1
00:00:09,678 --> 00:00:12,178
(VEHICLE BEEPING)

2
00:00:12,244 --> 00:00:15,445
(GLASS CRACKING)

3
00:00:15,511 --> 00:00:17,144
♪ (WHIMSICAL MUSIC PLAYING) ♪

4
00:00:17,211 --> 00:00:18,778
JOHN WILSON: <i>Hey.</i>

5
00:00:18,845 --> 00:00:21,611
<i>Everyone in New York</i>
<i>is going to die.</i>

6
00:00:21,678 --> 00:00:24,978
<i>But sometimes the city tries</i>
<i>to stop that from happening.</i>

7
00:00:26,244 --> 00:00:30,311
<i>Many people worry about things</i>
<i>that can kill them at eye level.</i>

8
00:00:30,378 --> 00:00:32,812
<i>But you're probably more likely</i>
<i>to be destroyed</i>

9
00:00:32,878 --> 00:00:34,511
<i>by something above you.</i>

10
00:00:35,745 --> 00:00:37,645
<i>This is why</i>
<i>the city has installed</i>

11
00:00:37,712 --> 00:00:40,845
<i>a sprawling network</i>
<i>of temporary sidewalk shelters</i>

12
00:00:40,912 --> 00:00:43,845
<i>to protect pedestrians</i>
<i>from falling objects.</i>

13
00:00:43,912 --> 00:00:46,511
(CLEARS THROAT)
<i>This is called scaffolding,</i>

14
00:00:46,578 --> 00:00:48,945
<i>and almost everywhere</i>
<i>you look in Manhattan,</i>

15
00:00:49,011 --> 00:00:51,712
<i>you are guaranteed to see</i>
<i>some form of it.</i>

16
00:00:52,578 --> 00:00:55,144
<i>It's as common</i>
<i>as a fire hydrant...</i>

17
00:00:55,211 --> 00:00:57,378
<i>or a honking horn,</i>

18
00:00:57,445 --> 00:00:59,111
<i>but most New Yorkers</i>
<i>don't even seem to</i>

19
00:00:59,178 --> 00:01:00,745
<i>give it a second thought.</i>

20
00:01:00,812 --> 00:01:02,778
So, do you have strong thoughts
about scaffolding?

21
00:01:03,378 --> 00:01:04,578
No, not at the moment.

22
00:01:05,345 --> 00:01:08,912
♪ (MUSIC CONTINUES PLAYING) ♪

23
00:01:08,978 --> 00:01:11,545
JOHN: <i>I didn't understand why</i>
<i>there was so much of it</i>

24
00:01:11,611 --> 00:01:12,878
<i>in New York,</i>

25
00:01:12,945 --> 00:01:16,078
<i>so I went on an expedition</i>
<i>to figure out</i>

26
00:01:16,144 --> 00:01:19,545
<i>why anyone would wanna cover up</i>
<i>such a handsome city</i>

27
00:01:19,611 --> 00:01:21,812
<i>in so much scaffolding.</i>

28
00:01:26,278 --> 00:01:29,211
<i>There wasn't always this much</i>
<i>scaffolding in New York.</i>

29
00:01:29,278 --> 00:01:31,044
-♪ (PIANO MUSIC PLAYING) ♪
<i>-Long ago,</i>

30
00:01:31,111 --> 00:01:35,044
<i>the island of Manhattan</i>
<i>was a lush, green paradise.</i>

31
00:01:35,111 --> 00:01:37,812
<i>But ever since the Dutch</i>
<i>came across the sea</i>

32
00:01:37,878 --> 00:01:41,445
<i>and colonized</i>
<i>this unspoiled virgin island,</i>

33
00:01:41,511 --> 00:01:44,712
<i>New York has been a casualty</i>
<i>to man's ravenous appetite</i>

34
00:01:44,778 --> 00:01:46,278
<i>for over-development.</i>

35
00:01:47,511 --> 00:01:51,044
<i>Once the original settlers</i>
<i>tamed the bedrock,</i>

36
00:01:51,111 --> 00:01:54,478
<i>the only other direction</i>
<i>to build was upwards,</i>

37
00:01:54,545 --> 00:01:56,011
<i>towards the heavens.</i>

38
00:01:56,078 --> 00:01:57,278
♪ (PIANO MUSIC STOPS) ♪

39
00:01:57,345 --> 00:02:00,144
<i>At this point,</i>
<i>New York has some of the oldest,</i>

40
00:02:00,211 --> 00:02:03,978
<i>tallest, uh, most historic</i>
<i>buildings in the country.</i>

41
00:02:04,044 --> 00:02:06,445
<i>But their toxic relationship</i>
<i>with gravity</i>

42
00:02:06,511 --> 00:02:09,244
<i>has, uh, turned them</i>
<i>into a fatal liability.</i>

43
00:02:10,445 --> 00:02:13,645
<i>In 1979, a young student</i>
<i>was hit by a brick</i>

44
00:02:13,712 --> 00:02:16,978
<i>that fell off the facade</i>
<i>of a building and killed her.</i>

45
00:02:18,178 --> 00:02:21,278
<i>This is the intersection</i>
<i>where it happened, right here.</i>

46
00:02:22,345 --> 00:02:24,244
<i>Her name was Grace Gold.</i>

47
00:02:24,311 --> 00:02:26,511
<i>And they renamed the street</i>
<i>after her, uh,</i>

48
00:02:26,578 --> 00:02:27,712
<i>a few years later.</i>

49
00:02:28,712 --> 00:02:32,211
<i>After she died,</i>
<i>the city passed a local law</i>

50
00:02:32,278 --> 00:02:34,845
<i>which basically says that</i>
<i>every building in New York</i>

51
00:02:34,912 --> 00:02:37,745
<i>has to have their façade</i>
<i>inspected every five years,</i>

52
00:02:37,812 --> 00:02:39,678
<i>whether the building needs it</i>
<i>or not.</i>

53
00:02:40,845 --> 00:02:42,978
<i>This turned</i>
<i>New York City scaffolding</i>

54
00:02:43,044 --> 00:02:46,044
<i>into an eight-billion-dollar-</i>
<i>a-year industry.</i>

55
00:02:46,111 --> 00:02:49,144
<i>And it doesn't seem like</i>
<i>it's gonna be slowing down</i>

56
00:02:49,211 --> 00:02:50,478
<i>anytime soon.</i>

57
00:02:50,545 --> 00:02:53,078
♪ (UPBEAT MUSIC PLAYING) ♪

58
00:03:25,144 --> 00:03:27,611
♪ (MUSIC STOPS) ♪

59
00:03:27,678 --> 00:03:31,678
JOHN: <i>The average scaffold is</i>
<i>made of a few simple elements.</i>

60
00:03:31,745 --> 00:03:34,611
<i>Your main vertical pole</i>
<i>is called the standard,</i>

61
00:03:34,678 --> 00:03:36,678
<i>or sometimes the upright.</i>

62
00:03:37,712 --> 00:03:40,345
<i>These are usually made of steel</i>
<i>or aluminum.</i>

63
00:03:40,778 --> 00:03:41,812
<i>And, um...</i>

64
00:03:42,978 --> 00:03:43,978
<i>Uh...</i>

65
00:03:45,978 --> 00:03:47,411
<i>The people</i>
<i>that put up scaffolding</i>

66
00:03:47,478 --> 00:03:50,311
<i>are affectionately known</i>
<i>as "scaffies."</i>

67
00:03:50,378 --> 00:03:52,778
<i>And they may do more</i>
<i>to alter the landscape</i>

68
00:03:52,845 --> 00:03:55,111
<i>than any other group of people</i>
<i>in New York.</i>

69
00:03:55,178 --> 00:03:56,912
♪ (JOLLY MUSIC PLAYING) ♪

70
00:03:56,978 --> 00:03:59,345
<i>They are a polarizing bunch.</i>

71
00:03:59,411 --> 00:04:05,011
<i>Uh... they seem like</i>
<i>a vigorous and virile breed.</i>

72
00:04:05,078 --> 00:04:08,645
<i>But there are also hierarchies,</i>
<i>uh, within the business</i>

73
00:04:08,712 --> 00:04:10,745
<i>that most people</i>
<i>may be unaware of.</i>

74
00:04:12,311 --> 00:04:14,778
<i>A scaffie is someone</i>
<i>that actually erects</i>

75
00:04:14,845 --> 00:04:16,144
<i>most of the structure.</i>

76
00:04:17,578 --> 00:04:20,244
<i>A "groundie" is someone</i>
<i>that yells at a scaffie</i>

77
00:04:20,311 --> 00:04:23,478
<i>from the street to make sure</i>
<i>they're doing the right thing.</i>

78
00:04:23,545 --> 00:04:26,478
<i>The "plankie" is in charge</i>
<i>of all the wood.</i>

79
00:04:27,578 --> 00:04:31,578
<i>The "flagger" tells civilians</i>
<i>where to walk,</i>

80
00:04:31,645 --> 00:04:34,945
<i>uh, while the "beam boys"</i>
<i>move the steel overhead.</i>

81
00:04:36,211 --> 00:04:39,078
<i>The "foremen" make sure</i>
<i>that everything is done</i>

82
00:04:39,144 --> 00:04:42,378
<i>according to</i>
<i>OSHA safety standards.</i>

83
00:04:43,778 --> 00:04:47,244
<i>Every crew has a--</i>
<i>a "hammer guy," uh, just one.</i>

84
00:04:49,078 --> 00:04:52,345
<i>Or sometimes two.</i>
<i>Two hammer guys.</i>

85
00:04:52,411 --> 00:04:55,878
<i>Uh, the "roll-dog" drives</i>
<i>the crew between job sites.</i>

86
00:04:57,044 --> 00:04:59,611
<i>The "bathroom attendant"</i>
<i>gives them a--</i>

87
00:05:00,211 --> 00:05:01,411
<i>a pot to piss in.</i>

88
00:05:02,645 --> 00:05:06,578
<i>The "sweetman" cools them down</i>
<i>at the end of a long afternoon.</i>

89
00:05:06,645 --> 00:05:09,845
<i>And Spot here, uh,</i>
<i>grabs them the paper.</i>

90
00:05:09,912 --> 00:05:11,978
-(DOG BARKS)
-JOHN: <i>Atta boy.</i>

91
00:05:12,044 --> 00:05:13,745
<i>And when they all work together,</i>

92
00:05:13,812 --> 00:05:16,578
<i>this glorious ballet</i>
<i>produces a majority</i>

93
00:05:16,645 --> 00:05:19,712
<i>of New York's roughly</i>
<i>280 miles of scaffolding.</i>

94
00:05:22,478 --> 00:05:25,011
<i>Because scaffolding</i>
<i>is only meant to be temporary,</i>

95
00:05:25,078 --> 00:05:29,011
<i>the people who put it up</i>
<i>usually don't care how it looks.</i>

96
00:05:29,078 --> 00:05:31,578
<i>At best, the design</i>
<i>of most scaffolding</i>

97
00:05:31,645 --> 00:05:33,411
<i>is aggressively neutral.</i>

98
00:05:33,478 --> 00:05:34,945
<i>But a lot of people see this</i>

99
00:05:35,011 --> 00:05:37,912
<i>as a divine opportunity</i>
<i>to personalize it</i>

100
00:05:37,978 --> 00:05:39,244
<i>and make it their own.</i>

101
00:05:40,611 --> 00:05:43,912
<i>Outside of this building,</i>
<i>they covered it in fake vines,</i>

102
00:05:43,978 --> 00:05:46,244
<i>which makes it feel</i>
<i>like you're waltzing</i>

103
00:05:46,311 --> 00:05:49,278
<i>through some kind</i>
<i>of Italian villa.</i>

104
00:05:49,345 --> 00:05:51,845
♪ (MANDOLIN MUSIC PLAYING) ♪

105
00:05:53,411 --> 00:05:55,712
-♪ (FLUTE MUSIC PLAYING) ♪
-JOHN: <i>And it seems like</i>
<i>across the city,</i>

106
00:05:55,778 --> 00:05:58,845
<i>just about every culture</i>
<i>has made scaffolding its own.</i>

107
00:05:59,611 --> 00:06:00,712
♪ (DANCE MUSIC PLAYING) ♪

108
00:06:00,778 --> 00:06:03,678
<i>♪ It's a dancing night</i>
<i>Gonna dance the ni-- ♪</i>

109
00:06:03,745 --> 00:06:06,812
♪ (WHIMSICAL MUSIC PLAYING) ♪

110
00:06:06,878 --> 00:06:10,678
♪ ("I'LL BE THERE FOR YOU"
BY THE REMBRANDTS PLAYING) ♪

111
00:06:10,745 --> 00:06:13,144
<i>♪</i> <i>("HALLOWEEN" BY</i>
MAURA MATLAK PLAYING) <i>♪</i>

112
00:06:13,211 --> 00:06:15,311
<i>♪ Halloween, Halloween ♪</i>

113
00:06:15,745 --> 00:06:17,978
<i>♪ Halloween ♪</i>

114
00:06:18,044 --> 00:06:20,411
<i>-♪ Hehehe ♪</i>
<i>-♪ Trick or treat ♪</i>

115
00:06:20,478 --> 00:06:23,478
<i>♪ My friend-o'-lantern</i>
<i>We call him Jack, he's gri-- ♪</i>

116
00:06:23,545 --> 00:06:24,878
♪ (MUSIC STOPS ABRUPTLY) ♪

117
00:06:24,945 --> 00:06:27,411
JOHN: <i>Many residents of New York</i>
<i>have discovered practical ways</i>

118
00:06:27,478 --> 00:06:30,044
<i>to make use of scaffolding.</i>

119
00:06:30,111 --> 00:06:33,378
<i>This person turned it into</i>
<i>a-- a public fitness center.</i>

120
00:06:34,378 --> 00:06:36,945
<i>This person is using scaffolding</i>
<i>as an office.</i>

121
00:06:38,545 --> 00:06:42,678
<i>This person, uh, turned it</i>
<i>into a ba-- a bathroom.</i>

122
00:06:42,745 --> 00:06:45,778
<i>These people turned it</i>
<i>into a bedroom.</i>

123
00:06:45,845 --> 00:06:47,778
-(PLAYING FLUTE)
-JOHN: <i>This person turned it</i>

124
00:06:47,845 --> 00:06:50,611
<i>into their own personal</i>
<i>concert venue.</i>

125
00:06:50,678 --> 00:06:52,611
<i>When I asked him</i>
<i>how to get to Carnegie Hall,</i>

126
00:06:52,678 --> 00:06:55,812
<i>he said, uh, he didn't know.</i>

127
00:06:55,878 --> 00:06:57,645
<i>I pass these guys every day,</i>

128
00:06:57,712 --> 00:06:59,611
<i>and they're always</i>
<i>playing backgammon</i>

129
00:06:59,678 --> 00:07:01,812
<i>underneath the scaffolding...</i>

130
00:07:01,878 --> 00:07:04,545
<i>day and night,</i>
<i>in every kind of weather.</i>

131
00:07:06,645 --> 00:07:09,044
<i>I even met someone</i>
<i>who used scaffolding</i>

132
00:07:09,111 --> 00:07:10,945
<i>on a romantic date.</i>

133
00:07:11,011 --> 00:07:13,578
He had scaffolding set up
on the side of his house.

134
00:07:14,278 --> 00:07:15,978
It was in Hawaii.

135
00:07:16,044 --> 00:07:17,778
He left me outside
when it rained.

136
00:07:18,545 --> 00:07:20,278
That was interesting.

137
00:07:20,345 --> 00:07:22,812
-JOHN: Like this?
-Yep, yep.

138
00:07:22,878 --> 00:07:25,078
But picture, um...

139
00:07:25,144 --> 00:07:26,645
of course, without clothes.

140
00:07:26,712 --> 00:07:29,345
Because, like I said,
he was a nudist.

141
00:07:29,411 --> 00:07:32,445
And, uh, that's the time
he came in with the blindfold,

142
00:07:32,511 --> 00:07:34,311
he used a whip on me.

143
00:07:34,378 --> 00:07:38,611
And, um, he-- he edged me
while I was blindfolded,

144
00:07:38,678 --> 00:07:40,278
then he'd just walk away.

145
00:07:40,345 --> 00:07:43,111
And, um, session lasted
about two hours.

146
00:07:43,178 --> 00:07:44,745
And then he did finish me off,

147
00:07:44,812 --> 00:07:46,978
and I squirted
all over the floor.

148
00:07:48,244 --> 00:07:50,978
♪ (UPBEAT MUSIC PLAYING) ♪

149
00:07:51,044 --> 00:07:52,978
JOHN: <i>I went to a museum</i>
<i>in Queens,</i>

150
00:07:53,044 --> 00:07:55,011
<i>and they had</i>
<i>an art installation</i>

151
00:07:55,078 --> 00:07:58,111
<i>that was entirely made</i>
<i>out of scaffolding.</i>

152
00:07:58,178 --> 00:08:02,645
<i>It was heavily decorated with,</i>
<i>uh, waterfalls and stuff...</i>

153
00:08:02,712 --> 00:08:04,978
<i>and even a bunch</i>
<i>of hammocks</i>

154
00:08:05,044 --> 00:08:06,511
<i>that people could relax on.</i>

155
00:08:07,511 --> 00:08:09,578
<i>They even paid 22 dollars each</i>

156
00:08:09,645 --> 00:08:12,978
<i>for the chance to admire it</i>
<i>and interact with it.</i>

157
00:08:14,178 --> 00:08:16,111
<i>I guess it doesn't take much</i>
<i>to transform</i>

158
00:08:16,178 --> 00:08:19,545
<i>such a common object</i>
<i>into something extraordinary.</i>

159
00:08:19,611 --> 00:08:22,311
<i>It's kind of like</i>
<i>when a superhero puts on a cape</i>

160
00:08:22,378 --> 00:08:26,478
<i>and for some reason, no one</i>
<i>can recognize them anymore.</i>

161
00:08:26,545 --> 00:08:29,545
<i>And when I left, I noticed</i>
<i>that every single building</i>

162
00:08:29,611 --> 00:08:32,945
<i>outside the museum had</i>
<i>scaffolding up in front of it.</i>

163
00:08:33,011 --> 00:08:36,178
<i>But nobody seemed to want</i>
<i>to interact with this stuff.</i>

164
00:08:37,144 --> 00:08:39,278
♪ (CLASSICAL MUSIC PLAYING) ♪

165
00:08:39,345 --> 00:08:40,645
<i>Since the dawn of cinema,</i>

166
00:08:40,712 --> 00:08:42,211
<i>scaffolding has</i>
<i>offered a setting</i>

167
00:08:42,278 --> 00:08:44,311
<i>for some of our</i>
<i>wildest fantasies.</i>

168
00:08:45,845 --> 00:08:47,878
<i>Countless action scenes</i>
<i>have taken place</i>

169
00:08:47,945 --> 00:08:49,745
<i>on or around scaffolding.</i>

170
00:08:51,411 --> 00:08:53,745
<i>This includes pretty much</i>
<i>every movie</i>

171
00:08:53,812 --> 00:08:55,645
<i>that Jackie Chan</i>
<i>has ever been in.</i>

172
00:08:56,878 --> 00:08:59,645
<i>It seems like the poor guy</i>
<i>just can't catch a break</i>

173
00:08:59,712 --> 00:09:01,611
<i>whenever there's construction</i>
<i>going on.</i>

174
00:09:04,545 --> 00:09:08,011
<i>It's probably so popular</i>
<i>because it's a modular set piece</i>

175
00:09:08,078 --> 00:09:10,178
<i>that is stable enough</i>
<i>to fight on</i>

176
00:09:10,244 --> 00:09:12,311
<i>and makes sense in almost</i>
<i>any environment.</i>

177
00:09:13,511 --> 00:09:16,111
<i>It often transmits that</i>
<i>whatever property they're on</i>

178
00:09:16,178 --> 00:09:17,878
<i>is not worthy of respect,</i>

179
00:09:17,945 --> 00:09:20,044
<i>and that any damage they do</i>
<i>to the structure</i>

180
00:09:20,111 --> 00:09:21,511
<i>is of no significance.</i>

181
00:09:23,244 --> 00:09:24,945
<i>It's a great place</i>
<i>for comedy too...</i>

182
00:09:27,278 --> 00:09:28,378
<i>and drama.</i>

183
00:09:31,611 --> 00:09:33,611
<i>It's industrial, yet romantic,</i>

184
00:09:33,678 --> 00:09:36,244
<i>and its erotic qualities</i>
<i>cannot be denied.</i>

185
00:09:38,745 --> 00:09:40,278
<i>There are a lot</i>
<i>of iconic buildings</i>

186
00:09:40,345 --> 00:09:43,945
<i>that show up all the time</i>
<i>in movies about New York City.</i>

187
00:09:44,011 --> 00:09:45,978
<i>There's usually never anything</i>
<i>obstructing them</i>

188
00:09:46,044 --> 00:09:49,411
<i>in the establishing shots,</i>
<i>but in reality,</i>

189
00:09:49,478 --> 00:09:51,545
<i>all of these buildings</i>
<i>are usually covered</i>

190
00:09:51,611 --> 00:09:53,411
<i>by a bunch of scaffolding.</i>

191
00:09:55,078 --> 00:09:58,345
<i>Here's the Flatiron Building</i>
<i>in</i> <i>The Usual Suspects...</i>

192
00:09:59,278 --> 00:10:01,478
<i>and here's what it usually</i>
<i>looks like.</i>

193
00:10:04,011 --> 00:10:05,411
<i>Here's the Plaza Hotel</i>

194
00:10:05,478 --> 00:10:07,712
<i>in the background</i>
<i>of</i> <i>Midnight Cowboy...</i>

195
00:10:08,445 --> 00:10:11,111
<i>and here it is in real life.</i>

196
00:10:13,211 --> 00:10:17,411
<i>Here's Tiffany's in the movie</i>
Breakfast at Tiffany's...

197
00:10:17,478 --> 00:10:20,478
<i>and here--</i>
<i>and there's scaffolding.</i>

198
00:10:21,678 --> 00:10:25,511
<i>Here's 101 Park Avenue</i>
<i>in</i> <i>Gremlins 2,</i>

199
00:10:25,578 --> 00:10:27,978
<i>and it seems like</i>
<i>it's one of the few buildings</i>

200
00:10:28,044 --> 00:10:30,011
<i>that's untouched in real--</i>

201
00:10:30,078 --> 00:10:32,411
<i>Nope, actually, there--</i>
<i>there's scaffolding there too.</i>

202
00:10:32,478 --> 00:10:34,578
♪ (CLASSICAL MUSIC STOPS) ♪

203
00:10:34,645 --> 00:10:37,545
<i>We cover ourselves</i>
<i>in scaffolding all the time.</i>

204
00:10:38,511 --> 00:10:41,345
<i>Uh, braces are scaffolding</i>
<i>of the mouth.</i>

205
00:10:42,311 --> 00:10:44,845
<i>A cast can be a scaffold</i>
<i>for the limbs.</i>

206
00:10:45,878 --> 00:10:49,411
<i>A brassiere is scaffolding</i>
<i>for the breast.</i>

207
00:10:49,478 --> 00:10:52,545
<i>These things give us structure,</i>
<i>support, and protection.</i>

208
00:10:53,812 --> 00:10:56,345
<i>We even have scaffolding</i>
<i>in our bodies,</i>

209
00:10:56,411 --> 00:10:58,011
<i>inside every cell.</i>

210
00:10:58,078 --> 00:11:00,578
BIOLOGIST: Um, this is
the scaffolding protein

211
00:11:00,645 --> 00:11:01,978
-in pink here.
-JOHN: Ah.

212
00:11:02,044 --> 00:11:03,978
BIOLOGIST: And this is
the three different proteins

213
00:11:04,044 --> 00:11:06,478
you might have positioned on it
that need to work together.

214
00:11:06,545 --> 00:11:08,345
JOHN: Could we live
without scaffolding proteins

215
00:11:08,411 --> 00:11:11,244
-in our bodies?
-No. No.

216
00:11:11,311 --> 00:11:13,745
JOHN: <i>But not everyone</i>
<i>likes scaffolding.</i>

217
00:11:13,812 --> 00:11:15,878
-♪ (SAD MUSIC PLAYING) ♪
-I've almost had that stuff

218
00:11:15,945 --> 00:11:17,011
hit me in the head.

219
00:11:17,078 --> 00:11:18,645
'Cause these guys are up there,

220
00:11:18,712 --> 00:11:20,411
and they don't know
what they're doing.

221
00:11:20,478 --> 00:11:23,345
And they-- they're
barely able to hold it up.

222
00:11:23,411 --> 00:11:24,745
And you're walking underneath--

223
00:11:24,812 --> 00:11:27,578
And one time,
a piece actually fell,

224
00:11:27,645 --> 00:11:29,611
and it was maybe
about eight feet away from me,

225
00:11:29,678 --> 00:11:30,845
but it was about that far away

226
00:11:30,912 --> 00:11:32,645
from the pregnant woman
in front of me.

227
00:11:32,712 --> 00:11:35,178
So we both got hysterical.

228
00:11:35,244 --> 00:11:38,345
JOHN: <i>A lot of people complain</i>
<i>that it interrupts foot traffic</i>

229
00:11:38,411 --> 00:11:41,111
<i>and obscures the signage</i>
<i>of, uh,</i>

230
00:11:41,178 --> 00:11:43,011
<i>beloved businesses underneath.</i>

231
00:11:44,445 --> 00:11:48,278
<i>This lawyer had an amazing view,</i>
<i>but not anymore.</i>

232
00:11:50,778 --> 00:11:53,611
<i>A lot of trees don't receive</i>
<i>the light that they deserve</i>

233
00:11:53,678 --> 00:11:55,011
<i>underneath all this stuff.</i>

234
00:11:56,411 --> 00:11:59,244
<i>It decreases property value</i>
<i>sometimes,</i>

235
00:11:59,311 --> 00:12:02,311
<i>and also decreases</i>
<i>the quality of life</i>

236
00:12:02,378 --> 00:12:04,678
<i>-for the residents inside.</i>
-♪ (MUSIC FADES) ♪

237
00:12:04,745 --> 00:12:07,878
WOMAN: This scaffolding
has been up for... (LAUGHS)

238
00:12:07,945 --> 00:12:10,178
-...for over a year now.
-JOHN: Oh, really?

239
00:12:11,011 --> 00:12:13,144
WOMAN: Uh, it's...

240
00:12:13,812 --> 00:12:15,011
(SIGHS)

241
00:12:17,044 --> 00:12:20,778
This, uh, it blocks
your view of the street.

242
00:12:20,845 --> 00:12:22,845
We have some
nice trees out here.

243
00:12:22,912 --> 00:12:24,645
You can't see the trees.

244
00:12:24,712 --> 00:12:27,745
We've had people drilling
outside. (IMITATES DRILL)

245
00:12:27,812 --> 00:12:29,111
You know...

246
00:12:29,178 --> 00:12:32,511
It's-- It's depressing.
It's just depressing.

247
00:12:32,578 --> 00:12:34,211
♪ (JAZZ MUSIC PLAYING) ♪

248
00:12:34,278 --> 00:12:36,812
JOHN: <i>Sometimes people</i>
<i>even spontaneously snap</i>

249
00:12:36,878 --> 00:12:38,878
<i>and try to take it down</i>
<i>themselves.</i>

250
00:12:39,678 --> 00:12:41,244
<i>But if you really can't stand</i>

251
00:12:41,311 --> 00:12:43,011
<i>scaffolding outside</i>
<i>of your building,</i>

252
00:12:43,078 --> 00:12:44,912
<i>the most effective</i>
<i>removal method</i>

253
00:12:44,978 --> 00:12:49,244
<i>is to hop into a cab, uh,</i>
<i>put on your seat belt,</i>

254
00:12:49,311 --> 00:12:53,111
<i>and tell the driver</i>
<i>to plow strai-- to-- to--</i>

255
00:12:53,178 --> 00:12:54,878
<i>to drive directly into it.</i>

256
00:12:54,945 --> 00:12:58,812
<i>Um, then, they'll have to</i>
<i>take it all down.</i>

257
00:12:58,878 --> 00:13:02,712
<i>And everyone will thank you</i>
<i>for your service.</i>

258
00:13:02,778 --> 00:13:04,678
(SINGING)
<i>♪ Sandman, bring me... ♪</i>

259
00:13:04,745 --> 00:13:06,745
JOHN: <i>Most New Yorkers</i>
<i>will put up with anything</i>

260
00:13:06,812 --> 00:13:08,511
<i>as long as they know</i>
<i>it's temporary.</i>

261
00:13:08,578 --> 00:13:10,345
(SINGING) <i>♪ Bring me a dream ♪</i>

262
00:13:10,411 --> 00:13:11,945
JOHN: <i>But for some people,</i>

263
00:13:12,011 --> 00:13:15,244
<i>the temporary nature</i>
<i>of something can be the problem.</i>

264
00:13:15,311 --> 00:13:16,511
BLIND MAN:
<i>You won't know there's--</i>

265
00:13:16,578 --> 00:13:18,445
<i>there's a pole there</i>
<i>until you run right into it.</i>

266
00:13:19,345 --> 00:13:20,912
Uh, the ones I really hate

267
00:13:20,978 --> 00:13:24,445
is when you got poles that are,
uh, elevated mostly,

268
00:13:24,511 --> 00:13:26,611
um, like chest level,

269
00:13:26,678 --> 00:13:28,845
uh, stomach level,
or even head level,

270
00:13:28,912 --> 00:13:31,011
where the cane can actually...

271
00:13:31,078 --> 00:13:33,712
glide under-- under it
and it won't detect it.

272
00:13:33,778 --> 00:13:36,478
And you won't know there's
a pole there until you hit it.

273
00:13:36,545 --> 00:13:38,378
-You see how this one is lower?
-JOHN: Yeah.

274
00:13:38,445 --> 00:13:40,678
So, immediately, I would, uh,

275
00:13:40,745 --> 00:13:43,078
immediately try to go
around this if I feel it.

276
00:13:44,244 --> 00:13:45,712
Goes right underneath.

277
00:13:45,778 --> 00:13:46,812
Uh, yeah, it'd be great

278
00:13:46,878 --> 00:13:48,578
to live in a city
without scaffolding.

279
00:13:49,478 --> 00:13:51,945
But, um, unfortunately, uh...

280
00:13:52,945 --> 00:13:55,111
you know,
you work with what you got.

281
00:13:55,178 --> 00:13:59,345
♪ (DRAMATIC MUSIC PLAYING) ♪

282
00:14:00,611 --> 00:14:02,078
JOHN: <i>About a decade ago,</i>

283
00:14:02,144 --> 00:14:04,745
<i>I had this job where</i>
<i>I had to wake up at 4 a.m.</i>

284
00:14:04,812 --> 00:14:08,011
<i>and go film infomercials</i>
<i>that were broadcast live</i>

285
00:14:08,078 --> 00:14:10,745
<i>to local cable stations</i>
<i>around the country.</i>

286
00:14:12,345 --> 00:14:15,545
<i>It was right here</i>
<i>at 229 West 36th Street.</i>

287
00:14:16,345 --> 00:14:19,044
<i>I spent many, many cold mornings</i>

288
00:14:19,111 --> 00:14:21,111
<i>waiting for someone</i>
<i>to buzz me in</i>

289
00:14:21,178 --> 00:14:24,011
<i>so I could go</i>
<i>shoot some infomercials.</i>

290
00:14:25,311 --> 00:14:27,845
<i>This is one of the things</i>
<i>that I shot.</i>

291
00:14:27,912 --> 00:14:31,545
<i>I was instructed to film</i>
<i>the beef exactly like this,</i>

292
00:14:31,611 --> 00:14:33,144
<i>for ten hours straight.</i>

293
00:14:33,211 --> 00:14:35,778
So, they're just wonderful.
They're all the buzz right now.

294
00:14:35,845 --> 00:14:38,278
Sweet and savory,
just delicious.

295
00:14:38,345 --> 00:14:39,945
Your guests will love them,

296
00:14:40,011 --> 00:14:43,878
and you will totally take them
to Roast-Beef-atopia.

297
00:14:43,945 --> 00:14:46,211
JOHN: <i>I remember</i>
<i>after the first one I did,</i>

298
00:14:46,278 --> 00:14:47,978
<i>I told myself that</i>
<i>I would never return</i>

299
00:14:48,044 --> 00:14:49,745
<i>under any circumstances.</i>

300
00:14:50,545 --> 00:14:52,611
<i>But five years later,</i>

301
00:14:52,678 --> 00:14:55,878
<i>I was still somehow standing</i>
<i>behind the same camera,</i>

302
00:14:55,945 --> 00:14:58,678
<i>filming the same beef</i>
<i>the same way.</i>

303
00:14:58,745 --> 00:15:00,311
INFOMERCIAL HOST:
Look at all that great food,

304
00:15:00,378 --> 00:15:03,545
hand-trimmed to exacting
specifications... (INAUDIBLE)

305
00:15:03,611 --> 00:15:05,211
JOHN: <i>I was afraid</i>
<i>I wouldn't be able to</i>

306
00:15:05,278 --> 00:15:07,244
<i>support myself</i>
<i>without steady work,</i>

307
00:15:07,311 --> 00:15:10,211
<i>even though I knew in my heart</i>
<i>that I was helping to create</i>

308
00:15:10,278 --> 00:15:13,745
<i>some of the most grotesque</i>
<i>content on the planet.</i>

309
00:15:14,745 --> 00:15:17,912
♪ (TRANQUIL MUSIC PLAYING) ♪

310
00:15:17,978 --> 00:15:20,978
<i>It's really easy to settle for</i>
<i>something that you don't like.</i>

311
00:15:22,178 --> 00:15:23,845
<i>Because if you never admit</i>

312
00:15:23,912 --> 00:15:26,178
<i>you're unhappy</i>
<i>with something...</i>

313
00:15:26,244 --> 00:15:28,712
<i>then you never have</i>
<i>to change anything.</i>

314
00:15:30,478 --> 00:15:33,878
<i>Most of us don't speak up</i>
<i>when we're dissatisfied...</i>

315
00:15:35,445 --> 00:15:38,244
<i>and then things just</i>
<i>begin to accumulate</i>

316
00:15:38,311 --> 00:15:42,445
<i>until you can't really</i>
<i>imagine an alternative.</i>

317
00:15:44,678 --> 00:15:47,678
<i>You could end a relationship</i>
<i>that offers you nothing,</i>

318
00:15:47,745 --> 00:15:51,011
<i>or you could just</i>
<i>stay in it indefinitely</i>

319
00:15:51,078 --> 00:15:54,278
<i>because it's too hard</i>
<i>to move on.</i>

320
00:15:57,345 --> 00:16:00,411
<i>This scaffolding has been up</i>
<i>for over 20 years.</i>

321
00:16:01,411 --> 00:16:04,111
<i>It's at 409 Edgecombe Avenue</i>

322
00:16:04,178 --> 00:16:07,378
<i>in the Sugar Hill area</i>
<i>of Harlem.</i>

323
00:16:07,445 --> 00:16:09,712
Yeah, it's been here
my entire life.

324
00:16:09,778 --> 00:16:12,311
I don't know when it was put up,

325
00:16:12,378 --> 00:16:14,878
when they plan on
bringing it down. It's...

326
00:16:14,945 --> 00:16:16,178
It's just something
that's been here.

327
00:16:16,244 --> 00:16:19,345
Like, I-- I know we used it
for, like, sports and games.

328
00:16:19,411 --> 00:16:20,912
I know I used to play,
like, manhunt,

329
00:16:20,978 --> 00:16:23,244
and we used to climb up this
and just run it.

330
00:16:23,311 --> 00:16:24,511
You know, to me, I--

331
00:16:24,578 --> 00:16:27,912
I've known it my whole life,
so, to me, it is a landmark.

332
00:16:27,978 --> 00:16:31,511
JOHN: <i>But despite whatever</i>
<i>emotional attachment you have...</i>

333
00:16:31,578 --> 00:16:34,278
<i>scaffolding was never designed</i>
<i>to be up for this long.</i>

334
00:16:37,478 --> 00:16:39,678
<i>I was walking down</i>
<i>Fifth Avenue recently,</i>

335
00:16:39,745 --> 00:16:43,645
<i>and I saw that a bunch of</i>
<i>scaffolding had just collapsed.</i>

336
00:16:43,712 --> 00:16:46,211
<i>There were broken planks</i>
<i>and bricks everywhere,</i>

337
00:16:46,278 --> 00:16:48,011
<i>but thankfully, nobody was hurt.</i>

338
00:16:49,778 --> 00:16:51,411
<i>It seemed like</i>
<i>all this old scaffolding</i>

339
00:16:51,478 --> 00:16:53,611
<i>was a ticking time bomb.</i>

340
00:16:53,678 --> 00:16:56,978
<i>But instead of figuring out</i>
<i>a way to get it down sooner,</i>

341
00:16:57,044 --> 00:16:58,611
<i>the only noticeable innovation</i>

342
00:16:58,678 --> 00:17:01,244
<i>has been to make it</i>
<i>more stylish.</i>

343
00:17:02,478 --> 00:17:06,211
<i>In 2009, they held a</i>
<i>scaffolding design competition,</i>

344
00:17:06,278 --> 00:17:08,578
<i>and this thing won.</i>

345
00:17:08,645 --> 00:17:10,678
♪ (TRIUMPHANT MUSIC PLAYING) ♪

346
00:17:10,745 --> 00:17:12,044
<i>Not long after,</i>

347
00:17:12,111 --> 00:17:15,211
<i>its creamy, pearly-white pillars</i>

348
00:17:15,278 --> 00:17:19,078
<i>started to pop up on some of the</i>
<i>city's more genteel buildings.</i>

349
00:17:20,578 --> 00:17:23,445
<i>Although it may be brighter</i>
<i>and less cave-like,</i>

350
00:17:23,511 --> 00:17:26,578
<i>this new scaffold seems</i>
<i>a lot less customizable.</i>

351
00:17:27,511 --> 00:17:30,044
<i>There are fewer places</i>
<i>to hang things.</i>

352
00:17:30,111 --> 00:17:32,311
<i>And I can't imagine</i>
<i>an action scene</i>

353
00:17:32,378 --> 00:17:33,578
<i>working the same way.</i>

354
00:17:34,812 --> 00:17:37,978
<i>It's almost as if it wants</i>
<i>New York to be a different city,</i>

355
00:17:38,044 --> 00:17:40,111
<i>where it looks like</i>
<i>every building</i>

356
00:17:40,178 --> 00:17:41,645
<i>shops at the same store.</i>

357
00:17:42,645 --> 00:17:44,611
<i>And I'm not sure that</i>
<i>turning scaffolding</i>

358
00:17:44,678 --> 00:17:47,978
<i>into a status symbol</i>
<i>is really making us any safer.</i>

359
00:17:48,044 --> 00:17:49,912
♪ (MUSIC STOPS) ♪

360
00:17:49,978 --> 00:17:52,678
<i>Fortunately, there was</i>
<i>a scaffolding convention</i>

361
00:17:52,745 --> 00:17:54,912
<i>happening, uh,</i>
<i>down in New Orleans.</i>

362
00:17:54,978 --> 00:17:56,311
<i>So I went down there</i>

363
00:17:56,378 --> 00:17:58,478
<i>to see if there was</i>
<i>a solution on the horizon</i>

364
00:17:58,545 --> 00:18:00,078
<i>that could work for everyone.</i>

365
00:18:00,144 --> 00:18:02,178
♪ (TRIUMPHANT MUSIC PLAYING) ♪

366
00:18:03,445 --> 00:18:05,078
<i>When I checked in</i>
<i>to the Sheraton,</i>

367
00:18:05,144 --> 00:18:06,278
<i>I could already see signs</i>

368
00:18:06,345 --> 00:18:09,378
<i>that the scaffolding industry</i>
<i>had invaded.</i>

369
00:18:09,445 --> 00:18:10,778
<i>This was supposed to be</i>
<i>the cutting edge</i>

370
00:18:10,845 --> 00:18:12,478
<i>of scaffold technology,</i>

371
00:18:12,545 --> 00:18:15,445
<i>and I was, uh,</i>
<i>I was very excited.</i>

372
00:18:15,511 --> 00:18:19,178
♪ (TRIUMPHANT MUSIC CONTINUES) ♪

373
00:18:31,778 --> 00:18:34,078
-JOHN: Did you invent this?
-Yeah.

374
00:18:34,144 --> 00:18:36,011
JOHN:
Uh, why did you invent this?

375
00:18:36,078 --> 00:18:38,812
Because I had a window cleaner
fall off a building and die.

376
00:18:39,411 --> 00:18:40,778
JOHN: Oh.

377
00:18:40,845 --> 00:18:43,645
♪ (TRIUMPHANT MUSIC CONTINUES) ♪

378
00:18:43,712 --> 00:18:45,878
WINDOW WASHER MANUFACTURER:
And we can make it 13 feet long.

379
00:18:45,945 --> 00:18:47,311
It's an eight-footer now,
but we--

380
00:18:47,378 --> 00:18:48,912
That's a small side brush,
so we can add

381
00:18:48,978 --> 00:18:50,778
two side brushes
and it'll clean...

382
00:18:50,845 --> 00:18:53,078
It'll clean almost
twice as much.

383
00:18:53,144 --> 00:18:54,912
♪ (TRIUMPHANT MUSIC STOPS) ♪

384
00:18:54,978 --> 00:18:56,011
JOHN: Wow.

385
00:18:57,378 --> 00:18:59,178
<i>I only talked</i>
<i>to a couple of people</i>

386
00:18:59,244 --> 00:19:02,111
<i>before the organizers</i>
<i>of the convention approached me</i>

387
00:19:02,178 --> 00:19:04,178
<i>and told me that I needed</i>
<i>to stop filming.</i>

388
00:19:04,244 --> 00:19:05,411
Uh, why is that?

389
00:19:06,311 --> 00:19:07,945
ORGANIZER 1:

390
00:19:08,011 --> 00:19:09,378
ORGANIZER 2: Yes.

391
00:19:09,445 --> 00:19:11,545
JOHN: <i>They said that there were</i>
<i>too many industry secrets here,</i>

392
00:19:11,611 --> 00:19:13,945
<i>and I couldn't be trusted</i>
<i>not to steal them.</i>

393
00:19:14,011 --> 00:19:15,478
So I can't go around--

394
00:19:15,545 --> 00:19:17,011
ORGANIZERS:

395
00:19:17,078 --> 00:19:18,111
JOHN: All right.

396
00:19:18,745 --> 00:19:20,445
<i>I was crushed.</i>

397
00:19:20,511 --> 00:19:22,278
<i>But thankfully,</i>
<i>there were a bunch of</i>

398
00:19:22,345 --> 00:19:24,511
<i>scaffolding people</i>
<i>hanging around outside,</i>

399
00:19:24,578 --> 00:19:27,345
<i>and they were fine telling me</i>
<i>all their secrets.</i>

400
00:19:27,411 --> 00:19:30,445
Business is good,
business is booming, uh,

401
00:19:30,511 --> 00:19:33,445
our s-- our sales
are increasing year over year.

402
00:19:33,511 --> 00:19:34,912
If you're in New York City,
you will--

403
00:19:34,978 --> 00:19:36,311
you will never
get away from scaffolding,

404
00:19:36,378 --> 00:19:37,745
-I can promise you that.
-(CHUCKLES)

405
00:19:37,812 --> 00:19:40,912
JOHN: Do you worry
about stuff falling on you, uh,

406
00:19:40,978 --> 00:19:42,678
when you walk around cities?

407
00:19:42,745 --> 00:19:44,845
-Oh, yes. Yes.
-Sometimes, yes.

408
00:19:44,912 --> 00:19:47,078
Unless my husband has done
the scaffolding,

409
00:19:47,144 --> 00:19:48,345
I don't worry about it.

410
00:19:48,411 --> 00:19:50,244
JOHN: When you see
a well-done scaffolding job,

411
00:19:50,311 --> 00:19:51,511
do you see beauty?

412
00:19:51,578 --> 00:19:52,778
-Yes.
-Yes.

413
00:19:52,845 --> 00:19:54,812
-And safety.
-Yes.

414
00:19:54,878 --> 00:19:56,345
JOHN: Can scaffolding be art?

415
00:19:56,411 --> 00:19:58,211
-Yes, it can. It is art.
-It is. Yes.

416
00:19:58,278 --> 00:19:59,311
-It is art.
-It is art.

417
00:19:59,378 --> 00:20:00,445
♪ (MYSTERIOUS MUSIC PLAYING) ♪

418
00:20:00,511 --> 00:20:02,078
JOHN: <i>Walking around downtown,</i>

419
00:20:02,144 --> 00:20:04,678
<i>I actually didn't even see</i>
<i>any scaffolding.</i>

420
00:20:06,078 --> 00:20:08,912
<i>Maybe this is because all</i>
<i>the scaffolding in New Orleans</i>

421
00:20:08,978 --> 00:20:12,878
<i>was actually built into</i>
<i>the architecture down here.</i>

422
00:20:13,745 --> 00:20:16,445
<i>It was a beautiful alternative.</i>

423
00:20:16,511 --> 00:20:19,511
<i>Would New York be better off</i>
<i>if we had something permanent</i>

424
00:20:19,578 --> 00:20:22,244
<i>instead of this temporary stuff</i>
<i>being erected</i>

425
00:20:22,311 --> 00:20:23,912
<i>and dismantled all the time?</i>

426
00:20:25,278 --> 00:20:26,445
<i>Is this what it looks like</i>

427
00:20:26,511 --> 00:20:28,712
<i>when you finally commit</i>
<i>to something?</i>

428
00:20:30,645 --> 00:20:33,211
<i>The locals here were lucky</i>
<i>to live in a state of bliss</i>

429
00:20:33,278 --> 00:20:36,345
<i>enjoyed only by those</i>
<i>ignorant of scaffolding.</i>

430
00:20:36,411 --> 00:20:38,211
What are your thoughts
on scaffolding?

431
00:20:38,278 --> 00:20:40,978
I don't even know what that is,
I'm gonna be honest with you.

432
00:20:41,044 --> 00:20:43,144
JOHN: Do you ever worry about,
uh, things falling

433
00:20:43,211 --> 00:20:44,778
and hitting you on the head?

434
00:20:44,845 --> 00:20:46,712
All the time.
They got balconies up here,

435
00:20:46,778 --> 00:20:48,578
they got people
who would throw shit at you.

436
00:20:48,645 --> 00:20:49,778
I've had it happen to me.

437
00:20:49,845 --> 00:20:52,845
They'll see the big gold
glasses, a nice juicy buff guy.

438
00:20:52,912 --> 00:20:54,678
"Hey, that's a target.
Let's get him."

439
00:20:54,745 --> 00:20:56,545
All the time, it happens,
believe me.

440
00:20:56,611 --> 00:20:57,945
JOHN: Can you do a trick for me?

441
00:20:58,011 --> 00:21:00,111
Sure. (MUFFLED)
You wanna hold the mic?

442
00:21:00,178 --> 00:21:02,445
♪ (STREET MUSICIAN SINGING) ♪

443
00:21:05,378 --> 00:21:07,244
JOHN: <i>The only scaffolding</i>
<i>I could find anywhere</i>

444
00:21:07,311 --> 00:21:09,511
<i>was at the new Hard Rock Hotel,</i>

445
00:21:09,578 --> 00:21:12,778
<i>which was being built on</i>
<i>Canal and North Rampart Street.</i>

446
00:21:14,445 --> 00:21:16,878
<i>Compared to what I was used</i>
<i>to seeing in New York,</i>

447
00:21:16,945 --> 00:21:20,878
<i>this scaffolding looked cheap</i>
<i>and haphazardly assembled.</i>

448
00:21:20,945 --> 00:21:22,678
<i>And for the size</i>
<i>of the building,</i>

449
00:21:22,745 --> 00:21:25,011
<i>I couldn't imagine that</i>
<i>it would offer much protection</i>

450
00:21:25,078 --> 00:21:27,411
<i>if something were to fall</i>
<i>from way up above.</i>

451
00:21:28,978 --> 00:21:31,611
<i>I was stunned to see that</i>
<i>the entire side of the building</i>

452
00:21:31,678 --> 00:21:35,144
<i>that faced North Rampart had</i>
<i>no scaffolding set up at all.</i>

453
00:21:35,211 --> 00:21:36,978
<i>And for the first time</i>
<i>in my life,</i>

454
00:21:37,044 --> 00:21:40,011
<i>I found myself wishing for</i>
<i>a little more scaffolding.</i>

455
00:21:43,078 --> 00:21:44,812
<i>I'd heard there was a place</i>
<i>in the French Quarter</i>

456
00:21:44,878 --> 00:21:47,411
<i>that made a cocktail served</i>
<i>in a fishbowl.</i>

457
00:21:47,478 --> 00:21:49,244
<i>So I went looking around for it.</i>

458
00:21:50,345 --> 00:21:52,111
<i>And I ran into a guy</i>
<i>from the convention</i>

459
00:21:52,178 --> 00:21:55,578
<i>who actually bought and sold</i>
<i>scaffolding companies.</i>

460
00:21:55,645 --> 00:21:57,044
<i>And he wanted to talk.</i>

461
00:21:57,111 --> 00:21:59,378
Do you think there's such
a thing as too much scaffolding?

462
00:21:59,445 --> 00:22:00,778
No.

463
00:22:00,845 --> 00:22:03,278
(INDISTINCT CHATTER)

464
00:22:04,445 --> 00:22:05,478
JOHN: Why not?

465
00:22:06,111 --> 00:22:07,411
It's where I make my living.

466
00:22:07,478 --> 00:22:09,211
There can never be too much
scaffolding.

467
00:22:10,278 --> 00:22:11,712
Roll it out.

468
00:22:11,778 --> 00:22:14,078
♪ (DRAMATIC MUSIC PLAYING) ♪

469
00:22:14,144 --> 00:22:16,144
JOHN: <i>The whole industry</i>
<i>seemed pretty confident</i>

470
00:22:16,211 --> 00:22:18,178
<i>that scaffolding</i>
<i>was here to stay</i>

471
00:22:18,244 --> 00:22:20,712
<i>and it would continue to grow</i>
<i>like a fungus,</i>

472
00:22:20,778 --> 00:22:23,745
<i>but I couldn't help but think</i>
<i>that it posed its own danger.</i>

473
00:22:25,278 --> 00:22:26,478
<i>I tried going to a bar</i>

474
00:22:26,545 --> 00:22:28,945
<i>to get away from the industry</i>
<i>for a minute,</i>

475
00:22:29,011 --> 00:22:30,745
<i>but even the movie</i>
<i>they had on at the pub</i>

476
00:22:30,812 --> 00:22:33,778
<i>was filled</i>
<i>with cartoon scaffolding.</i>

477
00:22:35,778 --> 00:22:37,945
<i>I even read</i>
<i>a terrifying statistic</i>

478
00:22:38,011 --> 00:22:39,511
<i>that scaffolding failure</i>

479
00:22:39,578 --> 00:22:43,044
<i>was responsible for 80 deaths</i>
<i>annually across the country.</i>

480
00:22:44,311 --> 00:22:46,044
<i>Maybe these people</i>
<i>in the construction industry</i>

481
00:22:46,111 --> 00:22:48,178
<i>weren't as careful</i>
<i>as we thought.</i>

482
00:22:50,244 --> 00:22:52,244
<i>And when I went back</i>
<i>to Bourbon Street,</i>

483
00:22:52,311 --> 00:22:55,411
<i>I saw the same guy from before</i>
<i>wandering around,</i>

484
00:22:55,478 --> 00:22:59,311
<i>half drunk,</i>
<i>without a care in the world...</i>

485
00:22:59,378 --> 00:23:02,211
<i>trying to find the right</i>
<i>strip club to go into, like...</i>

486
00:23:02,278 --> 00:23:06,011
<i>uh, Goldilocks tasting porridge.</i>

487
00:23:06,078 --> 00:23:10,678
♪ (DRAMATIC MUSIC CONTINUES) ♪

488
00:23:17,912 --> 00:23:19,878
♪ (DRAMATIC MUSIC STOPS) ♪

489
00:23:21,845 --> 00:23:23,745
JOHN: <i>The next morning,</i>
<i>I walked down to the levee</i>

490
00:23:23,812 --> 00:23:25,044
<i>to clear my head.</i>

491
00:23:26,778 --> 00:23:29,378
<i>I guess a levee is kind of</i>
<i>like scaffolding too...</i>

492
00:23:29,445 --> 00:23:32,545
<i>and sometimes its failure</i>
<i>could be extremely dangerous</i>

493
00:23:32,611 --> 00:23:34,645
<i>for the people</i>
<i>it's designed to protect.</i>

494
00:23:36,411 --> 00:23:38,111
<i>There was a fisherman</i>
<i>down there,</i>

495
00:23:38,178 --> 00:23:40,611
<i>and I wondered how he felt</i>
<i>about living in a city</i>

496
00:23:40,678 --> 00:23:43,011
<i>that's constantly trying</i>
<i>to kill you.</i>

497
00:23:47,411 --> 00:23:49,645
(BIRDS CHIRPING)

498
00:24:02,645 --> 00:24:04,778
JOHN: <i>I guess sometimes</i>
<i>the beauty of a city</i>

499
00:24:04,845 --> 00:24:06,111
<i>is in its danger.</i>

500
00:24:07,478 --> 00:24:09,945
<i>But you do always have a choice</i>

501
00:24:10,011 --> 00:24:13,111
<i>in how much risk</i>
<i>you wanna take on.</i>

502
00:24:13,178 --> 00:24:15,945
<i>And no one is really forcing you</i>
<i>to live on the edge.</i>

503
00:24:16,011 --> 00:24:18,345
♪ (RELAXING MUSIC PLAYING) ♪

504
00:24:18,411 --> 00:24:22,311
<i>So, I headed home</i>
<i>and it was great to...</i>

505
00:24:22,378 --> 00:24:25,044
<i>finally, uh,</i>
<i>be back in New York.</i>

506
00:24:28,378 --> 00:24:32,678
<i>But shortly after I arrived,</i>
<i>I saw some terrible news.</i>

507
00:24:32,745 --> 00:24:34,878
<i>The Hard Rock Hotel that</i>
<i>I had just been filming</i>

508
00:24:34,945 --> 00:24:37,011
<i>down in New Orleans</i>
<i>had just collapsed</i>

509
00:24:37,078 --> 00:24:38,878
<i>and killed three people.</i>

510
00:24:39,778 --> 00:24:41,378
MAN: <i>Oh, my God!</i>

511
00:24:41,445 --> 00:24:43,178
NEWS ANCHOR:
<i>Panic and mass confusion</i>

512
00:24:43,244 --> 00:24:45,812
<i>in the heart of New Orleans.</i>

513
00:24:45,878 --> 00:24:48,745
<i>This morning, the upper floors</i>
<i>of the Hard Rock Hotel,</i>

514
00:24:48,812 --> 00:24:51,912
<i>currently under construction,</i>
<i>suddenly began to crumble.</i>

515
00:24:52,678 --> 00:24:54,978
JOHN: <i>The video was horrifying.</i>

516
00:24:55,044 --> 00:24:57,478
<i>And I couldn't believe</i>
<i>that I had just been standing</i>

517
00:24:57,545 --> 00:25:00,812
<i>right underneath it</i>
<i>just a-- a few days before.</i>

518
00:25:02,044 --> 00:25:04,745
<i>They had to keep everyone out</i>
<i>of the area for a while,</i>

519
00:25:04,812 --> 00:25:08,011
<i>because the only way to make</i>
<i>the construction site safe again</i>

520
00:25:08,078 --> 00:25:10,211
<i>would be to blow up</i>
<i>the cranes that were dangling</i>

521
00:25:10,278 --> 00:25:12,545
<i>precariously above the street.</i>

522
00:25:13,912 --> 00:25:16,311
<i>But they weren't even sure</i>
<i>how to do that safely.</i>

523
00:25:17,645 --> 00:25:19,478
<i>And the more</i>
<i>I watched the video,</i>

524
00:25:19,545 --> 00:25:22,311
<i>the more I suspected that</i>
<i>no amount of scaffolding</i>

525
00:25:22,378 --> 00:25:24,478
<i>could have prevented</i>
<i>something like this.</i>

526
00:25:26,845 --> 00:25:28,712
♪ (SAD MUSIC PLAYING) ♪

527
00:25:28,778 --> 00:25:31,712
<i>You can waste your entire life</i>
<i>playing it safe.</i>

528
00:25:31,778 --> 00:25:35,745
<i>But the real danger is never</i>
<i>what you expect it to be.</i>

529
00:25:35,812 --> 00:25:39,211
<i>And if you put up too much</i>
<i>scaffolding to protect yourself,</i>

530
00:25:39,278 --> 00:25:41,645
<i>you might just end up</i>
<i>buried underneath it.</i>

531
00:25:43,845 --> 00:25:46,311
<i>But if we try real hard</i>
<i>to take it down,</i>

532
00:25:46,812 --> 00:25:48,778
<i>piece by piece...</i>

533
00:25:48,845 --> 00:25:51,278
<i>eventually, one day,</i>
<i>it'll all be gone.</i>

534
00:25:52,645 --> 00:25:55,244
<i>And only then will we know</i>
<i>if it was all for show.</i>

535
00:25:57,611 --> 00:25:59,878
<i>It could be kind of scary</i>
<i>at first...</i>

536
00:25:59,945 --> 00:26:03,078
<i>but we may be better off</i>
<i>finding new ways</i>

537
00:26:03,144 --> 00:26:07,244
<i>to protect ourselves from</i>
<i>all the uncertainty in the sky.</i>

538
00:26:07,311 --> 00:26:10,011
-♪ (MUSIC STOPS) ♪
-(BIRD CAWING)

539
00:26:13,144 --> 00:26:15,244
(EXPLOSION BOOMS)

540
00:26:16,244 --> 00:26:19,278
(CAR ALARMS BLARING)

541
00:26:29,678 --> 00:26:32,645
JOHN: <i>This is John Wilson.</i>
<i>Thanks for watching.</i>

542
00:26:33,778 --> 00:26:36,011
(ALARMS CONTINUE)

543
00:26:36,712 --> 00:26:41,078
♪ (UPBEAT MUSIC PLAYING) ♪

544
00:27:31,111 --> 00:27:32,812
♪ (ETHEREAL MUSIC PLAYS) ♪

545
00:27:42,445 --> 00:27:43,678
JOHN WILSON: <i>A good memory is</i>

546
00:27:43,745 --> 00:27:46,278
<i>one of the most attractive</i>
<i>qualities a person can have.</i>

547
00:27:47,345 --> 00:27:48,611
<i>My memory's not very good,</i>

548
00:27:49,078 --> 00:27:51,478
<i>and it's always</i>
<i>made me feel insecure.</i>

549
00:27:55,445 --> 00:27:56,445
♪ (MUSIC CONCLUDES) ♪