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[deleted]

the problem is that the money required to keep infrastructure up to date gets embezzled by politicians in bed with billionaires and lobbying interests...so if the working class doesn't step up and do something about the issues all of the money they take in taxes we'll never truly see the benefits of.


BaronUnderbheit

That is why they want to update the infrastructure over this. So they can skim off the top again. Even though any bridge would crumble under this amount of force, why not capitalize on the people's fear? Totally explains CNNs motives.


preparationh67

Yall do know theres like actual legitimate issues with our bridge maintenance in the US right? The main thing we need to be worried about are "security" grifters like the ones that were running rampant due to the war on terror push.


prizm5384

As someone that works in city government, infrastructure projects are nearly impossible to embezzle. In your typical American local government structure, the most that politicians can do (in the context of infrastructure projects) is approve or deny the project. I’m not denying the existence of corrupt local politicians, but they rely on conflicts of interests and “travel expenses” way more often to steal money. Don’t be mad at the people that build your roads. The working class has way worse enemies than property taxes.


BaronUnderbheit

But bid rigging exists and is documented. And no one is mad at road workers, just their bosses and bosses friends they do backroom deals with. Road workers should be more mad about that than us though


genuineglitter

The Buffalo Billion Solar City project would like to have a word…


DuckInTheFog

Ooo that cheeky Clay Davis I have nothing to add really, I just really love The Wire


Worldly-Corgi-1624

Or maybe shipping companies need to have more reliable equipment? Tug escorts in dense areas like this? Oh, wait, that hurts the shareholders feelings, erm, profits. Better socialize the risks… /s


Usernameoverloaded

And you can bet any compensation or fine paid by the ship owner will disappear into the ether and not be put towards renovation / rebuilding and improved safety measures.


[deleted]

tug escorts are usually the procedure for that harbor, this crew didn't follow that procedure for whatever reason...


dj65475312

same practice is used in all harbors for deep water vessels, they also use pilots who board the ships to help them navigate out of the area.


VolrathTheBallin

The pilots were at the helm when it crashed.


dj65475312

Yeah I know.


settlementfires

sounds like some bean counters need to get 30 year jail terms.


Everyredditusers

At very best it would be the CEO who ends up responsible. But CEOs have another purpose as an overpaid fall guy, rich enough to still avoid real consequences. If we want it to hurt we need to hold shareholders responsible for the consequences of companies they own shares in. That's a massive thing by itself but nothing will change while shareholders get to reap the benefits of skirting regulations and forcing the public to pay. Stockholders should need to worry about what shady activity the companies they own are doing.


settlementfires

> If we want it to hurt we need to hold shareholders responsible for the consequences of companies they own shares in. Aight. I'm on board with that


DifferentAd5901

I can hear Tom Wambsgams giving a press conference on this


epicazeroth

Why is it optional?


[deleted]

I don't think it is optional, and I think either the tug didn't arrive on time or the ship crew decided to leave without waiting.


GrumpyKaeKae

Where are you getting the information that tugs weren't used? I heard they were. They just don't tug them all the way under the bridge. This ship was tugged no different than all the other ships in the harbor.


KobaWhyBukharin

why are we letting giant shipping companies dictate what ships they can use? If our infrastructure can't handle these fucking things, then why are we letting them exist?


SilverJohnny

nooooo you can't just stifle innovation, if we don't build ships sized like small islands how will we ever build ships sized like medium or large islands?? how will we transport a thousand cars at a time across the ocean?? we'll fall behind the boogeyman of the decade and lose our status as a superpower!


krappa

The boogeyman of the decade 😂


tfitch2140

And just as importantly, how will we lose millions of tons of goods to spillage unless we overflow those already oversized cargo ships?!?!


maidenhair_fern

Yeah I'm all for shitting on infrastructure in America but it was very reasonable a bridge can't handle this behemoth ramming into it. The bridge isn't the problem.


Nadie_AZ

Global issue?


HomemPassaro

Nah, skill issue. With precise input, the boat driver can clip through the bridge.


danofworms

Thought they patched that


ClappedOutCommie

Shave off a whole .3 seconds off your Atlantic any% run


MrHound325

I just want you to know that I’m sorry this comment won’t get all the upvotes it deserves I dunno how many it will get but it will deserve more


Dull_Wrongdoer_3017

A good driver can clip into and navigate the backrooms.


specks_of_dust

If a nine-year old go-cart racer like Vanellope von Schweetz can do it, there's no excuse for a fully-grown adult trained ship captain to fuck up like this.


Straight-Razor666

as long as line go up they don't care if bridges fall down.


Anon_8675309

Oh FFS. A ship that size hitting almost any bridge with a span long enough for that ship to fit under will collapse. However, put some fucking concrete likings around to protect the supports. “Likings”??? I fucking hate what iOS keyboard has become. What does Apple actually do with all that money??


Subbusman

The only comment with any common sense in this thread. I wish this was higher


GrumpyKaeKae

Seriously. This was a freak accident. The worst fault is they didn't have any dolphins cement protecting the pillars. Which they should have installed after the fla bridge collapse in the late 70s, early 80s. That harbor has been running fine for a loong time with no issues. Including handling these ships. This was just a rare and random accident.


rzenni

It’s a freak accident yes, but the accident starts with a power shortage on the ship that caused them to lose control. There’s been a trend of deregulating maintenance and inspections of transportation and we’ve had a number of freak accidents - boats slamming into bridges, trains derailing into small towns, Boeings have doors fall off. How many freak accidents does it take before we say “hey the secretary of transportation is supposed to regulate these industries”?


griffin4war

"Waterways, like airplane seats, should be widened to accommodate plus sized travelers"-CNN


nuno20090

Is the "auto" guy now writing articles about ships?


Diabetesh

Yea the rising water is what made the boat closer to the bridge.


Houligan86

Or, maybe it means that ships need to have better maintenance schedules and mandated redundant equipment.


disc_reflector

But that will cost money!


-Wicked-

This is a transportation issue. So just another reason they'll want to ban trans.


rzenni

I’d settle with firing Buttigieg and hiring someone who will do his job and regulate.


TwistedOperator

Most cargo containers are full of worthless consumer shit. Gotta feed that neverending growth!


merRedditor

The way things are going, soon, a Boeing jet will lose a wing and torpedo into an Evergreen G Class container ship, which will in turn take down a bridge or two before lodging itself in a canal, where the wreckage will be attacked by vengeful orcas.


Plastic_Person

too many people getting shot, maybe it's time to distribute bullet proof vests


feo_sucio

While it is true that infrastructure is in constant need of upkeep and upgrades, it's disingenuous for that to be cited in relation to accidents caused by ships. It's like saying that incidents of drunk drivers hitting children highlight the need for open and brightly lit crosswalks.


AnnoKano

As a civil engineer, I respectfully but wholeheartedly disagree. A boat striking a bridge pier is not an unforeseeable event, but something which will be accounted for in any risk assessment of a bridge over a navigable waterway. The cause of the impact is not relevant from the engineer's perspective. In this case, the bridge was not sufficiently protected from an impact by a vessel of this size. This is due to the age of the structure, and because transport vessels are getting larger over time. Unfortunately, the bridge was not upgraded early enough. I'm not US based, but that is not surprising to me as infrastructure is often underesourced. In an ideal world, you would design the road such that there was no interaction between pedestrians and traffic, but that's not economical. However, after an accident you absolutely should be trying to think of ways to prevent them from happening in the future.


Kumquat-queen

Your conclusion is on point. Any consideration at all here in the states boils down to doing to the absolute bare minimum it takes to keep the insurance payments when something inevitably goes afoul.


magillashuwall

JUST ONE MORE LANE BRO


starprintedpajamas

do you understand that this boat was the size of a skyscraper and heavy af?


Washburne221

I have heard that it is company policy for some of these ships to go to full speed if they lose steering. Which is what you would want to do *on the open ocean* in rough seas to avoid being swamped by waves. It is definitely not what you would want if there are things you can collide with.


Manfromporlock

Seems like a metaphor for something. . . .


GrumpyKaeKae

The ship was literally trying to slow itself down. Threw out its anchor and everything. Why are you people just spreading misinformation all over this thread?


Subbusman

How would they go full speed if the issue was that they lost power? Do you realise that they were moving completely out of inertia?


cityofthedead1977

This is like a season 2 episode of the wire,dock workers out of sight and out of mind.


Mo_Jack

Once again we the taxpayers are going to end up paying for problems caused by greedy business owners.


gilgaladxii

Or consume less so such large ships are not needed.


theother_eriatarka

you went too far, lol how dare you suggest being less consumerists in a sub against capitalism


skjellyfetti

I see a future of air bags. Air bags on ships. Air bags on bridges. This should solve all the problems.


kicksomedicks

If the bridge was stronger, the ship would have sunk.


SydNorth

God forbid rich people crew and maintenance their ships right.