Wire Walker

[Guest Cazador]

I was browsing AOL's headlines and saw one titled "What he'll do if he falls of wire". Talking about Nick Wallenda. My guess is he will bounce. At least a little bit!! Probably say AWWWWWWE CRAP just before the sudden stop.

[glock55]

I doubt he will bounce, probably just spread out evenly across the ground

[Sam1]

Could care less about those wire walkers, but will definitely have this on!

[vontar]

I suspect, right before the show, they will put a tether on him and claim insurance or something. 

 

If by chance he does it with out a tether I am sure they will have a 15 second delay on the broadcast just in case.  They will not risk showing a fall like that live.

[Oh Shoot]

I suspect, right before the show, they will put a tether on him and claim insurance or something.

 

That's what happened during the Niagara one.

 

- OS

[Sam1]

That's what happened during the Niagara one.

 

- OS

 

Did they really?  That's crap, I say if you're retarded enough to do something like that then so be it and just void any responsibility against everyone

[Guest Cazador]

I believe God has a way of culling the stupid people from the planet. I firmly believe we need to stop messing with his plan. If you climb Mount Hood in January wearing only shorts and a T-shirt, cuz it was a warm day, so be it. But don't call for help when you are stranded and expect people to risk their lives to save your dumb ###. Want to check out the balance of your lawn mower blade by sticking your head under it while it's running, go for it. your family should not have the right to sue a manufacturer if your stupid actions have maimed you or killed you.

[Timestepper]

Wow! I can't believe the way people seem to take personal offense to this guy. It's like he drove by your house, jumped out and kicked your dog (or walked across the top of your fence while whizzing in your flowers).

 

His family has been doing this stuff for more than 200 years and the only death during an actual wire walk was his great grandfather. And who the hell cares if he uses a tether or not? We deer hunters use tethers in a 20 foot tree stand and he's gonna' be 1500 feet above the Colorado River!

I'll admit that I'm not real crazy about his using the Grand Canyon, but dang, wire walking is what he does. It's what his family does. For SEVEN generations. How many of us have family careers going back seven generations? And yet the inference is that Mr. Wallenda is stupid or "retarded" for doing what he's been doing since he was two years old. Well, he's 34 now and hasn't been "culled" yet. I couldn't do what he does and wouldn't want to, but on some level I've got to admire the fact that he's better at it than anyone else in the history of mankind has ever been.

 

I'll turn my sorry little rant off now, but if someone can <rationally> explain the <perceived> animosity of this thread towards the subject of this thread, I'll be plum tickled to listen.

 

:shrug:

[Oh Shoot]

Just a bit of ombudsmanship, :):
 

His family has been doing this stuff for more than 200 years and the only death during an actual wire walk was his great grandfather.....

 
Well, actually 3 others were killed on the wire (and one other paralyzed) before Karl bit the dust. One more was killed in some kind of electrocution involved with the rigging, but don't think he was actually on the wire at the time.
 

I'll admit that I'm not real crazy about his using the Grand Canyon,

It's not really over the National Park part of it, but over chasm nearby on Indian land, so no national sacrilege or anything. :)

- OS

Edited June 23, 2013 by Oh Shoot

[Timestepper]

Just a bit of ombudsmanship, :):
 

 
Well, actually 3 others were killed on the wire (and one other paralyzed) before Karl bit the dust. One more was killed in some kind of electrocution involved with the rigging, but don't think he was actually on the wire at the time.
 

It's not really over the National Park part of it, but over chasm nearby on Indian land, so no national sacrilege or anything. :)

- OS

 

 

Factual as always, OS., but it still doesn't explain the <perceived> hostility of the thread.

 

And I'm not overly concerned about "national sacrilege." In fact, I'll admit that I can't quite pin down why I feel the way I do concerning his choice of venue. Maybe it's because... No, that doesn't define it. Just one of those things, I guess. Maybe that's why the <perceived> hostility towards Njk Wallenda? Just one of those things? :shake:  

[Sam1]

Factual as always, OS., but it still doesn't explain the <perceived> hostility of the thread.

 

And I'm not overly concerned about "national sacrilege." In fact, I'll admit that I can't quite pin down why I feel the way I do concerning his choice of venue. Maybe it's because... No, that doesn't define it. Just one of those things, I guess. Maybe that's why the <perceived> hostility towards Njk Wallenda? Just one of those things? :shake:  

 

I don't think there's any hostility towards the guy in here.  Personally I said it was crap that an insurance company would get involved and make him wear a tether if he didn't want to wear one.  We're a free country, and if the guy is dumb enough to do this with no safety gear, then by God and with credit to our founding fathers, he should be allowed to.

 

There's very little risk involved while wearing a tether so there's no excitement.  It would be the same as him rope walking in his back yard 5' off the ground, but with better scenery.  

[Timestepper]

I don't think there's any hostility towards the guy in here.  Personally I said it was crap that an insurance company would get involved and make him wear a tether if he didn't want to wear one.  We're a free country, and if the guy is dumb enough to do this with no safety gear, then by God and with credit to our founding fathers, he should be allowed to.

 

There's very little risk involved while wearing a tether so there's no excitement.  It would be the same as him rope walking in his back yard 5' off the ground, but with better scenery.  

Ok, so there's no hostility here and yet you just inferred that he's "dumb" if he does what he's been doing (and training to do) all his life i.e., walk a high wire with no safety equipment. And personally, I'd be thrilled as hell if he came to my back yard and walked a wire 5' off the ground because I know can't. And the safety gear wouldn't matter because even with a harness, tether, helmet and magnetic shoes guaranteed to stick to the wire, I still couldn't do it.

 

Anyway, my mistake and I offer my sincere apologies to all those who used the words dumb, stupid etc... in reference to the subject being discussed. Several words have changed meaning over the years and these are obviously ones that missed my radar.

 

BAD Timestepper.! :slap:

 

:leaving:

[Clod Stomper]

I believe God has a way of culling the stupid people from the planet. I firmly believe we need to stop messing with his plan. If you climb Mount Hood in January wearing only shorts and a T-shirt, cuz it was a warm day, so be it. But don't call for help when you are stranded and expect people to risk their lives to save your dumb ###. Want to check out the balance of your lawn mower blade by sticking your head under it while it's running, go for it. your family should not have the right to sue a manufacturer if your stupid actions have maimed you or killed you.

I've been saying the same thing for years. We don't allow natural selection to work anymore. It's why we have a population filled with mindless morons.

There is a major piece in the Knox News Sentinel this morning about Park Rangers and the SARs they do in the Smokies (where I used to work).

As an aside, the article prominently features a good friend of mine, Chuck.

Anyway, having seen firsthand the situations people put themselves in and then EXPECT someone else to come and get them out of it, I came to the conclusion that what SHOULD happen, but won't, is that a few of them should be left to suffer the consequences of their actions. Perhaps that would send a message to future idiots that if you do something stupid in the woods, you may just die from it.

Of course, that will never happen. For one thing, the Rangers enjoy doing what they do. And they are very good at it. Having known quite a few Rangers, I can say that they are the most professional and competent LEOs that I have encountered.

I just wish that more time, resources and money were used protecting people from the idiots rather than protecting the idiots from themselves.

Sorry for the rambling rant. To try to stay on topic, I'll most likely watch the Canyon crossing. Just in case he falls. :)

Will

[Pat]

You know, I don't really care about this fella or what he's doing, but this stuff does make me wonder. What happens if he DOES fall without a tether? Surely they wouldn't show him falling and screaming and going SMUSH everywhere. So do the cameras cut off or something? I had the same question with that guy who had the record free-fall and whatnot.

[Sam1]

Ok, so there's no hostility here and yet you just inferred that he's "dumb" if he does what he's been doing (and training to do) all his life i.e., walk a high wire with no safety equipment. And personally, I'd be thrilled as hell if he came to my back yard and walked a wire 5' off the ground because I know can't. And the safety gear wouldn't matter because even with a harness, tether, helmet and magnetic shoes guaranteed to stick to the wire, I still couldn't do it.

 

Anyway, my mistake and I offer my sincere apologies to all those who used the words dumb, stupid etc... in reference to the subject being discussed. Several words have changed meaning over the years and these are obviously ones that missed my radar.

 

BAD Timestepper.! :slap:

 

:leaving:

 

He is dumb! that's doesn't mean there's any hostility.  Hell, I think pro-riders on the MotoGP circuit are dumb, astronauts that strap themselves to metric tons of some of the most explosive materials on the planet and travel at 15,000mph are dumb.

 

What this guy is doing is equivalent to a nascar driver not wearing any safety straps during a race because "it's what they trained to do their entire lives".  

[Oh Shoot]

Well, it's finally wire time...

 

May have to check out "Naked and Afraid" after it, looks kind of interesting.

 

- OS

[runco]

My kids are sucked in.  Fortunately the marketing of the sales commercials are not aimed at them!

[VERO1]

Crazy Ass made it!

[Clod Stomper]

"Naked and Afraid" was more interesting.

[vontar]

"Naked and Afraid" was more interesting.

 

 

Not really naked if they blur things out.

[Guest TankerHC]

You know, I don't really care about this fella or what he's doing, but this stuff does make me wonder. What happens if he DOES fall without a tether? Surely they wouldn't show him falling and screaming and going SMUSH everywhere. So do the cameras cut off or something? I had the same question with that guy who had the record free-fall and whatnot.

 

They showed his grandfather falling live. Glad he made it. Dont need another law. (Government regulations on walking on wires across canyons and between skyscrapers). Would require a tax to enforce.