When Elon Musk claimed underground tunnels are “immune to surface weather conditions," social media users broke the billionaire's stride by proving he was totally wrong.
In response to a tweet on Sunday listing ten cities with the worst traffic in the world–with London, Paris, and Brussels taking the top three spots–the founder of The Boring Company cheekily replied:
"Tunnels anyone?"
He then took the opportunity to promote his company's Hyperloop–an ambitious underground system that would transport goods and passengers for long distances through low-pressure tubes via pods traveling up to 760 miles per hour.
Musk tweeted:
"In the coming years, Boring Co will attempt to build a working Hyperloop."
"From a known physics standpoint, this is the fastest possible way of getting from one city center to another for distances less than ~2000 miles."
"Starship is faster for longer journeys."
He boldy proclaimed:
"Underground tunnels are immune to surface weather conditions (subways are a good example), so it wouldn’t matter to Hyperloop if a hurricane was raging on the surface."
“You wouldn’t even notice.”
In the coming years, Boring Co will attempt to build a working Hyperloop. \n\nFrom a known physics standpoint, this is the fastest possible way of getting from one city center to another for distances less than ~2000 miles. Starship is faster for longer journeys.— Elon Musk (@Elon Musk) 1650839873
Underground tunnels are immune to surface weather conditions (subways are a good example), so it wouldn\u2019t matter to Hyperloop if a hurricane was raging on the surface. You wouldn\u2019t even notice.— Elon Musk (@Elon Musk) 1650840195
What social media users did notice was the fact his physics theory had some holes in it.
They flooded the thread with video clips showing the tracks and train stations of New York's MTA system literally being underwater as a result of Hurricane Ida last September.
lol, k.https://twitter.com/elizaorlins/status/1433269201721077762\u00a0\u2026— Eliza Orlins (@Eliza Orlins) 1650844404
NYC just calledpic.twitter.com/H9hxo0H2Iu— Meet Kevin (@Meet Kevin) 1650896475
Yeah, that's why during hurricane Sandy my subway, the R train, got flooded completely for 2 weeks and I had to take the bus everywhere, b/c the sea level rose + rain. Similarly after Ida. Also why heavy rain floods down into the subway stations & floods the tracks.pic.twitter.com/kYgCHmsPwE— Caitlin (@Caitlin) 1650907423
Elon reinventing the lawns of physics.\n\n\u201cImmune\u201d indeed\u2026pic.twitter.com/hSvApbHsyV— Grady Booch (@Grady Booch) 1650850522
I guess if they don't flood and can go without power. You didn't really think this through, did you? Have you ever been in a hurricane?— Kat A Non (@Kat A Non) 1650919528
video of people wading through water in new york subway during hurricanehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=48yMjp-1NlM\u00a0\u2026— vrinkles (@vrinkles) 1650899810
ya okay dingushttps://twitter.com/fly_sistah/status/1518377027132350465?s=21&t=RjP9ysx5HO4BGgllEsbhOA\u00a0\u2026— miranda \ud83e\uddf8 (@miranda \ud83e\uddf8) 1650908363
this man is heralded as the genius of our times lmao https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1518359943967121408\u00a0\u2026pic.twitter.com/ANK0Zo99Qd— mike \ud83d\udea9\ud83c\uddf5\ud83c\uddf8 (@mike \ud83d\udea9\ud83c\uddf5\ud83c\uddf8) 1650873482
I would like to introduce you to the NYC subway. https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1518359943967121408\u00a0\u2026pic.twitter.com/XOro7VQBhD— Theo \u2721\ufe0e \u05d8\u05d5\u05d1\u05d9\u05d4 \u262d\ud83c\udff3\ufe0f\u200d\u26a7\ufe0f (@Theo \u2721\ufe0e \u05d8\u05d5\u05d1\u05d9\u05d4 \u262d\ud83c\udff3\ufe0f\u200d\u26a7\ufe0f) 1650852809
I'm pretty sure the folks in these underground tunnels were pretty aware that a hurricane was raging on the surface, Elon.\n\nDo you even reality??pic.twitter.com/ruI9kwjUCJ— Captain Benzie \ud83c\uddff\ud83c\uddfc (@Captain Benzie \ud83c\uddff\ud83c\uddfc) 1650867900
This wasn't the first time Musk was ruthlessly trolled online after making a bold statement.
Musk was ridiculed after videos of his Las Vegas Loop underground transit system, also built by the Boring Company, showed a subterranean traffic jam despite being touted as a solution to avoid the traffic above ground.
Musk had previously tweeted:
"It's either traffic forever or tunnels."