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15:10 July 2nd, 2009

Don’t wait for me out on The Ledge

Posted by: Robert Basler
Tags: Oddly Enough, , , ,

Many readers write in to ask, “Bob, where are you going on vacation this year, because we want to make sure we don’t run into you?”

My advice is, visit The Ledge, opening today at the Sears Tower in Chicago. If you’re out on The Ledge and some other guy is there, he won’t be me.

What are people thinking, going out on a clear thingy that lets them look 103 floors straight down?

Do you know how many of these things fall off the sides of buildings carrying visitors to their death every year? I don’t actually know the answer, but I just assume it’s a lot of them.

I also assume they made this thing from cheap coffee table glass, and stuck it on the side of the Sears Tower with Elmer’s Glue, because that’s how I would do it.

But don’t just listen to me. There are plenty of really important Chicago people, like Oprah Winfrey and sometimes Barack Obama and that Bob Newhart psychologist guy. When you see one of THEM out on this contraption, you let me know.

The Ledge slideshow

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Children on “The Ledge” look down through a glass floor 1,353 feet above Wacker Drive in Chicago, July 1, 2009. The Ledge is part of Skydeck Chicago located on the 103rd floor of the Sears Tower. REUTERS photos by Frank Polich

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20 comments so far

That vertical shot makes my inner monkey shriek and cling to a nice thick branch … those people are nuts!

- Posted by Beth

Big Deal. Go to Halfdome in Yosemite and dangle your feet over the side of the cliff and look straight down 4,000 feet, without any glass. That’s a real thrill. See here for pictures: http://kevingong.com/Hiking/HalfDome.htm l

- Posted by Charles

@ Beth

Testify, sister…

- Posted by Bandage

[...] psychologist guy. When you see one of THEM out on this contraption, you let me know. … http://blogs.reuters.com/oddly-enough/20 09/07/02/dont-wait-for-me-out-on-the-led ge/ Daily [...]

- Posted by Blog Article and Video about  Oddly Enough » Blog Archive » Don't wait for me out on The Ledge … - Oprah Winfrey

Hey Charles, or Kevin or whoever you are.Big deal. Go spank at half dome you smug loser.

- Posted by dick

Tokyo Tower has had this for a few years now…

- Posted by Alan

[...] know how many of these things fall off the sides of buildings carrying visitors to their death ever click for more var _wh = ((document.location.protocol==’https:’)  ? “https://sec1.woopra.com” : [...]

- Posted by Don’t wait for me out on The Ledge

Well, I can see some advantages about going out on The Ledge. For one, you have a privileged view of how the ground rushes up to you, without so much disturbance from the wind, in case of a fall -thus it facilitates looking death in the face; it helps you accelerate and/or intensify your digestion -interesting after regaling on Chicago’s pizzas and other culinary amenities…

My concern is Chicago is also the capital of stained glass in the US, and I can’t help thinking about how this relates to this Ledge; you know, new ways to stain glass and that sort of thing…

- Posted by M

The World Financial Center in Shanghai has it too imho.

- Posted by F

Oooooooh no, no, no… that’s not for me …there’s something similar at that tall building in Toronto…that wasn’t for me either….

- Posted by Louise

You mean that three-story building in Toronto?

- Posted by Robert Basler

I understand Girls Gone Wild’s Upskirt Videos department has rented floors 102, 101 and 100.

- Posted by Shawn Hendricks

September 11: Highland Kilt Day at the Sears Tower. Just look it up.

- Posted by Shawn Hendricks

Bas,
You forgot to mention BASE jumper drool.

Your shil… er… blogging amigo,
Shawn

- Posted by Shawn Hendricks

having read this far I want to jump … through boredom

- Posted by Orlando

[...] View post: Oddly Enough » Blog Archive » Don't wait for me out on The Ledge … [...]

- Posted by Oddly Enough » Blog Archive » Don't wait for me out on The Ledge …

They’ve had this on the CN Tower in Toronto for years, plus you can look down 1500 feet. And now it has glass floored elevators. :)

- Posted by Colin

There is no way i would go out on the ledge. I work in a drug rehab facility and i get a good enough rush from that.

- Posted by Narconon Arrowhead

[...] where they’re sure not to run into ME, like the You Must be Joking tourist site and the Don’t Wait for me out on the Ledge [...]

- Posted by Have fun, will travel… | Not So Headline News

[...] where they’re sure not to run into ME, like the You Must be Joking tourist site and the Don’t Wait for me out on the Ledge [...]

- Posted by Have fun, will travel… | jackson-miss.com

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