Entire US town has to live under curfew to avoid being locked out of their own homes
An entire town in Alaska has to live with a curfew every night to avoid being locked out of their own homes.
Most people have probably experienced living with some sort of curfew while growing up, but generally it fades away as you grow into a functioning adult.
With parents no longer able to wield their power and demand that you're back home by a certain time, us adults are instead left to enforce our own bedtimes with the hope that we're not left regretting our decisions.
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That's true for millions of people across the globe, but residents in one town in Alaska have to live every day according to timings set by the town, or risk being shut out altogether.
Whittier, Alaska is home to around 270 people, and is located in the state's Valdez-Cordova county.
The city is home to a post office, a school and a number of other establishments you'd expect to find in a populated area, but it can only be accessed by travelling through the longest highway tunnel in North America.
The 2.5-mile long Anton Anderson Memorial Tunnel connects Whittier to the outside world, though with just one lane, traffic can only move in one direction at a time.
Not only that, but drivers must share the tunnel with trains, while also allowing time for the tunnel to be 'aired out' in between trips.
The requirements for the tunnel means that residents of Whittier must abide by a timetable which lays out what time drivers can travel in either direction, and they have to make sure they're back in the tunnel before it closes.
If they miss the final flow of traffic into the city, they'll be forced to face the night outside of its boundaries, unable to access their own homes.
Residents have slightly more time to make it back into Whittier in summer, when the tunnel is open from 5:30am to 11:15pm.
In the winter months, however, they have to limit their trips outside the city to the hours of 7am to 10:45pm, or be prepared to come up with alternative sleeping arrangements.
When contacted about the tunnel, the Alaska Department of Transportation & Public Facilities confirmed to UNILAD that the tunnel closes at night, meaning residents would be locked out if they're not back through in time.
Whittier's tunnel is enough to prove that it's not your average US city, but it's far from the only unusual thing about the area.
With its small population, it's possible for almost all residents of the town to live in just one building.
And if you thought you recognized the name of the city, this might be why - its unusual living arrangements have previously made headlines across the globe.
We're not talking about some jam-packed house share, but rather a large building named Begich Towers where residents have their own apartments.
As well as the living spaces, the tower is also home to a lot of the city's public services, including the post office.
Kids don't even have to face the state's chilly temperatures to get to school, as they're able to access it through another tunnel built to connect the two buildings.
Where would Whittier be without tunnels, eh?
The way of live in Whittier certainly wouldn't be for everyone, but the city's 200-plus residents are obviously satisfied with the way their little home works!
Emily Brown