This reminds me of when there were plans to have part of an iconic (now no longer used) railway bridge in Rotterdam temporarily dismounted because Bezos’ superyacht being built elsewhere in the Netherlands wouldn’t fit through otherwise. There were calls to wait for it on another bridge in the city with tomatoes.
Luckily, this didn’t actually end up happening, but that it was seriously considered, was bad enough.
Honestly not so uncommon with inland shipyards. Bridges etc. are built to deal with everyday traffic while the shipyard might only send out a ship per year or such so it’s fine having to do some manual work getting it past infrastructure.
E.g. the 2006 European blackout was caused by the operators messing up the comparatively routine shutdown of the power crossing. The lines are high enough so that the cruise ship the shipyard builds can drive under them, barely, but they can’t be energised while doing so.
That’s not to defend Bezos having a yacht, billionaires shouldn’t exist, but this probably happens with any other ship that the shipyard builds.
Not this bridge, though. I’m from Rotterdam, and the only time it has been dismantled in recent times was for maintenance. After this, the city promised it wouldn’t be dismounted again - as I said, this bridge is considered very iconic by Rotterdammers. Naturally it leads to sentimental reactions when some rich fucker thinks he can just have it dismantled so his big fat private ship can pass through.
This reminds me of when there were plans to have part of an iconic (now no longer used) railway bridge in Rotterdam temporarily dismounted because Bezos’ superyacht being built elsewhere in the Netherlands wouldn’t fit through otherwise. There were calls to wait for it on another bridge in the city with tomatoes.
Luckily, this didn’t actually end up happening, but that it was seriously considered, was bad enough.
Honestly not so uncommon with inland shipyards. Bridges etc. are built to deal with everyday traffic while the shipyard might only send out a ship per year or such so it’s fine having to do some manual work getting it past infrastructure.
E.g. the 2006 European blackout was caused by the operators messing up the comparatively routine shutdown of the power crossing. The lines are high enough so that the cruise ship the shipyard builds can drive under them, barely, but they can’t be energised while doing so.
That’s not to defend Bezos having a yacht, billionaires shouldn’t exist, but this probably happens with any other ship that the shipyard builds.
Not this bridge, though. I’m from Rotterdam, and the only time it has been dismantled in recent times was for maintenance. After this, the city promised it wouldn’t be dismounted again - as I said, this bridge is considered very iconic by Rotterdammers. Naturally it leads to sentimental reactions when some rich fucker thinks he can just have it dismantled so his big fat private ship can pass through.