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Cruising on the Mallory Todd
On each of the nine drawbridges I’ve operated in my career, there has always been one vessel that was my favorite to open for. Sometimes it was because the ship in question came through like clockwork and signaled the end of my shift. Other times it was because I’d always have some very pleasant banter…
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Hello Sailor
Most boat captains are responsible and want to take good care of their very expensive investments. They take the time to learn the rules of the waterways. They don’t hinder commercial vessels’ ability to maneuver by drifting slowly into their path. They don’t tie up the radio waves with useless banter. They take safety very…
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“Even Cheerleaders get Pimples on their Behinds.”
Those words of wisdom came from my mother on a day when the teenaged me was lamenting the fact that I wasn’t popular, and also complaining about a pimple on my posterior. When insight is put forth so colorfully, it tends to stick with you for life. And while it was meant to apply to…
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Patience, dammit!
It’s 7:20 a.m. on a Monday morning and I’m opening the drawbridge for a sailboat. Traffic is backed up for a half mile in either direction. Joggers are jogging in place at the gates, and a few are giving me dirty looks. Horns are honking. Then the sailboat radios in to ask why the bridge…