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Canals were used for transport by boats/ships. My guess would be that railings would be a hindrance for loading/unloading.
by exceptione 3mo ago
Canals were used for transport by boats/ships. My guess would be that railings would be a hindrance for loading/unloading.
- vanderZwan 3mo agoYeah, and keep in mind most of those houses where merchant houses where trade happened at the time so there probably was a lot of loading and unloading going on everywhere. Although, given the current-day Dutch attitude to bike helmets I wouldn't be surprised if our ancestors were just being stubborn too, haha.
- jessekv 3mo agoMost likely the latter. Thousands of bikes, a hundred people, and more than thirty cars fall in to Amsterdam canals each year. "What to do if your car falls in the water" is part of driver's ed.
- vanderZwan 3mo agoI mean the last bit is a pretty important skill regardless of safety features, especially in a country like the Netherlands.
- jessekv 3mo agoWhen learning kayaking you have to practice a water escape, I wish there was something similar for driver's ed in the Netherlands. Thinking about it is terrifying.