www.shoppolisislands.com

    Shoppolis Islands Information

Hi.  My name is Marge White, and I am a pilot and tour guide for SI.  I own a Beech Super 18 which I love to fly around the islands.  Since the island group is only about 17 miles by 10 miles, it doesn't take much time to fly around.  One might think that because Shoppolis Islands is such a small, compact place that the logistics involved with transportation would be quite simple, but it is not.  The very fact that we are small and compact makes the logistics of transportation an immense and complicated job.  In SI, we have to make sure that the movement of supplies and other commodities appears literally invisible to those who reside and visit SI.  If our roads were clogged with commercial vehicles, if our skies were noisy with helicopters and other aircraft, if our waters were polluted with tankers and freighters, if our businesses were distracting, if our sidewalks were crowded with delivery people and other transporters, SI would have given up its innate freedom and joy, a century ago.  When the Executive Staff first formed in those early years of the 1790s, it was discussed how to be a commercial land and encourage business and still retain a home that looked like a home.  No one wanted to destroy the lands even though everyone knew there would have to be compromises. 

The city of Shoppolis was one of those areas where experimentation simply replaced the natural placement of things, but as time went on, much was restored in a way.  Edwin Guarino's company, Silent Shipping, is one of the four companies that moves bottled water from port to port.  He does this with divers and pallets of bottled water, which weighs the same as the water around each across calculated courses set in synch with Bolivar Ricci's company, Waterness Transporters.  While the busy world moves above, these companies move pallets of water around in a way that is somewhat invisible.  The backs of the divers, and the canopies on the pallets are the same mottled colors of the sea bottoms.  To the trained eye, you can see them; to the untrained eye, they are not there.  Supplies are transported by horse and wagon.  Character boats carry medical supplies.  Large tractors and trailer are painted in a way that sends a message more than advertises the company. 

NavyShips' Waterborne Office Vessels linked with Water Taxis

Some of the yachts moored in the harbor and tied to docks contain inventory from various companies and stores.  Homes are not really homes, but are offices and warehouses.  Much is stored underground and under the sea.  Traffic entering and leaving the harbors is timed in such a way as to make a freighter celebrated when it arrives by halting the traffic, letting all the passengers and drivers out to wave at the ships when they come in.  Of course, this is curbed in storm times.  Some of the freighter companies that send ships have actually altered the painting schemes on their ships and have put loudspeakers on their bridges to communicate with those on the bridge and at the wharfs.  SI planners continue to evolve new ways to handle transportation and storage so as to maintain the character of SI without destroying its most-unique personality.

Material Handling Equipment

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