Over the years, I have been intrigued by how people move households in cities. I think that after Janice and I settled into our first one-room apartment at Indiana University (those were the days), we moved eight times, so often that Janice finally drew a detailed diagram showing how to fit everything into a U-Haul truck. Of course, we have been at our present home since 1975, so that diagram no longer works.
I remember seeing movers hoist heavy things in Amsterdam with special pulleys since houses and apartments had such steep and narrow stairs I had to descend backward.
While walking in St Maurice and later in Lyon, I saw movers using a clever external lift, a sort of sturdy extended ladder which can go to the 7th floor (6th floor in France, ground floor is Floor Zero). Taller buildings are required to have service elevators, but these older apartment structures will be lucky to have retrofitted any sort of elevator. I wouldn't want to take a ride up or down, but they obviously work. The first photos show the ladder with its moving platform only going up to the 3rd floor.
The lad at the top noticed my shooting, but I never knew he was there (too dark). He seemed to be on break. Obviously they can only pull up whatever will go through the window.
The next two photos were taken in Lyon (again, the guys were on break). The moving platform is quite study, and everything would have to be carefully wrapped. Breakage insurance is likely available.
When I enlarge the photo at home, I can tell that the ladder is extending to the sixth/top floor. I'm surprised by the steepness of its angle, but they know what they're doing and this allows all sorts of traffic to get through on a Monday morning.
I'm glad I don't have to move . . . just yet.
With love from us both,
Evan
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