Climbing Radio Towers

Although my instincts for self-preservation are very strong and probably would prevent me from doing this, I have a very strong desire, whenever I pass a tall radio tower (or any tower with those little built-in ladders extending to its summit), to scale the usually barbed-wire fence surrounding it and climb the tower to the top. And I also wonder how long (assuming I made it over the fence, that is) I could climb the ladder on one of these towers before people on the outside would notice. Also, do they all have someone there guarding the place, or is it assumed that (1) the barbed wire is enough of a deterrent and (2) no one would be foolhardy enough to try to scale the tower, anyway?

I think that my main reason for this attraction to high towers is the complete lack of thrill rides and theme parks in the Gainesville area in which I live. The closest thing to a thrill ride is the swivel chair that I sit on at my computer, (if you discount the little water slide at my municipal pool, that is).

Still, even when I’m actually at a theme park looking up at the imposing roller coasters, I sometimes feel that it would be more of a thrill were I a maintenance worker there with the duty of climbing up the flimsy-looking ladders on these rides to inspect them.

Wanting to climb things goes way back in my life to my childhood, when I would habitually climb the furniture around the house. Once, when I was very little, I was climbing a large chest of drawers when I pulled it down on top of me. I just quietly lay there with the chest of drawers sitting on top of me until my mother came back to see what caused the crash. I also used to, as a kid (and without my parents ever finding out) climb the hallway walls up to the ceiling by pushing my feet against either side. I also became an avid tree-climber, taking chances at times up there in the high branches that now make me shake my head at my own youthful foolishness.

Maybe I need to investigate rock-climbing as a hobby, starting with those plastic rocks. There are a couple of places in town with them. Or…wait, Williston, a few miles southwest of Gainesville, does have a skydiving club!