[Rooster Cogburn]

I think it's way more dangerous and risky that Crab Fishing. Here's why:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=txdv_oNq ... r_embedded

[Rooster Cogburn]

Did the video make anyone sick? It made me a tad naucious.

[Sly Fox]

I have a radio tower climbing story from nearly a quarter century ago near Cincinnati. Suffice it to say that I developed a great appreciation for the job and a large dose of humility.

[LUconn]

I've got to say, that is terrifying. I would wear a parachute.

[Rooster Cogburn]

I've been up in the elevators and on the platforms, and that is bad enough. The free climb thing is nuts. The helmet cam makes the video crazy.

[adam42381]

That was pretty terrifying. My palms were sweating the whole time. I don't know how you ever work up the courage to do something like that. They must be insane.

[Sly Fox]

They are very well compensated.

[Rooster Cogburn]

Most of them are a little off.

[ALUmnus]

Youtube is blocked at work, so I watched this on my phone. Even on that small screen, I felt like I was going to die. These guys were feeling the wind and the tower shake, totally exposed. Going down must be a treat, too.

[adam42381]

They are very well compensated.

I would hope so. I wouldn't do it for A-Rod's salary.

[Hold My Own]

I got that feeling you get when you go over hills really fast....you guys know what I'm talking about....

[JK37]

Going down must be a treat, too.

Wow.

[Kolzilla41]

All I have to say it expletive x2 !!

[Rooster Cogburn]

I got that feeling you get when you go over hills really fast....you guys know what I'm talking about....

I'll see if they can may an Imax version.

I've watched these dudes from a scope on the ground or a low platform, and they aren't tentative at all. It's as normal to them as raking leaves is to you.

[Hold My Own]

Wow, just laughed at JK's quote....HA

[ALUmnus]

Going down must be a treat, too.

Wow.

Dude, seriously, grow up.

[ALUmnus]

Shoot, it's gone. Now I can't show any of my "friends".

http://www.theonlineengineer.org/TheOLEBLOG/

The footage of the climb came from a friend of mine that does this type of work, I have know him for several years and he has helped me many times in the past. Recently he gave me this video he shot on one of his jobs. I showed him the edited video and he approved it and I put it up on TheOnLineEngineer.Org and You Tube over the weekend. On Monday he was getting calls from colleagues telling him that they were concerned about what the video showed. His world is a very small one, and you don’t want to bite the hand that feeds you! Some facility owners are pretty uptight about liability and such and may not hire him if they think he does not take safety seriously.

So he asked me to take it down, and I did.

[Rooster Cogburn]

Man I'm glad I saw it before it went away. I wanted a bumch of folks to see it too. OH well. My wife and kids were freaking out.

[LUconn]

man, I wanted to watch it again.

[LUconn]

What were they uncomfortable with? They didn't really show you any tricks to climbing a tower. Most people knew there were pegs to climb. Do they not want anybody to know how easy their job really is? It's not like they're getting paid a lot because people think it's a hard job.

[Rooster Cogburn]

The folks I've seen climb are so careful to use their two straps as they climb. This guy "appeared" to be showing off by not using them instead of taking time to "do it right".

[Sly Fox]

The straps are a slow process. I speak from experience.

[Rooster Cogburn]

I'm with you. It is very tedious, but most climbers I've met are very much sticklers for using them. That is why I was shocked when the narrarator said OSHA allows free climbing.

[Sly Fox]

Back in the summer of '86, I was working for a country radio station in the Cincinnati market as a part-time jock. Back then they made the DJs write out transmitter readings every hour and twice a day a report had to be written about whether the tower lights were working. I noticed the 3rd light up of four on a 1000-foot tower had been out for about six months on the log. So I asked the PD what the deal was. He said the wait to get a tower climber could be up to 12 months because they were so busy. He also told me they paid him a grand to do the job. When I found out they had the straps and I could make more than I probably would from them all summer in an hour, I offered to climb and change it out.

The PD immediately showed me the gear and called all of the staff out to watch me make a fool of myself. I started climbing and hit the 250-foot light with ease. I was thinking this would be the easiest grand I'd ever made. But about halfway up to the 500-foot light the swaying became more obvious. And for the first time I started looking down. Really bad idea. Despite the cheering from my coworkers (amidst their laughter) I slowed down significantly. As I finally reached the 500-foot mark I froze up. Even though I was 2/3s of the way to my goal, I was paralyzed with fear as the tower that looked motionless from the ground was swaying as much as 3-4 feet and growing every step I took up.

Embarrassed and frustrated that I would not be able to finish the task. I began the slow descent down. And I do mean slow. The straps that seemed so easy to operate inching my way up were now working against me on the way down. I have no idea how long the ordeal lasted but I became somewhat of a station legend/idiot. I also developed an over-the-top appreciation for these guys who do it. Unfortunately I added a touch of acrophobia to my psyche as well.

[Schfourteenteen]

Impressive

You wrote 3 paragraphs without naming one famous person that you know, spilled coffee on, or shined shoes for.