Gondoliers say no to plastic

Some gondoliers in Venice are expressing outrage over a shipbuilder creating fiberglass versions of the city's famous gondolas, according to this story from London's Telegraph. The story, "Plastic gondola plan provokes anger in Venice," notes that traditionalists are afraid of anything that will make Venice like an amusement park. "We gondoliers will oppose this in every way possible," said Aldo Reato, head of the Venice Ente Gondola association. "Aside from tradition and city regulations the idea of a fibreglass gondola is impractical because this is not some amusement park, this is Venice." There's something to be said for tradition, for sure. I wonder how much easier it would be to navigate a lightweight fiberglass gondola, compared to a wood model.