Man on a wire

[grampahol]

If you ever get the chance watch the film by the same title about Philippe Petit, the guy who pulled off the "Artistic Crime of the Century" when he walked a tight rope 8 times back and forth between the Twin Towers of NY back in 1974. Can you even imagine the dizzying heights alone with absolutely no protection if he fell? Of course city officials blew a gasket and actually threatened to pluck him off with a helicopter which would very likely have blown him off the wire to his death in front of millions..
My wife doesn't understand why anyone would want to do it, but I certainly do...the very same reason a baseball player might want to throw a perfect game or a QB throw the winning TD .. Because he can and no other reason. Some things like this you really shouldn't have to explain why. If you have to ask why you'll never understand the reasoning he even wanted to attempt it even if you got an answer.
I remember just a few years later hitch hiking across the US during a really nasty blizzard.. Why? Because I could I guess..No other reason and I would do it again if I was in the same physical condition. Some folks will never understand why others might want to do the impossible. (Not that hitch hiking is even in the same league) To me it's a once in a lifetime event and even the cop who arrested him admitted that it was a once in a lifetime event he would never again get to witness so close and personal..    
Link to the film: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1155592/
What's the most ridiculous thing you ever pulled off you're still proud to have accomplished?

[fredtoast]

I have seen that.  It is incredible.  He was able to get away with it because the towers were not even open yet.

They also made a movie about it.

[grampahol]

(05-02-2019, 11:39 PM)fredtoast Wrote: I have seen that.  It is incredible.

I still don't know why anyone should think of it as a crime.. Absolutely nobody was harmed nor threatened in any way. Nobody except Petit and his accomplices lost money and yet the city of NY were willing to risk killing the guy with a helicopter to stop him.. Now THAT'S ridiculous.. I suppose had he fallen he MIGHT have landed on someone on the ground and undoubtedly killed them both, but he didn't fall and nobody was hurt.. He said the closest he came to getting hurt was when he was arrested and pushed down some steps. They should have given the guy a medal for entertaining the entire world for free.. lol

[sandwedge]

(05-02-2019, 11:42 PM)grampahol Wrote: I still don't know why anyone should think of it as a crime.. Absolutely nobody was harmed nor threatened in any way. Nobody except Petit and his accomplices lost money and yet the city of NY were willing to risk killing the guy with a helicopter to stop him.. Now THAT'S ridiculous.. I suppose had he fallen he MIGHT have landed on someone on the ground and undoubtedly killed them both, but he didn't fall and nobody was hurt.. He said the closest he came to getting hurt was when he was arrested and pushed down some steps. They should have given the guy a medal for entertaining the entire world for free.. lol

If someone broke into your workshop and stole your tools, would that be a crime? Nobody got hurt or threatened......

[fredtoast]

He was guilty of trespassing, but that is a very minor offense.

Didn't they end up dropping the charges against him?

[grampahol]

(05-03-2019, 12:08 PM)fredtoast Wrote: He was guilty of trespassing, but that is a very minor offense.

Didn't they end up dropping the charges against him?

Well that's different.. Yes they did drop them, but it's obvious in looking back they should have used the helicopter to knock him off the wire to insure he plunged to his death to prevent anyone else from trespassing.. 
This is Umerka folks where even stepping on someone's grass without expressed written permission should be a death sentence.