Heights & claustraphobia

GreyLobo · May 12, 2006

Tom,

? ? ?I feel for you. My height phobia seems to have gotten worse with age.? The worse for me is climbing that extension ladder to do second story maintenance.? The bounce and the being more then 8 feet up get me every time.? For the most part I have been able to control the fear factor and get the required maintenance done.

? ? ?The worst episode was when visiting Paris and my wife decided we had to go to the top of the Eiffel Tower.? Well I swallowed my heart and promised myself I would stay away from the edge once I got to the top.? ?What happens, they load us into the elevator like sardines? my back is pressed to the exterior wall and all I have between myself and all those riveted I-beams is what feel like some 1/8" Plexiglas.? My heart was beating so fast by the time I made it to the top that I had to find a corner with walls on two sides and just try to relax in a squatting position before I could convince my legs to hold my weight by them selves.

? ? ?Did get some great pictures and going down I made sure to get in the exact middle of the elevator?

JGarrick · May 12, 2006

GreyLobo said:
...My height phobia seems to have gotten worse with age.?...

There's not much sense in these things. Airplanes and tall buildings don't bother me. I've done a fair bit of rock climbing and it didn't bother me. But put me 10 feet off the ground on an extension ladder and I can barely function.

Go figure.

Tom · May 12, 2006

It's sure a scary thing, although for me it's more than fear per se; I have this feeling that I'm going to keel over and it progresses very quickly to a desire to keel over (as in deliberately fall off a roof).

Your Eifel Tower story reminds me of a story I heard from my sister for the first time a year ago. She and her family went up to the top of Saint Paul's Cathedral in London. Admittedly nowehere near as high as the Eifel Tower, but the top floor is essentially a large catwalk. She found herself on her hands and knees, unable to stand up, and all the other tourists walking over and around her.

Tom · May 12, 2006

JGarrick said:
Airplanes and tall buildings don't bother me. .... But put me 10 feet off the ground...

Ladders are a problem of their own for me. I've always had a very poor sense of balance and, when I get on a step ladder, the whole thing is shaking like jello. (It's actually me that's shaking the ladder, not the other way around). My wife usually has to hold the ladder for me.

Wendy · May 12, 2006

I would have a different problem in the Eiffel Tower or Stratosphere elevators....claustrophobia. I'd rather be out on that catwalk than crammed into the elevator check to jowl with other folks. Several years ago, I ended up in the back of the elevator to the bottom of Hoover Dam (people I was with wanted to be first in line which puts you at the very back of the elevator)....had 2 BIG guys in front of me and I very nearly lost it before we got to the bottom. I shoved my way out past the rest of the tour who were all calmly stepping off the elevator in proper order. I had to really talk to myself before I could get back iin that elevator to go to the top.

Good thing the St Louis Arch has been sold out for the day every time we've been there cuz I'm not getting in one of those pods!! I'd rather walk.

Tom · May 12, 2006

Wendy,

Just make sure you don't take a commuter train out of Shinjuku station in Tokyo (reportedly the busiest train station in the world). When everyone has squeezed themselves in as tight as they can, station personnel employed as "pushers" come along and shove them in further to get more people on the train. I won't describe the heat and the smell in that tight environment, but leave it to your imagination. Now the rest of the story .....

When you push hard on a pile of solids, whatever is at the center will have a tendency to be pushed upwards, kinda like the center of a cone. The folks in the center of the train carriage are similarly elevated i.e. their feet aren't even touching the ground.

I've only witnessed this from the inside of the train one time - when my guide and translator got us on the wrong train and we had to take a commuter train at commute time to get back on track so to speak.
Edit: Typo.

Wendy · May 12, 2006

Well, I just took Tokyo off my "to visit" list

Tom · May 12, 2006

LOL Wendy, it's not one of my favorite destinations, although I usually had no choice when I visited on business.

Ron · May 12, 2006

Having lived in Tokyo for 6.5 years I became use to the train systems there. One thing you learn is that the trains are never full since they can always manage to push another two or more dozen persons on.

Glad you are happy with the roof mount. Somehow I knew you would like it.

Tom · May 12, 2006

Ron said:
...the trains are never full since they can always manage to push another two or more dozen persons on.

LOL Ron, isn't that a fact! Quite different from a ride on the bullet train or a "green car" (aka first class) on the Narita Express (direct link to Shinjuku).

For sure, no complaints about the roof mount. Again, a very big thanks to you and Terry for installing it. If you recall, I wasn't much use that day - I was suffering from too much sun and was overheating badly.

Rex · May 13, 2006

Tom, this should make you feel better about the height issue. One of the guys I used to fly with was an an instructor pilot. He was a darn good pilot and could do anything with the plane, well that is, while he was inside it. If he had to get on a 3-foot step ladder to check the oil or tanks, well he just couldn't do it. We used to kid him when he would hold the ladder while his wife was up on it painting the house. He flew for many years and never did overcome the height problem outside the aircraft.

Tom · May 13, 2006

Thanks Rex.

Rex said:
... he would hold the ladder while his wife was up on it painting the house.

That's pretty much the way it is at our house.

Ron · May 13, 2006

I don't like heights either but never had a problem while flying. Had a flight student that had the same problem and he was concerned when he took his first lesson. Seems he lost this concern once we were rolling down the runway for takeoff. Last I knew this guy was a corporate pilot flying business jets.

Shayne · May 13, 2006

Tom I'm with you. Don't care how high I have to go on the ladder- even the top rung- as long as I can keep one foot on the ground. Blew off a roof one time on into a neighbors tree and punctured a kidney, sending 3 months in the hospital. Not fun. Had no control = that's not my style.

Tom · May 13, 2006

Ron said:
I don't like heights either but never had a problem while flying.

Neither have I Ron, which is the strange part of this whole thing. Presumably the surrounding structure (cabin, cockpit, etc) changes the point of reference for the brain.

Tom · May 13, 2006

Shayne,

That doesn't sound good

Jeff · May 13, 2006

Rex & Ron:

I used to tell everyone who were concerned with flying not to worry, they would only be three feet off the floor of the airplane. ;D ;D

Ron · May 13, 2006

Jeff /Washington said:
Rex & Ron:

I used to tell everyone who were concerned woith flying not to worry, they would only be three feet off the floor of the airplane. ;D ;D

Less than that in a Mooney. ;D

Shayne · May 13, 2006

Thanks a lot Jeff ?But that floor is still 1000's of feet above the ground.

Jeff · May 13, 2006

Ron said:
Less than that in a Mooney. ;D

Ron:

With a Mooney claustrophobia is a bigger issue. ;D ;D

Heights & claustraphobia

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