Of course there is a limit to that solution. I went on a river boat cruise
on the Kwai in Thailand. The boat had to pass under some low wires and a
low bridge in quick succession. To do it they had to lower the canvass
canopy over the upper dining deck until it was on the top of the chairs and
tables. We all were required to sit below the railing, and the obstructions
just sailed over our heads.
But someone on a previous cruise with the same boat (there is only one),
witnessed the upper deck being cleared of everything, including bar, tables,
chairs, and railings. But the boat still would not fit so they let the air
out of the tires by calling the dam to lower the river level. Presto, a
couple of hours later they just fit under the bridge.
Incidentally that cruise was a good lesson in dynamics. Going upstream the
boat just negociated the sharp turns under its own power. But coming back
down a skiff pushed the boat 180 degrees so its bow was now upstream. The
boat negociated the turns by fighting the current with its engine, and the
skiff pulled on the bow using a tow rope. Under power going downstream the
boat would have overshot the curves and run aground. I recommend a tour of
Thailand that includes the cruise.
Incidentally the movie about The Bridge over the River Kwai is pure fiction
set against the historical background that the Japaneze did build 2 bridges
with brutally treated slave labor in complete defiance of the Geneva
Conventions which they signed. The river was subsequently named the Kwai by
the practical Thais and it brings in tourist dollars. Alex Guiness did not
blow up the original wooden bridge as it was dismantled by the Japaneze once
the steel bridge was finished. Many people think the movie is real, but it
is pure fiction set against some historical facts which have been
considerably lightened for viewing by sensative audience members. The Alex
Guiness character was based on a strong commander who kept his troops
together and as a result they suffered minimal casualties in the POW slave
camp. Sir Alex, when asked what the motivation of the commander was, said
"Blamed if I know".
John M. Clement
Houston, TX
I'm guessing he had letting some air out of the tires in mind.