[maxieboy]

When I get up high, I get an almost uncontrollable urge to jump. As dumb as it sounds, I really have to talk myself out of it, and it's not easy. I heard a few other guys that have the same thing happen.
 

 That's weird. I had the same feeling standing at the back of a cruise ship watching the wake. It's like "go ahead...it's OK". I liked to freaked the F&%c out!

 Later, much later, this was mentioned to Ms. Tubercle, she said she had the same experience. What causes that?!?

Watching too many crazy YouTube vids!


edit: maybe being married to each other! LOL!

[weazletoe]

That's excatly what I'm talking about. Something tells me to do it. It's ok, it'll be fun. My worst experience with it always happens at Niagra Falls. Last time I was there, I literally had to stand 50' back from the rail, it was so overwhelming. It's a very scary feeling.

[capozzoli]

Yeah, I should say that I dont walk the beams anymore. I put my feet on the bottom flange and do the shimmy out to where I have to go. Fortunately only have to do this sometimes.

When I first worked on steel in the Iron Workers I had a brief training lesson in school and they sent me right up. I was doing but got scared like Denny did, started doing the shimmy and the guy I was up there with started yelling down. "Can you get someone up here that can walk!". I was so embarrassed.

I didnt last long. They got me a job in the navy yard, worked there for a couple of years and then went on to something else.

Not every one can do it. That tower climb is unbelievable. I would rather be lowered from a helicopter.

[tubercle]

 We may be infected with alien arsenic eating bacteria

[tubercle]

Here's to your being lowered by a helicopter thing.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LIjC7DjoVe8

 Crazy folks live in this world.

[alikocho]

I climb, and the main thing I noted in the video was how cavalier this guy was about his protection. I can cope with the height on the basis that my fall is limited by equipment. Oh, and this would be cold and he's in short sleeves...

That said, I did once exit an airplane in a landrover, and have rappelled from many a helicopter. You just have ton believe that it won't hurt

[weazletoe]

BFI ? Is that you? Hehehehe..........just bustin you man! 

[jaybeerman]

Not for me either; although I don't mind climbing and don't mind heights, I don't have the balance.  I don't think I could transition from the rungs to standing on top of that tower.  As far as heights go, I always liked this guy

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=81gn2oLeC_U&feature=player_embedded

[1vertical]

problems with opposite of heights....Depths?
worked 5 years 700 feet straight down in the mine....
also worked top lander 700 feet above the bottom of the shaft...
my ears popped 3 times in each direction just doing the travel.
just a job...   pay was good tho

[bluesman]

I perform home inspections part-time, so climbing is a part of my job.  I have a 32' ext. ladder that I use to climb atop 3 story structures pretty regularly. 

As a child I use to build tree forts and I loved to climb.  It takes quite a bit of stamina to climb and the guys that were climbing that structure are quite fit.  It's a physically demamding job.  One must be in tip-top shape to do that job and that is for sure.  I would do it for the right price.  I don't tink it would pay enough for me though.

[akr71]

Me too - as a kid we had a 2 story tree fort that I had no problems with.  I also remember climbing the TV antenna and up onto the roof of the house, and then running around on the roof.  I guess now that I have a firm grasp on my mortality, I have no desire to test its limits.

[tygo]

I used to climb big trees as a kid as well but that is way different than what those guys are doing.  I actually had to avert my eyes a couple of times when I was watching that video.  My wife was sitting behind me with our youngest son and got a great kick out of it:  "Look, daddy can't even watch!".

If they offered me a million bucks to climb up there I'd have to pass.

[punatic]

When I get up high, I get an almost uncontrollable urge to jump. As dumb as it sounds, I really have to talk myself out of it, and it's not easy. I heard a few other guys that have the same thing happen.
 

 That's weird. I had the same feeling standing at the back of a cruise ship watching the wake. It's like "go ahead...it's OK". I liked to freaked the F&%c out!

 Later, much later, this was mentioned to Ms. Tubercle, she said she had the same experience. What causes that?!?

[alikocho]

When I get up high, I get an almost uncontrollable urge to jump. As dumb as it sounds, I really have to talk myself out of it, and it's not easy. I heard a few other guys that have the same thing happen.
 

 That's weird. I had the same feeling standing at the back of a cruise ship watching the wake. It's like "go ahead...it's OK". I liked to freaked the F&%c out!

 Later, much later, this was mentioned to Ms. Tubercle, she said she had the same experience. What causes that?!?

Freud talked about this. He believed that we all have a self-destructive urge which surfaces from time to time, but most of us can control it. It's a recognition of the fragility of existence. He drew this conclusion from watching people, but also as a means of trying to explain WWI.
 

[punatic]

In my younger days I used to torque test connecting bolts and inspect welds on steel buildings.  I'd walk around fearlessly 20 - 30 floors up with a 5 ft. long torque wrench and no fall protection.  I just focused on what was immediately around me.  I didn't see anything else.  I'd walk across a 50 ft. section of 2" wide joist, 100 ft. up without a second thought.  It was just like walking down the first base line, in my mind's eye.

These days I doubt I'd have the discipline or guts to climb a column to the second floor.  But then again, I got an engineering degree so I wouldn't have to anymore.

BTW, the dry adiabatic lapse rate is 3.56°F for every 1000 ft. gain in elevation.  So the guy on the top of the tower was only about 6° cooler than he was at ground level (not including wind-chill).

I worked and partied with a crew of tower erectors.  They are a breed apart.  Bigger stones than mine for sure!