![]() When you give up all fear, that’s when accidents happen. So, they called me in to see what I would do differently-if I could make it any safer.”ĪN: “I reserve a little bit of fear. I’ve gotten called into two buildings where the window cleaners had fallen and died. It's not like a ‘monkey see, monkey do’ kind of thing. I’m seeing more and more of that and I do believe that’s why I’m seeing more and more falling. For example, when you’re standing on a platform outside of a building and you’re 500 or 600 feet in the air, your mind and your self-preservation chip are going to say that you’re in a precarious position-but you’re not, if you understand the tech being used and your surroundings.”ĪN: “To be honest, the business has become flooded with new arrivals and they just don’t know the business well. It’s an experiential and perspective issue, so it doesn’t matter when you have all the safeties on in the world. You can’t be afraid of heights and be in this business. It’s a lucrative industry, if you’re willing to work hard. You find your way into it and, if you’re good at it and you have an aptitude for it, you stay because it has benefits. You don’t see people get into it late in life. You see people get into this industry when they’re young. By the time you realize you’re not immortal, you’re very used to the experience. I was never afraid of heights, especially at 19 years old. JM: “My first day on the job, I worked at 9 West 57th Street, which is a 52-story building. Most of the people who end up getting seen are the ones who leave their windows open in Manhattan.” It’s a common occurrence that people are getting out of the shower or doing what couples do. Then, on the second pass, he didn’t move the spotlights, and the guy jumped up and was alarmed and running around the apartment like the DEA was about to break into his apartment. He had spotlights and, on the first pass, he moved the spotlights. On one of the floors, he noticed there was a couple on the bed. RH: “One I could share is about a guy we had working at night in a bucket truck. That’s always interesting to me.”ĪD: Are there stories of memorable experiences that you can share? The city’s constantly changing and growing and evolving. When you’re out there, you definitely get to appreciate the views as well as some of the architecture and history of the buildings. But I know guys who have been higher than that, to 50 or 60 floors. ![]() ![]() Once you learn the safe way to approach what you’re doing, you start to trust what you’re doing because of who taught you how to do it. RH: “I had a good mentor between my father-in-law and the guys with 25 or 30 years of experience that I could learn from. There have been some slight times that the scaffold and the ropes have been caught but, no, I’ve never really been afraid.” How many feet was that? North of 1,300 feet? I’ve always been very comfortable. I’ve been on the scaffold above the Occupy Wall Street demonstrations. There’s a respect and appreciation for that. These guys are working with a partner and it’s somebody they trust. I think these are people who have that personality and they enjoy it. They have a job, a task, to complete and they know what they have to do. I think most people appreciate the isolation on the scaffold. It’s quiet and still and I’ve always enjoyed that. I always enjoy cleaning windows and being on top of the buildings when it’s quiet in the early morning. I’m in charge of the scaffold, so I’m the one that says the men are trained and the scaffold is safe.”īF: “I was never afraid of heights. I believe I got my rigger license from the DOB in 2004 that the window cleaners work under. It’s been a family business, where, basically, the window cleaners have come through family members and friends and whatnot. John brought Joey into the business and Joey brought me into the business. John McDermott was a window cleaner and he was friends with my older brother, Joey. AD: What was your introduction to the window-cleaning business?īF: “I was 23 years old when I started in 1994.
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