He has a fear of women. Watch this.

Joe N:

Thank you. Sometimes this resource is just so precious. Now THAT was funny...umm...amazing...unique. Not many words do that justice.

Bloody Hell!

Wonder if he is a Native American. Someone told me they have no fear of heights, is that true?

And what does he mean by, "it's no job for a hot dog." ?

That was cool.

Hot Dog = show off.

I love the part where he passes another person on the wires..


"Hey Joel, how's it goin?"

Pretty cool stuff. I'm used to a lot of sensationalism on YouTube, so I had half expected him to go up in a flash of voltage and smoke. Very cool, even without the flash and smoke.

sign me up!!!

High voltage rock and roll

Yes, it is true--in fact, fear of heights is so uncommon among Amerindians, that many of them have made careers working the "high steel" when tall buildings are built.

Here's a brief piece on Mohawks who have worked the high steel in New York.

I'm a sparkie. Never had any desire to go high tension! A lot safer up in there like those guys than when the worker is on the ground.

I'm sure you didn't want an essay on this but it's something I'd been curious about long ago and read up on so here goes...

The Mohawks have a tradition of work at heights but the notion that as a demographic group they have less fear of heights is just a stereotype that evolved alongside this tradition.

It began as Mohawk iron-workers with a low standard of living accepted dangerous jobs at high altitudes. Their employers characterized them as fearless and this was perpetuated by Mohawks themselves as a matter of pride.

There is no scientific evidence that they are born with less of a fear of heights on average than other demographic groups are. Though they have a tradition of working at heights in construction, ascribing this to dispositional factors (inherent lack of fear) instead of situational ones (initial need to accept the work followed by tradition and self-perpetuating myth) isn't supported by any data that I know of.

Several Mohawks have stated as much.

[i] "A lot of people think Mohawks aren't afraid of heights; that's not true. We have as much fear as the next guy. The difference is that we deal with it better. We also have the experience of the old timers to follow and the responsibility to lead the younger guys. There's pride in ?'walking iron.'" ?-Kyle Karonhiaktatie Beauvais (Mohawk, Kahnawake) [size=9]http://www.sites.si.edu/exhibitions/exhibits/booming/main.htm[/size] [/i]

Anthropologist Morris Freilich published a study on this subject in 1958 and revealed that when drinking with these workers they acknowledged their fear as well as their reluctance to admit it to others. Freilich ascribed this to elements of "warrior ethic" in their culture and described the iron working as a transitional exploit in that tradition.


http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a3_060.html

I was going to say something about the Native Americans/fear of heights thing being a stereotype, but didn't want to stir up anything.

It made me think of a popular myth in the Army - that Puerto Ricans are better infantrymen because they are more courageous under fire. I think that one got started just because Puerto Ricans flocked to the infantry at one time because there was a huge need for manpower, and because they wanted the chance to have a steady job with sure advancement, if they survived (the infantry is still aneasier MOS to get promoted in than many).

That was truly beautiful........thank you.

Of course, my question is this: what was the meeting like the morning they decided to try this procedure.... .

"Good morning, Bill. This is Edwin, he's a helicopter pilot and that feller over there is Smitty, one of our engineers. We haven't met, I'm Joe Nation, the president of our company, Highline are Us. Now we, or I should say Smitty, has come up with a plan on how to inspect those lines up by the lakes."

"Okay."

"They tell me you're not a hot dog kind of guy."

"Yeah. So?"

"So, let me let Smitty tell you what we have in mind."

And Smitty tells Bill all about the hot suit and riding on the little aluminium framework on the outside of the helicopter and how good a pilot Edwin is. (He's flown our president, Mr. Nation, to a lot of fishing spots.) And, of course, how he, Bill, is supposed to reach out and get all sparky with the little wand before clipping on the couplers to the MILLION VOLT line, before climbing off the helicopter onto the wire and then hands and kneeing it along to the towers.

"What you think?"


Joe(Bill said he thought Edwin could fly him to one of those fishing spots and just leave him.)Nation

Loved it!

Thanks for the info. on the Mohawks. Very interesting.

x

Did anyone else watch this with their hands over their eyes, but making a tiny slit with the fingers so that one eye could just about see?

I about died when I saw the guy on the edge of the helicopter and he's talking about a magic carpet.... .

Then when he reachs out with the little wand.... that did it.


Joe(then HE GETS ONTO THE LINE)Nation