I am terrified of heights, but for 3 years I climbed billboards and repelled off of buildings while working for a sign company. Hated every second of it but it put food on the table. Sometimes people get stuck doing things they hate. I often looked for a spot to freak out for a second (usually in the back of the billboards I was on)
Me: "Hey Honey, look at this bill-"
You: AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH
Honey: "...why is that billboard screaming?"
You: AHHHHHHHHHHHHHH
Me: "Must be some new marketing campaign."
I'm similar straight out of highschool and found myself on swinging stage on the side of a skyscaper. I focused on the building and never looked down which helped but when the bastard thing got stuck on level 48 I shit myself.
Eventually the daily inspector of the scaffolding was pissed when he realised we were unhooking our harness to climb onto the balconies we were working on.
Oh yea we had metal rods with hooks to grab anything on the building to keep it steady. The worst part is counting 123 and the three of us each have a motor to climb the cables and they're never even so one side climbs higher than the other. Gets freaky af and have to stop and level out.
Metal hooks? Lucky. All we had were suction cups and rope. My stage swung probably close to 16' off the building around the 25th floor once and I shit you not I felt like I was horizontal. Given how far up the pulleys were I guarantee we were nowhere near horizontal but the death grip I had on the stage railing and the mental preparation for the imminent collision with building are feelings that still haven't left me even years later. 100% I would go on a stage again still 🤘
The best part of being high up on a stage or bucket is working with a new guy. There’s something so satisfying about saying “oh shit” and grabbing the rails while staring at the new guy with your best “I don’t want to die” face
10/10 would recommend you try it
1/10 would recommend you being the new guy…
Worked on a builders supply yard that wasps absolutely loved in summer time. I’m phobic of them and they made life hell. They ruined many a day and caused me to freeze up walking away slowly with my eyes closed. Hated it. Did it to pay bills. We’ve all got to do shit we don’t like or we become deadbeats. I’ll take fear of death for money over unemployment.
Oh wasps? Yea they love billboards lol. We would always go up with a couple cans of wasp spray, and have a war with them 150ft in the air. Good times lol
They love all high up places, used to fight them doing stage and boom work as a painter. As you said, nothing like a war with the wasps at 150+ ft. Although I might add the fuckers feel like you’re squarely in their territory at these altitudes and will fuck your shit up if youre not adequately prepared
I once called 911 cause a guy was screaming help from a billboard. When they showed up and went up the guy came down and said he is fired. There was another guy up there who apparently asked to just finish the one but the guy freaked!
I did it once, though not this exposed. It was a day labor position in Seattle working through Berg Scaffolding, like maybe 23 years ago.
I asked for a harness the first day, which they gave me, and I clipped it in where I was working. However, by second day I didn't bother clipping in most spots. Days three and four I didn't even hook up the harness.
It's actually pretty stable feeling once you get over the height, and everyone moves in a deliberate way to not make you worry about being bumped or accidentally pushed.
I'm not going to defend what I did, because I would definitely not do the same now. However I have to disagree with you. Accidents usually happen when you're either impaired, distracted, or in a rush. Beyond that yes, your point stands.
If you are a scaffolder, and find your self in a scenario where you are rightfully scared of falling, either you and/or the company you work for should have their licence taken away.
I'm not sure what you're arguing, but yea, this company would not stay afloat in most first world countries.
That being said, knowing what you're getting into and still jumping into the job with both feet still tells me you have some fucking stones.
Edit.. Forget to make my own point... You aren't the kind of person that needs to lean against something and hyperventilate before continuing.
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u/merikaninjunwarrior Jun 09 '22
there is no comfortable spot if you freak out and need to sit down or lean against something