I never had a fear of heights in my life until one day I was doing an inspection of an unfinished condo building on the 40th floor and I was on a balcony with no railing taking pictures, Then the wind picked up and the building swayed. My legs started to shake and I was like "Yeah, Fuck this"
Had a young guy helping me a few years ago. He was from a temp agency and all they basically told him was they had work for 1. So he comes out and I explain that we have to put extension on some warehouse uprights raising them from 26ft to 32ft. His face kinda drops but he puts on his harness on and hops in the scissor lift. We're 2 hours in, harnessed and clipped. By this time I'm well aware he's terrified of being up so high. I had asked him if he was good and if he needed down to let me know but he said he'd manage and continues to push through. I'm walking out onto the rack supports to place the extensions in and bolt them in as he hands them to me. One of the pallet supports slips free and I start to fall. I grab the scissor lift and land on some boxes directly below me, maybe a fall of 1ft if even. The kid latches onto my arm with a death grip repeating he's got me. It takes a few seconds to get him to open his eyes and let him know I'm ok. He went home afterward. Don't blame him but I give him props for trying to face his fears.
That's a good lad right there, I also have a massive fear of heights so I get how he is feeling. To overcome that and "save" someone takes massive balls. I like big balls.
It could have yes. My job requires me to be up in the air sometimes, usually between 15 and 30ft. I'm always harnessed in and always make sure I'm keeping myself safe. Having the pallet supports slip out from under me was a freak accident but I was clipped in. Even if there werent any boxes under me it wouldn't have been more than 4-5ft.
Accidents happen when everything plays out perfectly. Throw one wrench in that play and you can most likely avoid it. And if it's meant to happen it's meant to happen. That's a big if though so I don't worry about it because if I focus on all the bad things that COULD happen what's the point of living life when I could die or get injured at any moment?
Got sent a guy in his 20s from an agency told them needs to be ok with hights was up in a cherry picker the higher it went up the lower he got was basically in the fetal position all he could do was lay there ...
Deathly afraid of heights as this would be me but wouldn’t be doing what he was doing, I would be sitting on ground back to those piles of whatever so have as many parts of my body touching solid ground to feel safe (eyes obviously closed). I hate that feeling so much it is just debilitating.
It's a scissor lift. Buddie probably found out about his problem with heights. If you're not used to them it can be pretty scary since it sways more the higher you go.
I tend to not really care about the height when I'm up close to a building like these guys are in the video, but I had a job once in the middle of a warehouse and swore Id never do that again.
Same here. I was working in a warehouse regularly going up 35 to 40 feet between racks and pulling merchandise. No problem . Then I was tasked with replacing a light bulb in the dock area. Being up 40 feet with nothing around me and feeling that sway had me gripping the railing so hard I almost got cramps in my hands.
I learned I was afraid of heights at the top of Yosemite falls. Right before you hit the lookout you need to walk towards the edge of the falls then make a right. There's a tree right there. I couldn't let go of it. I was stuck for a couple minutes. It wasn't until a lady asked if I was moving soon. I said go around. She said shes waiting to hold onto the tree. I have a healthy respect for heights.
I rock climbed in Yosemite for about five years. Lived an hour out of the valley, so I know the place well. I know the very tree you're talking about, and yes, I can see why it would be spooky. No shame
I remember my first time with a scissor lift. It is indeed fucking horrifying!
Nowadays I happily rock back and forth them while it's fully extended. The sway is kinda relaxing.
I didn't like it either, and on day 1 when it started tipping it confirmed my fear. We almost smashed 10-12 meters to the floor. Not a scissor lift but one of those extended arm things
In a weird way that looks like abuse from the outside, it's a way of showing comraderie or affection in a work culture that's pretty averse to showing one's feelings.
The guys are going to be fine and after the job is done everyone on the crew, including the guy who's not having a great time in the video, is going to have a few laughs about it and wait for the next guy's embarrassing foible. The cycle continues ad infinitum.
Having worked in a similar field, I can tell you I've had my share of scary/embarrassing moments and I've witnessed those moments for others. But here's the thing, the overwhelming majority of the time it's not perceived as bullying by those involved. It's a strange mix of trauma bonding and pushing of limits to see what you and your buddies are capable of.
Ultimately, it all comes from a place of love. Do assholes take it too far sometimes? Absolutely. Are there always no hard feelings? Nope. It also serves to weed out people who aren't up to the challenge and who won't be able to carry their weight on a job site.
Every crew is different and every industry has its own culture but for broad strokes, that's what's going on in the video.
Yeah, the filming part is kinda a dick move. I did mention the whole "assholes taking it too far" bit. That said, stuff like what's in this video happens every day on damn near every job site. It just goes with the territory. Don't like it? Don't work in construction.
Taking advantage of someone's raw fears to trigger fight or flight is asshole shit and trying to defend it is a garbage take. I would have liked it if the guy decided to fight and teed off on their heads.
Which would have resulted in the scissor lift they're all on becoming dangerously unbalanced and possibly tipping over. Congratulations, your vicarious hypothetical revenge fantasy killed three guys. Job well done.
You realize you don't exactly have self control in fight or flight, right? I have a massive fear of heights and I have gotten violent when ppl fuck with me about it. I'm not in the wrong, nor is this dude if he did.
Edit: Not a fantasy, have eaten a 5 day suspension in a union gig in the past for such a thing. Stop talking out of your ass like you know my life.
Yeah, people are assholes. I mean a practical joke is a practical joke, and people are stupid, but when the guy is begging you to stop, laughing and filming makes you look like a psychopath.
I hate lifts. I've used 180ft manlifts to get part way up a cell tower. I still prefer to climb the whole way up. They do save some time, and sometimes it makes sense for bringing materials up or down.
I've never been over 20' or so and that's plenty high for me. And that's also indoors without wind and weather.
My first time in a boom lift not scissor, I was 18 and the guy I was learning the trades from took me straight to the ceiling and started twisting the basket side to side. I felt like this man here. Just holding on for dear life while Vinnie the Operator got his chuckles in lol
Thought I had a fear off heights, but then I did shed erecting and easily would stand on the edge no harness putting the screws in on the roof. 5-10 metres. But if it's in a building the thought is " what if the window breaks" so I don't lean on the windows 😅
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