**REPORTER'S NOTEBOOK** *By Alyssa Julya Smith* Driving through The Boring Company's first tunnel felt like riding Space Mountain at Disneyland, which was fitting since the entire launch event screamed theme park from the moment I walked in. Flamethrowers toasted s'mores and framed tweets lined the walls; costumed characters inspired by "Monty Python and the Holy Grail" mingled with the press while Elon Musk officially began his mission to end "soul-destroying traffic," once and for all. What started with [a joke on Twitter](https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/810108760010043392?lang=en) two years ago finally became a reality on Tuesday, as The Boring Company unveiled its first tunnel to the public under the SpaceX headquarters in Hawthorne, Calif. The big reveal of the 1.14-mile-long tunnel reflected both Musk's eccentric nature and the glitz and glam of Los Angeles (think: Pink's Hot Dogs catering), living up to the billionaire's promise that the event would be "more than a tunnel opening." I arrived at the event expecting to see "road-legal autonomous cars" being lowered into the ground. To nobody's surprise, the cars were Tesla ($TSLA) Model Xs, but I was shocked to learn the media would actually be getting a ride through the tunnel. I was part of a group of reporters who piled into the car, accompanied by a driver operating the vehicle at about 40 miles per hour. Eventually, the vehicles will travel autonomously at up to 150 miles per hour, but in this case, the human touch was much appreciated. I sat shotgun, the best seat in the house. As we began our drive, the Tesla rolled onto a giant metal circular platform that instantly began lowering us underground. Once we reached the bottom, we saw a narrow tunnel ahead of us, glowing from the red and blue lights surrounding its sides. It almost felt patriotic, until the lights turned green, which as we all know means go ー so off we went. In true Muskian fashion, it was a complete sensory experience. Faith No More's 1990 song ["Epic"] (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZG_k5CSYKhg) began to blast (from where, I really can't say) and we held on tight, going over a few bumps along the way. There was no proverbial light at the end of the tunnel; all we could see was the hazy bluish-white glow beaming down from the ceiling. One tunnel and $10 million later, now the real work begins for The Boring Company. Musk has already proposed another [3.6-mile tunnel to Dodger Stadium] (https://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-dodger-stadium-tunnel-20180815-story.html) and envisions an entire network spanning across the city, with stations at the Staples Center, UCLA, the Forum, and other major traffic hubs. The company expects to have the completed operation up and running in time for the 2028 L.A. Olympics. The project already has national ambitions ー Musk has already been approved to build a high-speed tunnel connecting downtown Chicago to the O'Hare International Airport. During his presentation on Tuesday night, Musk said The Boring Company is committed to tackling traffic in three dimensions, stressing that a tunnel can have "unlimited layers." The company itself seems to have many layers, already inspiring its own line of ["flamethrowers,"](https://www.theverge.com/2018/6/10/17445838/boring-company-flamethrower-elon-musk-tweets-party) and a "Brick Store" that re-purposes the dug-out dirt into LEGO-like operational building blocks. Musk used those bricks to construct a [medieval-style watchtower](https://www.teslarati.com/the-boring-company-lays-bricks-elon-musk-monty-python-watchtower-pictures/) outside the construction site. It is allegedly manned by a "knight" who greeted party goers with insults in a French accent ー [another homage](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ey0wvGiAH9g) to one of Musk's favorite movies, "Monty Python and the Holy Grail." But he's not the mascot ー that's [Gary] (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0s5yCKLV76E) ー SpongeBob Squarepants' meowing pet snail ー who was also in attendance Tuesday night, part of Musk's insistence that the company need to move quickly, and not at a snail's pace. It's been a year of [highs](http://digg.com/video/elon-musk-weed-rogan) and [lows](https://cheddar.com/videos/breaking-elon-musk-sued-by-sec) for Musk and his intergalactic empire. We've already seen his innovations on the roads and beyond the stars; now it's time to see what he has in store for us below ground.
