Normally you'd expect the Q factor of a standing tape drive to be small enough that you'd be unable to come anywhere close to knocking it over with the tiny kicks from the reels.
I probably would, yeah, unless I actually took the time to examine the design and calculate Q. I'd've been wrong in that case.
Actually, I probably wouldn't, because if it had occurred to anyone that they ought to ensure that the bridge design had no high-Q vibrational modes, the problem would have been found and averted before the first caisson was sunk.
I have the sudden urge to build a weighted cabinet and see if I can knock it over with fast-forwards/rewinds. I've got a couple engineer friends who could run the numbers, but nothing would quite compare to the satisfaction I would feel if I could actually do it.
