How one little boat (and me) held up miles of London traffic at Tower Bridge

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  • Опубликовано: 8 авг 2021
  • Tower Bridge is a tourist attraction these days: but first and foremost, it's a working, lifting bridge. And river traffic comes first. • Thanks to the Tower Bridge team: they have details of their tours here: www.towerbridge.org.uk/
    Produced by: Cambria Bailey-Jones
    Edited by: Guy Larsen
    Camera: Jamie MacLeod
    2nd Unit Camera: Jimmy Blake
    Drone Director: Matthew Bateman
    Drone Operators: Ian Hunter, Phil Conrad
    A Penny4 Production: www.penny4.co.uk
    Filmed safely: www.tomscott.com/safe/
    REFERENCES:
    Corporation of London (Tower Bridge) Act 1885, vlex.co.uk/vid/corporation-of...
    Hansard debate on Tower Bridge 1970, hansard.parliament.uk/Commons...
    🟥 MORE FROM TOM: www.tomscott.com/
    (you can find contact details and social links there too)
    📰 WEEKLY NEWSLETTER with good stuff from the rest of the internet: www.tomscott.com/newsletter/
    ❓ LATERAL, free weekly podcast: lateralcast.com/ / lateralcast
    ➕ TOM SCOTT PLUS: / tomscottplus
    👥 THE TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES: / techdif

Комментарии • 3,9 тыс.

  • @TomScottGo
    @TomScottGo  2 года назад +39699

    It's very rare that drones are allowed close to Tower Bridge, and also very rare that anyone outside the Tower Bridge organisation gets to push the buttons - so thank you very much to everyone involved in making this video happen!

    • @idgf_lucx
      @idgf_lucx 2 года назад +149

      Ok

    • @AmigaX
      @AmigaX 2 года назад +35

      E

    • @idgf_lucx
      @idgf_lucx 2 года назад +49

      *Love you tom*

    • @Giga44
      @Giga44 2 года назад +31

      That's so cool Scott bro!

    • @realbaconproductions
      @realbaconproductions 2 года назад +29

      Thank you! Keep up with the amazing content

  • @ovinophile
    @ovinophile 2 года назад +3321

    Holding up the U.S. President’s motorcade by raising Tower Bridge sounds like part of a terrorist kidnapping plot straight out of a movie.

    • @LadyLexyStarwatcher
      @LadyLexyStarwatcher 2 года назад +115

      Instead we got a lovely letter thanking them for the spectacle.

    • @CaptNSquared
      @CaptNSquared 2 года назад +160

      @@LadyLexyStarwatcher The terrorists were to distracted looking at the bridge to kidnap the president.

    • @MrVickesson
      @MrVickesson 2 года назад +10

      @@yt45204 vilken film? :)

    • @MasterHigure
      @MasterHigure 2 года назад +13

      @@yt45204 Jönssonligan? It sounds very much like them.

    • @AltonV
      @AltonV 2 года назад

      @@MasterHigure yes

  • @alexb8433
    @alexb8433 2 года назад +1907

    Tom: You ever tempted to just raise it when slow walkers are on it?
    Bridge Operator: The law REQUIRES I answer no

    • @ezekiel0606
      @ezekiel0606 2 года назад +29

      is this from the incredibles?

    • @taylrthegreat
      @taylrthegreat 2 года назад +28

      Or in the words of mighty keef, not legally but yes

  • @jimmyb101
    @jimmyb101 2 года назад +7019

    I love what the tower operator says at the end "Done this hundreds of times, and I still get a kick out of it" Great job Tom

    • @madsduus4637
      @madsduus4637 2 года назад +12

      :)

    • @lemonmaster8933
      @lemonmaster8933 2 года назад +19

      @becibooable1 aren't you

    • @lemonmaster8933
      @lemonmaster8933 2 года назад +15

      @becibooable1 why not?

    • @Malakhaido
      @Malakhaido 2 года назад +9

      Buzz*

    • @lemonmaster8933
      @lemonmaster8933 2 года назад +7

      @becibooable1 getting under my skin? Good one make me a coffee while you are at it thanks 🤣🤣🤣

  • @chrisbduck1938
    @chrisbduck1938 2 года назад +8133

    I feel like this would be a good plot device in a heist movie. Hire a tall boat and block the target by raising the bridge.

    • @stephencolbourne44
      @stephencolbourne44 2 года назад +285

      Never mind movie

    • @flooku987
      @flooku987 2 года назад +117

      Payday 2?

    • @henrikericsson
      @henrikericsson 2 года назад +314

      Was a plot point in one of Jönssonligan. They put a flagpole on a sailboat

    • @tommihommi1
      @tommihommi1 2 года назад +140

      Money transports and such know the schedule ahead of time and avoid getting stopped by the bridge

    • @skrimper
      @skrimper 2 года назад +167

      @@tommihommi1 well duh, it would be a rogue boat. They wouldn't know it was coming until it was too late and they have to raise it so it doesn't collide

  • @carolleader5436
    @carolleader5436 2 года назад +7061

    love that this was uploaded as tower bridge is currently stuck

    • @randaranatunga7259
      @randaranatunga7259 2 года назад +440

      “Coincidence?……. I think not”

    • @ToppyTree
      @ToppyTree 2 года назад +340

      Tom must be trying to boost the views

    • @safe-keeper1042
      @safe-keeper1042 2 года назад +519

      "Oh, we got this amateur to do the lift part and now the bloody thing doesn't work."

    • @woutervanr
      @woutervanr 2 года назад +278

      Ha, well then the ending "Right, how do we get this back down" is very fitting 😂

    • @foobars3816
      @foobars3816 2 года назад +64

      Tom pushed the button wrong!

  • @LG-jb9zs
    @LG-jb9zs 2 года назад +1262

    "so what do you do for a living?"
    "I drive a bridge."
    "You drive across a bridge?"
    "No, I drive the bridge."

    • @FeedsNoSliesMusic
      @FeedsNoSliesMusic 2 года назад +33

      I feel like that's something more interesting to tell people about than it is to do.

    • @Liggliluff
      @Liggliluff 2 года назад +17

      With a joystick

    • @Zraknul
      @Zraknul 2 года назад +14

      I have a large console of buttons and a joy stick. No I'm not talking about Euro Bridge simulator 4.

  • @pmcburn1
    @pmcburn1 2 года назад +1206

    I absolutely love the interface design:
    You literally hit the buttons left to right in order. Just a really simple user design.

    • @Great_King_Rat
      @Great_King_Rat Год назад +88

      Probably designed by a Bridge Driver, instead of some £4k/hour "Consultant"...

    • @dellekom
      @dellekom Год назад +12

      Actially a dial with steps might be more logical as all steps depend on each other

    • @Niamh9902
      @Niamh9902 Год назад +2

      @@Great_King_Rat probably an engineer

    • @VoxelLoop
      @VoxelLoop 7 месяцев назад +4

      @@dellekom Also from a software developer perspective, all the buttons being an identical colour and shape with a label distinguishing them is usually a bad idea. :)

    • @ziggybadans
      @ziggybadans 6 месяцев назад +3

      Yep this is exactly how passenger jet plane controls work too! For most operations when setting up the plane you just go left to right, top to bottom.

  • @MedlifeCrisis
    @MedlifeCrisis 2 года назад +30000

    Tower Bridge is currently stuck open. I refuse to believe this a coincidence and cannot possibly comment on the allegations that Tom is secretly Lord Commander of Bridges and Yeoman of London Traffic.

    • @YourPhysicsSimulator
      @YourPhysicsSimulator 2 года назад +1601

      "There are no accidents"
      - Master Oogway

    • @woutervanr
      @woutervanr 2 года назад +1556

      This is just one of the many steps in Tom's easy 1337 point plan to take over the world. Don't worry, it's already too late to stop him anyway.

    • @Vonononie
      @Vonononie 2 года назад +947

      “Technical failure” is actually Tom furiously pressing the button

    • @calebosborn9527
      @calebosborn9527 2 года назад +170

      That's crazy. it actually is.

    • @GmodPlusWoW
      @GmodPlusWoW 2 года назад +308

      It's kinda hilarious that it happened shortly after Tom posted this video.
      Alexa, play Frolic by Luciano Michelini.

  • @samtherat6
    @samtherat6 2 года назад +3629

    Tom’s timing is so fortunate. The last time the bridge was stuck was a year ago. Now it’s very likely that his video will gain more traffic as people look up the bridge and how it works due to this incident.

    • @redryder3721
      @redryder3721 2 года назад +199

      "More traffic". Heh heh, I see what you did there.

    • @ryshow9118
      @ryshow9118 2 года назад +159

      Sometimes you've got to make the algorithm work for you, even if that means *accidentally" dropping a wrench in a draw bridge 🤣

    • @vigilantcosmicpenguin8721
      @vigilantcosmicpenguin8721 2 года назад +12

      @@redryder3721 Traffic causes traffic.

    • @Karmy.
      @Karmy. 2 года назад +1

      You're still everywhere huh

    • @jasbails9857
      @jasbails9857 2 года назад

      "Planning"

  • @jorgedlatorre
    @jorgedlatorre 2 года назад +530

    Tom: "Right, how do we get this back down?"
    International news: "London’s Tower Bridge stuck open after technical failure, causing traffic disruptions"

    • @chelsey8737
      @chelsey8737 2 года назад +12

      I immediately came to check and see if anyone said anything about it! So funny 🤣

    • @sydssolanumsamsys
      @sydssolanumsamsys 2 года назад

      even the proffessionals don't know

  • @badgamedevreacts3855
    @badgamedevreacts3855 2 года назад +97

    3:50 I wish more people understood that this applies to many fields, so many think that some jobs are easy like this or even a pilot, then they say something like "you get paid 50k to press buttons all year?! Sign me up!" When in reality the job is 100x more complicated and the reason why you get paid 50k is because you have years of experience that will make sure you can fix stuff when things go wrong.

  • @yusufkhan-ig7dv
    @yusufkhan-ig7dv 2 года назад +12786

    Tom: "I'm terrified I've pressed a wrong button"
    News a few hours later: Tower Bridge stuck in open position after "technical failure"

    • @JonatasAdoM
      @JonatasAdoM 2 года назад +814

      "We're having Technical Difficulties"

    • @ThatSux
      @ThatSux 2 года назад +199

      That's timing .. 🤷🏻‍♂️👍

    • @king999art
      @king999art 2 года назад +131

      @@JonatasAdoM ok, give this person biscuits!

    • @theunknown4834
      @theunknown4834 2 года назад +27

      A few hours ealier**

    • @monochromedevdle5697
      @monochromedevdle5697 2 года назад +72

      @@JonatasAdoM *** M Y S T E R Y B I S C U T S ***

  • @Em0srawk
    @Em0srawk 2 года назад +3220

    Lame villain idea: As an owner of a large boat, they periodically send demands to the local council for money, threatening to exercise their right of way and mildly inconvenience city goers by making them have to wait for the bridge if their demands aren't met.

    • @joeyverliesharen
      @joeyverliesharen 2 года назад +181

      @@farmingthetnt8081 yes, that's the point. It is completely legal for them to cause traffic jams with all the associated economic consequences, and the only way to stop them, is to to meet their demands.

    • @f_f_f_8142
      @f_f_f_8142 2 года назад +123

      @@joeyverliesharen intent matters, it is perfectly legal to cross with the goal to get to the other side, it is not legal to cross with the goal of creating disruption. That also holds for pedestrians using traffic lights. In Germany it is even illegal to drive around in your car without a purpose.

    • @adrianroed2178
      @adrianroed2178 2 года назад +116

      @@farmingthetnt8081 Lease a large boat and plan routes through the bridge as often as possible. Once complaints start coming in, start a gofundme page for a smaller, better boat that won't need the bridge lifted to move through.
      Now you've done nothing illegal if people decide to support you in your endeavor to get a smaller boat.

    • @XaviMacBash
      @XaviMacBash 2 года назад +12

      wheres Gary Brannan when you need him

    • @toledoseahawks3348
      @toledoseahawks3348 2 года назад +12

      @@f_f_f_8142 It is only illegal inside city limits.

  • @kakarotz9296
    @kakarotz9296 2 года назад +127

    I used to be a London tour guide. When we did coach or bus tours it was considered extremely lucky to be caught as the bridge was being raised, the tourists love it. we would take the tourists out of the bus onto the pavement to take photos (very naughty I know) but you were almost guaranteed a tip when you got to the Tower of London.

  • @Rider0fBuffalo
    @Rider0fBuffalo 2 года назад +120

    I love how there is a joystick and not up and down buttons. Also how they determine 45 degrees with the iron works is awesome.

    • @weeardguy
      @weeardguy 2 года назад +13

      I guess that the joystick provides a more gentle start and stop in hardware instead of a rather complex electronic solution to get the motors to start and stop gently.

    • @weberman173
      @weberman173 Год назад +6

      holding a joystick is easier then keeping a button pressed down on the human, among having mor gradual controll if needed

    • @Ihaveagasmask
      @Ihaveagasmask Год назад +2

      When I saw the joy stick I was thinking of someone using it like an arcade

    • @TheOtherBill
      @TheOtherBill Год назад +2

      @@Ihaveagasmask Like playing pinball with the Giant Asteroid of Death.

  • @WolfXGamerful
    @WolfXGamerful 2 года назад +1599

    At least Tom showed the bridge going back down. Otherwise this would be quite the funny story of how Tom unintentionally broke Tower Bridge.

    • @abarratt8869
      @abarratt8869 2 года назад +242

      Nah, his clip of it "closing" is just the clip of it opening played backwards. It's Tom's desparate attempt to not get blamed...

    • @Gurfi28
      @Gurfi28 2 года назад +15

      „Unintentionally“ i refuse to believe that

    • @mishXY
      @mishXY 2 года назад +8

      One of the most underrated coincidences of a millennium for sure

    • @mishXY
      @mishXY 2 года назад +3

      @@Gurfi28 how did you do the lower version of " ? Not even with a German keyboard would I know that.

    • @AlexusMaximusDE
      @AlexusMaximusDE 2 года назад +11

      So, how do we get this back down? *Curb your enthusiasm theme starts playing* - *screenshots of new articles about the stuck bridge are being shown while the theme plays* - *roll CYE credits*

  • @beek.4860
    @beek.4860 2 года назад +3739

    Tom is living all of our childhood dreams. Pressing big buttons to lift drawbridges, climbing wind turbines, filming volcanoes, making fireworks...

    • @QuantumLeclerc
      @QuantumLeclerc 2 года назад +171

      Blowing up manhole covers, going on expeditions to find Icelandic islands, swimming in powerplant waste water, etc

    • @MrFriendlyCsgoContent
      @MrFriendlyCsgoContent 2 года назад +36

      @@QuantumLeclerc shame it cost thousands if not hundreds of thousands to do all of it

    • @lilacbuni
      @lilacbuni 2 года назад +13

      The only one I've done is gone up a wind turbine (from inside) on a school trip

    • @Jason-Clark235
      @Jason-Clark235 2 года назад +3

      @@lilacbuni lucky

    • @lilacbuni
      @lilacbuni 2 года назад +7

      @@Jason-Clark235 i guess but we were very scared, it shakes violently inside and is very loud but the view at the top is amazing

  • @arkhykatenka
    @arkhykatenka 2 года назад +99

    I'm from St. Petersburg and we have 12 drawn bridges in the city, it's a big tourist attraction too. But they are drawn according to a schedule and always at night (for most of the night though, with short breaks), so the boats and ships just have to wait until that time if they can't fit under the closed bridge during the day and the cars have to wait until closing gaps at night. It also only happens during summer, because, well, in the winter Neva is frozen.

  • @ianmcnaney6528
    @ianmcnaney6528 2 года назад +75

    I love the last question: "How do we get this back down?" That's the million dollar question. They'll let you know when they've figured it out.

  • @Mogi.
    @Mogi. 2 года назад +13355

    I was half hoping Tom somehow parked a small boat under the bridge while trying to recording a video and somehow managed to hold up traffic

  • @FlashMan16NG
    @FlashMan16NG 2 года назад +2367

    "It takes years of training to be a bridge operator" I believe it. Not because it's actually a difficult job, most of that time is spent training yourself to resist the urge NOT to raise the bridge when the worlds slowest pedestrians are walking over it.

    • @thegardenofeatin5965
      @thegardenofeatin5965 2 года назад +186

      Before you're allowed to be in charge of the draw bridge, you have to be bored with it.

    • @misham6547
      @misham6547 2 года назад +77

      Surprise bike jump ramp?

    • @JonatasAdoM
      @JonatasAdoM 2 года назад +30

      @@misham6547 If you miss there is a river below. That could work.

    • @karl-erlendmikalsen5159
      @karl-erlendmikalsen5159 2 года назад +42

      @@JonatasAdoM But a concrete slab held up with a steel beam right ahead. That works less.

    • @isoroxuk
      @isoroxuk 2 года назад +5

      Or when Meatloaf is driving a bus

  • @MinifigJez
    @MinifigJez 2 года назад +460

    PLEASE tell me that it was Tom’s lift that had the technical failure causing the bridge to be stuck open for hours yesterday.
    (Although with editing time, I guess this was actually shot days or even weeks ago)
    Would have been a great ending to the video if it HAD been him !

    • @dh2032
      @dh2032 2 года назад +8

      I was wounding that also watch news link, and then see tom's video, hum, that seems to much of a coincidence to me? ¯\(°_o)/¯

    • @loreleihillard5078
      @loreleihillard5078 2 года назад +21

      I'd assume this was filmed ahead of time

    • @sasmalprasanjit2764
      @sasmalprasanjit2764 2 года назад +1

      It's Still Stuck

    • @n646n
      @n646n Год назад +1

      Unfortunately no.

  • @yeahBradley
    @yeahBradley 2 года назад +62

    "I've done hundreds of lifts and I still get a buzz out of it." How could you not? I would be giddy every time I got to push those buttons and see the bridge lift up.

    • @adrianthoroughgood1191
      @adrianthoroughgood1191 2 года назад +5

      I've got a 6ft x 12ft electric rolling gate and it gives me a kick to stand at an upstairs window and press the button on the remote and watch it go!

  • @Nuskrad
    @Nuskrad 2 года назад +390

    "Right, how do we get this back down?"
    That's what half of London is asking right now

    • @amahlaka
      @amahlaka 2 года назад +2

      🤣😅

    • @SeanBZA
      @SeanBZA 2 года назад

      Very, very carefully I would hope.

    • @Robinthefox88
      @Robinthefox88 2 года назад

      I would say give it a bit of time, maybe a cold shower coming in from the north, and if it hasn't gone down after 4 hours go see a doctor. :D

  • @oliverc1293
    @oliverc1293 2 года назад +2909

    Tom, have you just released this video at the exact moment that Tower Bridge is stuck open and causing massive delays? Surely this can't be...

    • @tomepsilon
      @tomepsilon 2 года назад +128

      It's called timing

    • @grass904
      @grass904 2 года назад +57

      @@deadaccount2048 shut up

    • @plagah
      @plagah 2 года назад +36

      @@deadaccount2048 shut up

    • @diamondpi4121
      @diamondpi4121 2 года назад +33

      @@deadaccount2048 stop

    • @noah4822
      @noah4822 2 года назад +5

      @@plagah let him have his fun

  • @ethanhobbs7278
    @ethanhobbs7278 2 года назад +300

    It’s said that Tom still hadn’t figured out how to get tower bridge back down

  • @KieranRogers1
    @KieranRogers1 2 года назад +23

    I have a feeling that laughing no after you asked him if he's ever tempted was actually a "yes, but I'll lose my job if I say that"

  • @DanAI17
    @DanAI17 2 года назад +3889

    I love that you're allowed to delay thousands of people moving in the country's capital so that one small sailing boat can travel at most 900m up the river. The pinnacle of British right of way laws.

    • @Hoaxe72
      @Hoaxe72 2 года назад +122

      God I love Britain

    • @OhSome1HasThisName
      @OhSome1HasThisName 2 года назад +81

      hopefully it breaking down today won't cause any changes to that law

    • @jonathanbott87
      @jonathanbott87 2 года назад +86

      In Chicago we have a number of draw bridges and one includes a subway line on the upper deck - the bridge is actively raised, and the trains get a red light and have to wait.

    • @draknusdesderdus7506
      @draknusdesderdus7506 2 года назад +73

      This law is the same here in America. Bridge designers just design around it nowadays.

    • @marshallsuber3346
      @marshallsuber3346 2 года назад +15

      Money always come before people. Thus is the way of the world.🤑

  • @TheAgamemnon911
    @TheAgamemnon911 2 года назад +1927

    "How do we get this back down?" Tom asks...
    Apparently, we don't.

    • @thegardenofeatin5965
      @thegardenofeatin5965 2 года назад +82

      I notice the video went mighty quiet at that point.

    • @JonatasAdoM
      @JonatasAdoM 2 года назад +22

      @@thegardenofeatin5965 Indeed it ended right at that moment.

    • @acasccseea4434
      @acasccseea4434 2 года назад +40

      Ha! The news this morning was Tom Scott might have broke the bridge!

    • @pdrg
      @pdrg 2 года назад +6

      I suspect that'll be Tom Scott's next film...

    • @aquual1462
      @aquual1462 2 года назад +25

      The funny thing is tha the bridge got stuck the next day after the video release

  • @Nhatanh0475
    @Nhatanh0475 2 года назад +4

    6:42 I like that little blue boat. Just passing by.

  • @hierismail
    @hierismail 2 года назад +16

    5:20 I think this is the most malicious thing Tom has ever and will ever say. I loved the giddiness; I felt it despite the masking of the giant grin.

    • @user-xw4mu6nz4t
      @user-xw4mu6nz4t 2 года назад

      Someone clearly hasn't watched some of his older videos...

  • @Greendotz
    @Greendotz 2 года назад +4639

    Tom puts out a video about Ocado's automated packing robots, two weeks later one of the robots shorts out and causes a fire in the warehouse. Tom puts out a video of him raising Tower Bridge (which was clearly shot a while ago) and within 24 hours Tower Bridge is stuck open. Clearly the Tom Scott curse is real.

    • @kaboomgaming4255
      @kaboomgaming4255 2 года назад +375

      what's next?! Launching a satellite but it explodes?

    • @crocodile2006
      @crocodile2006 2 года назад +484

      Next Episode: How I accidentally caused the nuclear holocaust

    • @joeyoest1105
      @joeyoest1105 2 года назад +177

      Curse? What if it's all a grand plan a la Unbreakable? Maybe Tom's orchestrating these technical disasters looking for someone worthy of taking the tech-communicator reins.

    • @Geert2682
      @Geert2682 2 года назад +184

      we also haven't heard from Iceland in a while

    • @adrianthoroughgood1191
      @adrianthoroughgood1191 2 года назад +244

      "If this pump ever breaks down part of Germany will be flooded" "Damn you Tom Scott!"

  • @Hiro-sh5ke
    @Hiro-sh5ke 2 года назад +687

    'If you've got the bridge up in the air and it breaks down'
    Couldn't be better timed.

  • @DanielFernandez
    @DanielFernandez 2 года назад +67

    The vertical road reminds me a bit of Inception.

  • @papusman
    @papusman 2 года назад +17

    This is the kind of stuff I love this channel for: a common occurrence you take for granted, that actually has a ton of thought and infrastructure put behind it.

  • @DuncanEllis
    @DuncanEllis 2 года назад +493

    I greatly appreciate Tom's obvious joy at getting to push the buttons.

    • @MothGM
      @MothGM 2 года назад

      Same

  • @gunjandua4028
    @gunjandua4028 2 года назад +667

    "Are you ever tempted to just started raising at this point?"
    *nervous chuckling* "no"

    • @twistedtachyon5877
      @twistedtachyon5877 2 года назад +77

      Heh. Falls nicely into the category of "jokes engineers don't make".

    • @Zraknul
      @Zraknul 2 года назад +20

      "I would like to keep my job, so I'm going to say no"

    • @koenven7012
      @koenven7012 6 месяцев назад

      Due to a misunderstanding years ago, I'm now legally obliged to say 'No'.

  • @JustTooSalty
    @JustTooSalty 2 года назад +26

    I can't believe you caused it to be stuck open. Classic Tom.

  • @tasty_fish
    @tasty_fish 2 года назад +49

    Love that river traffic still has priority to get to such a short stretch of water up to the next bridge and that it’s still governed by an act of Parliament. In a world that’s slowly becoming homogenised and sterilised it’s great to still have quirks like that.

  • @Jeb.07
    @Jeb.07 2 года назад +1020

    I love how casual the interactions between Tom and his recording crew and these workers are. It always feels like they’re just talking to an old mate about their job.

    • @ianshaliczer
      @ianshaliczer 2 года назад +165

      Tom has a remarkable talent for finding people with really interesting jobs who are all really enthusiastic about them, but probably never get much of a chance to talk about them.
      Tom also has a real gift for interviewing people, the perfect mix of respectful deference to their expertise, a casual conversational style that gets even the most taciturn people to open up, and a great ear for translating technical jargon into everyday language.
      I want to live in a world where Tom Scott has a half-hour series on the BBC.

    • @uknowngamer1017
      @uknowngamer1017 2 года назад +12

      It reminds me of dirty jobs, just less dirty and with a younger, better haired, Mike rowe

    • @vigilantcosmicpenguin8721
      @vigilantcosmicpenguin8721 2 года назад +13

      _That's_ what makes Tom Scott videos what they are.

    • @tylerphuoc2653
      @tylerphuoc2653 2 года назад

      @@uknowngamer1017 And also, he's never been a correspondent on PragerU, while the dirty jobs guy sure has

    • @iankemp1131
      @iankemp1131 2 года назад

      @@ianshaliczer Spot on!

  • @LegoEngineer003
    @LegoEngineer003 2 года назад +289

    I love how often they mentioned how bad it would be for the bridge to be stuck, and then the bridge got stuck today

    • @sankang9425
      @sankang9425 2 года назад +2

      Tom Scott, Lord of the Bridges

  • @iamlikemex
    @iamlikemex 2 года назад +34

    Can we bring back the park bench purely to talk about this and it’s terrifying coincidence in timing with the bridge being stuck open?

  • @K0ALA.
    @K0ALA. 2 года назад +4

    This is a crazy coincidence that this video is uploaded on the 9th August and that main UK news on the 9th August, is that Tower Bridge is stuck open

  • @samtherat6
    @samtherat6 2 года назад +1115

    Description: “It’s a working, lifting bridge.”
    Release time: *lemme stop you right there*

    • @Jason-Clark235
      @Jason-Clark235 2 года назад +19

      Lifting bridge yes working bridge no

    • @kennarajora6532
      @kennarajora6532 2 года назад +1

      I noticed that as well.

    • @electron8262
      @electron8262 2 года назад +8

      It definitely is a bridge that opens, it's just not a bridge that closes anymore.

  • @rufusgreenleaf2466
    @rufusgreenleaf2466 2 года назад +519

    I can imagine one day Tom will tour the International space station. This chap will go far.

    • @SC-RGX7
      @SC-RGX7 2 года назад +8

      Can't wait

    • @66Kusmu
      @66Kusmu 2 года назад +42

      International Space Station space station

    • @rufusgreenleaf2466
      @rufusgreenleaf2466 2 года назад +11

      @@66Kusmu I'll edit, never noticed 🤣

    • @bnw5435
      @bnw5435 2 года назад +25

      And get the airlock stuck open

    • @gnaskar
      @gnaskar 2 года назад +30

      "You'd have to charter a rocket... So I charted a rocket"

  • @unknownlucaa1010
    @unknownlucaa1010 2 года назад +4

    5:30
    Tom:Terrified i pushed the wrong button
    Few hours later:Bridge being jammed

  • @areamusicale
    @areamusicale 2 года назад +4

    Goddammit, Tom! You broke it! Did you see the news today (August 10)? The bridge got stuck open.

  • @noiceplayer144
    @noiceplayer144 2 года назад +187

    Tom: you ever tempted to just start raising it at this point?
    Bridge operator: *laughs nervously* *no*

  • @ScienceofLoud
    @ScienceofLoud 2 года назад +5616

    As the timing is incredibly convenient I'd like to know:
    Did Tom bring the scheduling of this video forward to capitalise on trending traffic upon hearing news that Tower Bridge is currently stuck open?
    It's just too good to be a coincidence

    • @typemasters2871
      @typemasters2871 2 года назад +582

      Most likely coincidence because it looks like the video was available for supporters about a week before

    • @adamallcorn8762
      @adamallcorn8762 2 года назад +48

      Yo lmao, did not expect to see you here
      Nice

    • @kubak3381
      @kubak3381 2 года назад +109

      This video has been recorded on the 17th of July so it's rather unlikely that they'd be waiting that long to release just a 7min video

    • @krmr
      @krmr 2 года назад +7

      Fancy seeing you here!

    • @HowP88
      @HowP88 2 года назад +61

      @@typemasters2871 surely if it was already available for supporters it is less likely to be a coincidence as it is easier to bring the public release forward than to rush the final production 🤔

  • @hstdriver6616
    @hstdriver6616 2 года назад +7

    Amazing, had no idea the bridge operators actually controlled the speed and raise angle with a joystick. Just assumed that once they started the sequence it raised automatically to a predetermined speed and angle.
    Last time I saw the bridge raise in person was a couple of years ago. Just happened to be at the Tower of London with the kids for a day out. Had no idea it was going to happen but it was the icing on the cake for the kids!

  • @royer6626
    @royer6626 2 года назад +5

    As a videographer & editor for 30 years, excellent job!

  • @MegaLoflof
    @MegaLoflof 2 года назад +454

    I was so surprised that the actual action of lifting the bridge is done via a *joystick*!
    Humanity has managed to make lifting a bridge for boats to cross under it into the closest approximation of a video game it can get.

    • @rebmcr
      @rebmcr 2 года назад +97

      Joysticks were invented to control machines. Video games only adopted them much later.

    • @woutervanr
      @woutervanr 2 года назад +50

      I seem to recall US subs or something else militairy to be (partly) operated with xbox controllers...

    • @Mike-ukr
      @Mike-ukr 2 года назад +12

      @@woutervanr tanks

    • @goldenghostinc
      @goldenghostinc 2 года назад +10

      What would happen if you push the joystick left or right? 🤔

    • @Mike-ukr
      @Mike-ukr 2 года назад +10

      @@goldenghostinc It probably only goes up and down

  • @MaxTheDragon
    @MaxTheDragon 2 года назад +3080

    Tom's worst nightmare:
    Tom: Right, how do we get this back down?
    Bridge guy: We can't. You pressed the wrong button and now it'll stay up for all eternity, cause of you.

    • @RegitYouTuber
      @RegitYouTuber 2 года назад +206

      Onosecond

    • @shambhav9534
      @shambhav9534 2 года назад +40

      @@RegitRUclipsr I wonder who really had the onosecond.

    • @3rdJan
      @3rdJan 2 года назад +31

      why would such a button even exist lmfao

    • @LiewLmao
      @LiewLmao 2 года назад +5

      @@RegitRUclipsr A wild Regit
      …takes me back

    • @synergous571
      @synergous571 2 года назад +1

      @@LiewLmao i didnt even notice, i used to play a lot of battle cats

  • @TheOnlyPommyman
    @TheOnlyPommyman 2 года назад +3

    That's amazing. You are so lucky. I was once lucky enough to work inside the Melbourne Westgate bridge and that was an experience I'll never forget, but nothing like this. Thanks for showing us what goes on.

  • @notoriousdip5495
    @notoriousdip5495 Месяц назад

    I’ve never had so much appreciation for the logistics and security that is applied, since what happened in Baltimore bridge collapse. It’s incredible the amount of work that goes into this.

  • @Lucasys
    @Lucasys 2 года назад +289

    I thought this would be a real-time "How I broke Tower Bridge" video. Impeccable timing.

  • @amicloud_yt
    @amicloud_yt 2 года назад +233

    "Bridge Driver"
    what an absolutely absurd job title
    i love it

    • @onezerosevensix
      @onezerosevensix 2 года назад +9

      what do you do for a living?
      its complicated..

    • @markfryer9880
      @markfryer9880 2 года назад +5

      Well you have Crane Drivers.

    • @kairon156
      @kairon156 2 года назад +7

      @@markfryer9880 I like the word operator better for both Crane and Bridge but I think that's just me.

    • @dcarbs2979
      @dcarbs2979 2 года назад +6

      You can drive bridges at the airport. It's attached to a building but is technically a vehicle! (wheels, steering and transports passengers)

    • @amicloud_yt
      @amicloud_yt 2 года назад +2

      @@dcarbs2979 good point! You can also be a Stairs Driver i suppose!

  • @lapiswake6583
    @lapiswake6583 2 года назад +7

    Funny that this went up the same day the bridge actually got stuck open. I spotted it was open from Blackfriars station, and got a closer look from Cannon Street station, but it was raining heavily so I didn't go investigate it closer in.

  • @hotelmario510
    @hotelmario510 2 года назад

    This is one of the best videos on this entire channel. So many camera angles, so much detail, so joyful. Love it.

  • @scsutton1
    @scsutton1 2 года назад +393

    And now Tower Bridge is stuck open. There's timing and then there's this.

    • @gordonrichardson2972
      @gordonrichardson2972 2 года назад +26

      Plot twist: Tom filmed this weeks ago, and just made it public today. Well, that's my version...

    • @kllrnooooova
      @kllrnooooova 2 года назад

      Wait what? What happened?

    • @notdarklord9227
      @notdarklord9227 2 года назад +3

      @@kllrnooooova the tower bridge is stuck in the open position

    • @Jason-Clark235
      @Jason-Clark235 2 года назад +9

      @@kllrnooooova tower bridge had a malfunction the exact time this was posted and is now stuck open

    • @sade1212
      @sade1212 2 года назад +10

      @@gordonrichardson2972 Isn't that how all of Tom Scott's videos are made?

  • @unnaturallynatural8885
    @unnaturallynatural8885 2 года назад +240

    Guy holding up the baby to see the boat clearer is adorable

    • @MrSam4850
      @MrSam4850 2 года назад +9

      Meanwhile, the baby is wondering what the hell is going on...

    • @vigilantcosmicpenguin8721
      @vigilantcosmicpenguin8721 2 года назад +8

      I think it's adorable that there are so many people gathering to watch it.

    • @iankemp1131
      @iankemp1131 2 года назад +1

      And great to have the extra filming to capture these moments, not just the control room shots.

  • @alex_00730
    @alex_00730 2 года назад +20

    I thought Tom might have been the guy who got it stuck upright, I would have laughed so hard

  • @lemonbrothers3462
    @lemonbrothers3462 2 года назад

    your videos are so simple yet always so amazing, it's a joy to watch everytime!

  • @choo_choo_
    @choo_choo_ 2 года назад +3272

    This has probably got to be the highest honor able to be bestowed among a British citizen.
    Forget being knighted, it's not like Patrick Stewart got to raise Tower Bridge.

    • @kilted_scottish_laddie864
      @kilted_scottish_laddie864 2 года назад +58

      I mean for people who are In southern England sure, not too sure about Scottish or Wales citizens would care too much lmao

    • @bencarpendale
      @bencarpendale 2 года назад +11

      @@kilted_scottish_laddie864 but wales is in the south
      just not south east

    • @kilted_scottish_laddie864
      @kilted_scottish_laddie864 2 года назад +25

      @@bencarpendale and ? still a different country ?when I say south it’s essentially Londoners.

    • @bencarpendale
      @bencarpendale 2 года назад +12

      @@kilted_scottish_laddie864 well yes but I live in Bristol which is right next to wales and still in the south of England

    • @choo_choo_
      @choo_choo_ 2 года назад +4

      @@kilted_scottish_laddie864 They obviously don't count. Just like it wouldn't count for an Aussie. Take your pedantism somewhere else.

  • @Lukemccarthy2011
    @Lukemccarthy2011 2 года назад +200

    London news: _"Tower bridge is stuck open due to a technical fault."_
    Tom: Oh no. Maybe I was supposed to hold the buttons.⊙﹏⊙

    • @yanmorin5431
      @yanmorin5431 2 года назад +27

      Or rather: "Tower bridge is stuck open due to technical difficulties."

    • @notthatcreativewithnames
      @notthatcreativewithnames 2 года назад +11

      @@yanmorin5431 Mystery biscuits needed to help unstuck the bridge!

    • @vigilantcosmicpenguin8721
      @vigilantcosmicpenguin8721 2 года назад +12

      @@yanmorin5431 If someone is to blame here, there may be cause for a criminal write-up. You know, a citation needed.

    • @LuizHartkopf
      @LuizHartkopf 2 года назад

      @@notthatcreativewithnames hey step bridge, are you stuck?

  • @alex0589
    @alex0589 2 года назад +1

    Very much appreciate the production value and the fact that the bridge never came back down after you posted this.
    Such a youtube gem this channel is.

  • @stuearth5076
    @stuearth5076 2 года назад

    I used to work in an office near there, and would look up the bridge opening times so I knew when to look out the window and see it opening. I also once had the pleasure of going through it on a barge, it must be so cool to operate the bridge opening mechanism! Great video.

  • @evan
    @evan 2 года назад +4749

    The shots in this are gorgeous. Camera quality is *chef’s kiss*

    • @asadsquirrel1314
      @asadsquirrel1314 2 года назад +25

      Fancy seeing you here, Mr I Don’t Like Sugar Puffs

    • @Yamezzzz
      @Yamezzzz 2 года назад +39

      Have you seen the headline news? The bridge has been stuck open for over 12 hours. Biggest incident ever at the bridge.
      No traffic has crossed all day yesterday.
      Can't be a coincidence.

    • @teologen
      @teologen 2 года назад +33

      @@Yamezzzz This video was available more than a week ago for supporters. It’s a coincidence. Coincidences happens quite often, actually.

    • @ytlurker220
      @ytlurker220 2 года назад +18

      I wish to believe it's a case of causation, not correlation, because... It's Tom Scott.

    • @gwenynorisu6883
      @gwenynorisu6883 2 года назад +5

      @@ytlurker220 it's actually an incredibly elaborate setup for a question in a new TechDif series...

  • @lukas8152
    @lukas8152 2 года назад +330

    "Right, how do we get this back down"
    short answer: they didn't

  • @Correc7edAura
    @Correc7edAura 2 года назад

    You seriously have one of the most entertaining, knowledgeable, and fun channels out there. You show things people wouldn't normally see and you show people very important jobs that people have that don't get enough recognition and praise for how important it really is. Great video and thank you for sharing!

  • @Feiqn
    @Feiqn 2 года назад +78

    I can't believe Tom broke the bridge.

  • @randaranatunga7259
    @randaranatunga7259 2 года назад +633

    Alternate title:
    Wholesome British fellow in a red shirt pleases a lot of people by pushing a button and helping them with traffic control
    (I’ve learnt that this is actually quite the spectacle and therefore edited it from “unpleases” to “pleases)

    • @tomepsilon
      @tomepsilon 2 года назад +2

      Weird.

    • @turnonmyaxel
      @turnonmyaxel 2 года назад +47

      tbh, most the pedestrians love it. If you are silly enough to cross the river at that bridge rather than London bridge down the road where there are so many tourist then you might as well enjoy the bridge lift they arent always that common

    • @ObadiahtheSlim
      @ObadiahtheSlim 2 года назад +21

      A lot of tourists who didn't need to be anywhere in particular in any particular hurry were quite pleased. I go on vacation in an area with a draw bridge. If I don't have any particular need to get across that bridge, it's fun to watch it go up on the rare occasion that it does.

  • @eumoria
    @eumoria 2 года назад +802

    Starts on RUclips: "My friend is going to throw drums off a small cliff."
    Here in 2021: "I'm operating Tower Bridge."
    I thought the lecture for the Royal Institution was peak science communicator stuff... It probably was but this is also amazing!

    • @gwenynorisu6883
      @gwenynorisu6883 2 года назад

      Wait, when did the RI thing happen?

    • @laplongejunior
      @laplongejunior 2 года назад +7

      @@gwenynorisu6883
      "There's no algorithm for Truth", but no idea about *when* it was recorded

    • @georgemangco2526
      @georgemangco2526 2 года назад +2

      There was also a video about perpetual motion machine that the two did together. Well two videos, one on each channel.

  • @kimmycassie
    @kimmycassie 2 года назад

    This was so amazing to see! It was so simple yet really great.

  • @foxyang7634
    @foxyang7634 2 года назад

    after watching it, all I want to say is THANK YOU ! This is amazing one!

  • @Epinardscaramel
    @Epinardscaramel 2 года назад +56

    1:46 “But also, physics.” is a nice answer to unfeasible requests from upper management.

    • @zabintasrik4488
      @zabintasrik4488 2 года назад

      I didn't like that answer, "if we don't raise the bridge, the boat will hit the bridge" clearly there can't be a way to control its movement right?

    • @stephenolan5539
      @stephenolan5539 2 года назад

      @@zabintasrik4488
      On Star Trek the Next Generation Q once suggested changing the gravitational constant but that doesn't work in real life.
      You can't just get rid of a ship's momentum instantly.

    • @zabintasrik4488
      @zabintasrik4488 2 года назад +1

      @@stephenolan5539 can't they request the raise before getting too close tho

    • @stephenolan5539
      @stephenolan5539 2 года назад +1

      @@zabintasrik4488
      They request a day ahead.
      But they can't go to the bridge and stop then go when it us open. That would take too long.
      Now I'm wondering why the people looking after Clinton didn't know the bridge was going to be raised at that time.

    • @zabintasrik4488
      @zabintasrik4488 2 года назад

      @@stephenolan5539 that makes a lot more sense tbh. Also same.

  • @Staarchild97
    @Staarchild97 2 года назад +175

    The timing on this upload is impeccable.

  • @jannicklange7318
    @jannicklange7318 2 года назад +2

    The title. The timing. PERFECTION!

  • @Pablo260492
    @Pablo260492 2 года назад

    My favourite landmark in London ❤❤❤🇬🇧
    Thanks for sharing 👍🏻

  • @uknowngamer1017
    @uknowngamer1017 2 года назад +264

    The production value is noticeably going up, even when I thought it wasn't possible. By this I mean the cinematography, the interviews, it all flows smoother than the river shown. Amazing job Tom, hopefully you read this note :)

    • @Codraroll
      @Codraroll 2 года назад +15

      And all the angles. How many cameras were involved with this, I wonder?

    • @baylinkdashyt
      @baylinkdashyt 2 года назад +3

      I had the same thought; I think there were 7 or 8 cameras on this, including the iDangle and the drone.

    • @halgerson
      @halgerson 2 года назад +1

      Not to mention the camera person with the fancy support rig.

  • @Gloom-Rot
    @Gloom-Rot 2 года назад +1462

    Tom was actually in the control room at Chernobyl when the meltdown started.

    • @face7288
      @face7288 2 года назад +10

      facts

    • @alex0589
      @alex0589 2 года назад +153

      "this button?"
      -tom

    • @RToast13
      @RToast13 2 года назад +116

      "I am currently at the No. 4 reactor in the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant, near the city of Pripyat in the north of the Ukrainian SSR in the Soviet Union."

    • @TypicallyThomas
      @TypicallyThomas 2 года назад

      Nah a few years ago

    • @nrdesign1991
      @nrdesign1991 2 года назад +18

      having a little onosecond in there

  • @iankemp1131
    @iankemp1131 2 года назад

    Good job Tom explained immediately what bascules were, it's one of those words where you might think for a moment "Is that rude?"

  • @blackrose4mChennai
    @blackrose4mChennai 2 года назад

    Kids loved it!! Thank you team

  • @paulskinner
    @paulskinner 2 года назад +56

    The utterly outstanding timing of releasing this video. It’s currently stuck open.

  • @BlissBatch
    @BlissBatch 2 года назад +257

    I totally get Tom's reaction-that looks ridiculously fun.

  • @markhunterbrooks
    @markhunterbrooks 2 года назад

    An entertaining and informative video. It should become a classic. Thanks for producing it!

  • @macbitz
    @macbitz 2 года назад

    Actually one of the most interesting videos I've seen all year. Thank you!

  • @FlyntofRWBY
    @FlyntofRWBY 2 года назад +455

    It's always the damn tourists holding up the bridge lifting, isn't it?

    • @electrostarjudge
      @electrostarjudge 2 года назад +10

      Always. Also hello!

    • @ampersand64
      @ampersand64 2 года назад +10

      WTF flynt of rwby fancy seeing you here.

    • @RubenGarcia-pt8tp
      @RubenGarcia-pt8tp 2 года назад +15

      To be fair if you think about it the damn bridge lifting is also holding up the tourists

    • @vodkawhisperer3923
      @vodkawhisperer3923 2 года назад

      whats up checkmark

    • @neolexiousneolexian6079
      @neolexiousneolexian6079 2 года назад +3

      Y'all should supercharge the drawbridge so you can catapult them into France.

  • @cheddar1266
    @cheddar1266 2 года назад +190

    Tom Scott's videos feel ilke I'm sitting down in class to watch a lecture, except it's enjoyable to watch and I'm genuinely remembering the information

    • @tomepsilon
      @tomepsilon 2 года назад +2

      ...which will never happen. That's why we're lucky to have Tom.

    • @Goffy
      @Goffy 2 года назад +1

      🐢

    • @YourPhysicsSimulator
      @YourPhysicsSimulator 2 года назад +5

      That's what real education trully is: making you feel interested in what you are learning and internalizing it

    • @randaranatunga7259
      @randaranatunga7259 2 года назад +1

      @@tomepsilon exactly
      A true blessing from the lord

  • @BonnoJ17
    @BonnoJ17 2 года назад +1

    Quality content, as per usual. Love it, Tom!

  • @skye2281
    @skye2281 2 года назад

    I love your work, your preparation & your videos!

  • @safe-keeper1042
    @safe-keeper1042 2 года назад +117

    I would never have imagined you could control the bridge directly with a joystick. I was sure they just hit a button and it lifted automatically.

    • @rollstuhlmeister
      @rollstuhlmeister 2 года назад +3

      I was surprised that wheelchairs with a reclining seat would use the main driving joystick also for the seat. I don't know why it surprised me. It makes sense. But the bridge is maybe more surprising

    • @SabertoothSeal
      @SabertoothSeal 2 года назад +4

      I could never do this job, the temptation to make the bridge do a little dance on the way up would be too great!

    • @urmomgay
      @urmomgay 2 года назад

      @@SabertoothSeal same here. Tourists would love it, though!

  • @stevenjlovelace
    @stevenjlovelace 2 года назад +71

    Next episode, Tom steers a giant container ship through the Suez Canal.

    • @GedMaybury23
      @GedMaybury23 2 года назад +1

      Bwah-hah-hah!

    • @BRAWGWill
      @BRAWGWill 2 года назад +1

      Wait until we find out Tom Scott also sank the Titanic

    • @GedMaybury23
      @GedMaybury23 2 года назад

      @@BRAWGWill I can wait ....

  • @mactech1
    @mactech1 2 года назад

    Thanks Tom! You get to do such cool stuff, that we, vicariously, get to do with you.

  • @tankgrrl
    @tankgrrl 2 года назад

    That was FAR more exciting than I ever expected!

  • @itsPoddington
    @itsPoddington 2 года назад +195

    When Tom, started to raise the bridge even just watching I could feel the weight of what a simple task means. Raising and lowering a bridge sounds simple, but ensuring safety measures are completed and knowing the impact it has must get the nerves tingling just a bit.

  • @oscarblair1134
    @oscarblair1134 2 года назад +183

    Anybody else watching this as Tower Bridge is stuck up? The Tom Scott effect.

  • @filipefreitas5365
    @filipefreitas5365 2 года назад

    I don't quite know why, but this video made me feel incredibly good today. Thank you!

  • @a.m8858
    @a.m8858 2 года назад

    I can't love the timing of this any more! Amazing video too :)