Saturday, February 20, 2010

Windows are insecure

Decades ago I read an anecdote in Readers' Digest about how secretaries in one of the first buildings with all-glass walls were nervous of walking near the walls/windows for fear of falling out. The firm called in an expert to consult. He asked that they all be present, then he came into the office, ran across the floor, threw himself at the window, bounced off, picked himself up, and left.

Maybe Mr. Hoy from the 2009 Darwin Awards had read that story.
"Police said a lawyer demonstrating the safety of windows in a downtown Toronto skyscraper crashed through a pane with his shoulder and plunged 24 floors to his death. A police spokesman said Garry Hoy, 39, fell into the courtyard of the Toronto Dominion Bank Tower early Friday evening as he was explaining the strength of the buildings' windows to visiting law students. Hoy previously has conducted demonstrations of window strength according to police reports."

I'm sure it's true, I read it on the Internet.

1 comment:

John said...

That's definitely true. I remember it.