Picture this. A town in Italy is offering a sweet deal to anyone who is willing to operate their ferry. And by sweet deal, I mean a whole year’s worth of concession. But wait, there’s more! They are throwing in a mountain bike rental as a deal sweetener. I mean, what more could you possibly want?
According to the mayor, the weak current is the reason why no one wants to operate the ferry. But one gelato maker, Mr. Codara, didn’t buy it. He fielded calls from interested locals and even made fun of the mayor when he left. In Mr. Codara’s opinion, the engineering of the ferry can handle low water. He even went on to say that “Leonardo wasn’t a moron”. Well, he’s right about that. But come on, Leonardo wasn’t exactly known for his marine engineering skills either.
Mr. Codara used a small wooden model, worth nearly $550 mind you, made by a local pensioner to demonstrate how the ferry works. He argued that low water and weak currents meant that operators just need a bit of elbow grease to move it across the cable connecting the two banks. He then proceeded to flex his biceps and pointed at them, saying “The force of the ferry is these”. I’m sorry, did I miss something? Is this gelato maker now a marine engineer or a superhero?
But wait, there’s more! According to Mr. Codara, you don’t even need an advanced nautical degree to operate the ferry. All you need is some good ol’ fashioned elbow grease and biceps. After pointing at the names of the ferry pilots over the past century and making fun of their Harvard degrees, Mr. Codara marched out of his cafe like a man on a mission to find the next “Human Face of the Ferry”. He might want to keep his day job, though.

Serious News: nytimes