|
             
|
 The National Demolition Contractors Association met in Las Vegas. When people destroy buildings for a living, it's a wonder they can find a place to meet. One fellow has solved the problem. If the hotel clerk notices on the registration form that his occupation is "blowing up buildings" and asks for an explanation, he says it works every time to show him his tire pump. I suppose it's an occupational hazard, but it makes me nervous to see them all sitting on the opposite side of the room, looking up at the ceiling on my side. It's amazing how little time it takes to finish your remarks when you see the meeting planner putting on a hard hat and twisting together two little wires. These guys are the ones whose work you've seen on the special TV news. Remember how they show an old 20-story hotel one second and the next moment it's collapsed in a cloud of dust? I was watching one of those special news stories once, and the station went off the air. The camera crew went through the air. I've often wondered if that's what is going on when you see those signs flick on that read, "The fault does not lie with your TV set." The fault lies with the camera crew setting up in the wrong hotel. Can't you just imagine some wino staggering around a corner to see a hotel disappear? "See that, Mister? Gimme a dollar or I'll turn my power on you!" Not all buildings are destroyed with dynamite. Some use the wrecking ball. I heard about one crane operator who got the hiccups and before he could get control of his machine, his backswing had knocked out every other floor of the new hotel across the street. The most amazing piece of work I saw was a giant smokestack that was felled in a crowded industrial complex within a corridor that had only 18 feet clearance on either side. When they detonated the charges, they didn't yell, "Timber!" They said, "Our Father who art in heaven." The smokestack fell without breaking a window or cracking a foundation in any of the adjoining buildings. The company put up a sign in the midst of the remains indicating the company motto: "Do a little work and leave a big pile." |
 |
|
Questions? Comments? Suggestions? |