Comments on: Gondoliers gone wild http://iamnotmakingthisup.net/2044/gondoliers-gone-wild/ My personal account of living real life in real Venice, and more Sat, 04 Feb 2012 23:39:46 +0000 hourly 1 By: Krystyna Sibielak http://iamnotmakingthisup.net/2044/gondoliers-gone-wild/comment-page-1/#comment-111 Krystyna Sibielak Mon, 24 Aug 2009 21:18:43 +0000 http://iamnotmakingthisup.net/?p=2044#comment-111 Seems that what I wrote might be misunderstood... I didn't mean to make judgements about a group of people (gondoliers) or another (tourists). Rather, in an attempt to explain to myself the surprising aggression of that particular person, I referred to a very human behavior which can happen to everyone of us: When we think (no matter why) that another person has an unfriendly attitude towards us, we might be aggressive "in advance", without a visible reason. And you're surely right about the heat. Seems that what I wrote might be misunderstood…
I didn’t mean to make judgements about a group of people (gondoliers) or another (tourists).
Rather, in an attempt to explain to myself the surprising aggression of that particular person, I referred to a very human behavior which can happen to everyone of us: When we think (no matter why) that another person has an unfriendly attitude towards us, we might be aggressive “in advance”, without a visible reason.

And you’re surely right about the heat.

]]> By: erla http://iamnotmakingthisup.net/2044/gondoliers-gone-wild/comment-page-1/#comment-108 erla Mon, 24 Aug 2009 19:59:08 +0000 http://iamnotmakingthisup.net/?p=2044#comment-108 It's difficult -- and risky -- to try to imagine someone's thought processes, especially in the collective sense. I don't know that it's possible to usefully project much about what "gondoliers" as a group might be thinking or feeling, as they are among the most individualistic people I've ever seen. Each one brings to his work his own particular character and world-view, and it's likely that some are drawn to gondoliering precisely because they can be so independent. To judge what, if anything, tourists may be feeling in their regard, it would be useful to see what kind of reports are being made (if any) in the foreign press about any of this, or if these events haven't been much heard about beyond the city limits. In any case, I should say that most gondoliers take their work seriously, and if they are beginning to snap under whatever pressures are on them, it can only be exacerbated by the phenomenal heat-and-humidity wave which has been suffocating the city for weeks. Keeping in mind that in summer, they can be working for 15 hours straight. Not an excuse, just an observation. It’s difficult — and risky — to try to imagine someone’s thought processes, especially in the collective sense. I don’t know that it’s possible to usefully project much about what “gondoliers” as a group might be thinking or feeling, as they are among the most individualistic people I’ve ever seen. Each one brings to his work his own particular character and world-view, and it’s likely that some are drawn to gondoliering precisely because they can be so independent. To judge what, if anything, tourists may be feeling in their regard, it would be useful to see what kind of reports are being made (if any) in the foreign press about any of this, or if these events haven’t been much heard about beyond the city limits. In any case, I should say that most gondoliers take their work seriously, and if they are beginning to snap under whatever pressures are on them, it can only be exacerbated by the phenomenal heat-and-humidity wave which has been suffocating the city for weeks. Keeping in mind that in summer, they can be working for 15 hours straight. Not an excuse, just an observation.

]]> By: Krystyna Sibielak http://iamnotmakingthisup.net/2044/gondoliers-gone-wild/comment-page-1/#comment-106 Krystyna Sibielak Mon, 24 Aug 2009 14:57:31 +0000 http://iamnotmakingthisup.net/?p=2044#comment-106 I'm curious to know how the story of the capsized gondola continues, e.g. what steps (if any) the Ente Gondola will take. The other event, which you witnessed at the Rialto, is especially disgusting and an ugly surprise. Maybe gondoliers are fed up now, because lately they got some unpleasant coverage in the media - about their unwillingness to pay the taxes, their not-always-enthusiastic welcoming of women joining their ranks, and now the quarrel between two of them which made the tourists fall into the water. So, maybe now they have the feeling that tourists are watching them with a kind of suspecting curiosity, rather than admiration and willingness to take a ride. But this, of course, does not excuse the behavior you described. I’m curious to know how the story of the capsized gondola continues, e.g. what steps (if any) the Ente Gondola will take.

The other event, which you witnessed at the Rialto, is especially disgusting and an ugly surprise.

Maybe gondoliers are fed up now, because lately they got some unpleasant coverage in the media – about their unwillingness to pay the taxes, their not-always-enthusiastic welcoming of women joining their ranks, and now the quarrel between two of them which made the tourists fall into the water.
So, maybe now they have the feeling that tourists are watching them with a kind of suspecting curiosity, rather than admiration and willingness to take a ride.

But this, of course, does not excuse the behavior you described.

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