My thoughts exactly. Just so's ya know . . .I live in St. Louis and see the barge traffic daily. And you are right, people who don't live along the rivers really don't understand what an impact it has economically and commerce-wise.
Greetings from Upper Mississippi Pool 11 (or 10, depending on what side of the dam you are standing on)! We get a kick out of people who were born and raised right here, but who don't know what a towboat does, what can be in the barges, where everything goes from here, or how it all makes a difference in their lives.