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Russians Climbing Tall Buildings – The Builder’s Perspective

We asked a builder what he thought of last week's Shanghai Tower antics

Have you seen those crazy Russians climbing the crane on top of the world’s soon to be second tallest building? Pretty crazy right? But as someone on our Facebook page rightly pointed out – what about the builders who work up there day in day out, what do they think about it all?

Well we got hold of one such builder, who wanted to protect his anonymity. We’ll call him Dave, and he’s been up some pretty tall things!

So Dave what do you think of those Russian guys in China?

I should say they are bloody idiots, but I watched it in amazement like the rest of the planet, but with my sensible hat on from a health and safety perspective it’s bloody mental, and they would have to fill out a lot of forms to be able to do that legally. We go up these buildings every working day but we’re all harnessed in and everything when we get anywhere near a floor with open walls.

I will say one thing though, it would be a different kettle of fish in London, it’s always blowing a gale on top of The Shard, it is pretty calm in that stuff in China.

What about security, could you do that in a European city?

No of course not, oh wait someone already did it on The Shard! Security is tight at all buildings, but the sites are massive and full of piles of stuff to hide behind, so it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to realise it is doable.

But I reckon it would be a lot harder than the Russians found it, they couldn’t have just walked up a building like that here in Europe, we have guards on multiple floors 24 hours a day.

So are you impressed by their antics?


Looks like a bit of fun for them, and for the average man in the street it’s boarderline psychotic, but look at the guys who used to build skyscrapers without harnesses – they were the real heroes of this sort of thing, they just didn’t have GoPros. But yeah, to have the balls to fly to another country and do that, it’s hard not to be impressed.

What would you do if you found them on your building?

Officially I’d apprehend them and escort them off the site. Unofficially I’d film another angle for them!


So there you go, builders are up there everyday, although likely to be harnessed is at all times, and we’d love to talk to the guy who operates the crane that must be even more crazy. In the meantime, check the video out again, it is off the hook:

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