ family. We all want make sure this is the most proper way to honor him.” Levine then went on to promote suicide prevention and mental health outreach, with a bill aiming to “address the lack of suicide prevention training for psychologist, therapist, and counselors,” AB 2198. He also adjourned the California Assembly on Thursday in honor of Robin Williams, after a very touching eulogy.
It’s clear that San Francisco, California, America, and the World (According To Garp) are still keen to remember, memorialize, and immortalize the legacy of a man who was able to touch so many people.
Photo from Change.org petition
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