Bridge tender story

[st nick]

Yesterday we were moving a Morgan 38 from the boat yard out for bottom paint to Dunedin Fl . When we approached the inter coastal draw bridge we noticed other sailboats waiting. We tried to hail the bridge and there was no answer We were on ch 9 . ! moved to 16 hailed the local Tow Boat US we were told the bridge tender has lost his Radio , Again !!! Now i used the horn right outside the tenders window.... Nothing ???
I now on 16 , I called the Saint Petersburg Fl Coast Guard so they might" land line "call the bridge tender to open the bridge. In 4 min this worked , the gates went down and the bridge started to open finally some 40 min of trying !
So why do bridge tenders have hand held VHF when base station VHF are some $200. each?
The county was founded by sailors and we are being treated like we are in the way . I just ask for fairness..

 

[Rasselas36]

Was this bridge tender BLIND? Take away their TV! The State of Florida should fire the lazy a$$.

 

[seadaddler]

S' ' Happens

I have found that most of the bridge tenders on the west coast
are super nice most times but maybe 1 might be hard ass.
I was told once that he would open the bridge as I get closer but speed it
up because these motor vehicles are a real pain in the ass and if we make them wait too long for boaters they call their boss and complain and make it sound like they were waiting for ever.
We travel every year in the fall with some times 10 or more sailboats up to Tarpon Springs and back from Charlotte harbor and most times they are real kind and very nice to us and some times even open the bridge before time to help us out.
I think they get it from both ends boaters and the cars and not all jobs are
easy as we make think as we pass under the bridge they always sound like they wish they were with us on our sailboats.
Nick

 

[Stu Jackson]

......because these motor vehicles are a real pain in the ass and if we make them wait too long for boaters they call their boss and complain and make it sound like they were waiting for ever.

Nick,

What a shame. Gee, you'd think by now the cars would know they are going over drawbridges!

Nice to hear most tenders are nice, ours are, too, where we sail.

 

[Benny17441]

What the Tow-Boat operator indicated is called sarcasm and not real evidence that any radio was lost. Why was the Bridge tender unable or unwilling to open the bridge is something his superiors may need to determine and if it was out of disdain or negligence he should be fired. For that to happen someone affected will need to file a formal complaint.

 

[WayneH]

New Orleans bridge tenders are the worst!!!

The Industrial Lock on the east side of the Mississippi River has a bridge in front of it. The St. Claude Ave drawbridge. So here is how it works. You call the Industrial Lock and get permission to lock through. Then you have to call the St Claude Ave bridge on the SAME channel to get permission to go through. And the bridge tender doesn't answer on the first or third call.

And the Almonaster Bridge to the north of the lock hasn't answered her radio in three years.

And I think they CAN'T be fired because they are city workers.

 

[Stu Jackson]

Bummer. But do the bridges draw when you get close?

 

[Benny17441]

Perhaps the bridge tender is a foreigner who used to drive Taxies in NYC and can't speak a word of English. As long as the bridge opens when scheduled or needed I don't care if they want to talk or not. It is not their job to be repeating their opening schedule to every Tom, Dick and Harry that has no clue where the information is published or too lazy to look it up. I could understand that in an 8 hour shift it could drive you bunkers.