Picture of the broken/dangling crane in NYC from my hotel room window

[stevenleser]

angle is up

[liberalmuse]

1. That looks too close for comfort.

Be safe!

[nc4bo]

2. **gulp**

Stay safe Steven!!!

[jberryhill]

3. Hey, you have the heavy duty blackout blinds?

I'd recommend closing them.

I feel for you, though. I'm stuck in a hotel too.

(of course, my hotel is in France, so I can go outside. But, still, my flight home was cancelled, and I'm not sure when I'm getting out of here)

[justiceischeap]

4. Can you get a clearer picture, maybe clean the water off that window?

Nice shot, stay safe.

[snooper2]

5. Could you shake the the frame at the bottom to try to knock it loose?

Like a controlled fall

[Control-Z]

6. Do you feel at risk in any way

from the crane? Falling further, bouncing off of other buildings? I'm probably imagining something way out of the realm of possibility...I hope I am.

Please, stay safe.

[annabanana]

7. I sure do hope that doesn't come loose!

A stiff gust and you're in trouble

[HopeHoops]

8. Where the FUCK is Superman when you need him? Good fucking grief!

[jberryhill]

16. You have to hang a baby on it

Someone should hang a baby on it. Then Superman will get it for sure.

[antigone382]

19. This made me bust out laughing. Thank you! n/t

I'm nowhere close to the severe parts of this storm but these things just affect me a lot. Haven't really been able to focus on anything else today.

[Marie Marie]

50. As will all those old white pro-life republicans.

Oh wait, they only value them when they are fetuses. Once they are children, they are on their own. But really, you look like you are waaay too close to that thing. Hope they figure out a way to safely get that thing down.

[Hugabear]

17. Did somebody call for Superman?

[HopeHoops]

20. Thanks. I just lost my lunch.

[onecent]

27. lol..i needed a laugh.

[Panasonic]

34. Who is that?

[hogwyld]

36. Lyin Ryan's face

[Hugabear]

38. Ryan thinks he is Superman

Did you know he once ran a marathon in 26 minutes?

Or something like that...I can't remember exactly what his bullshit claim was.

[Hugabear]

26. Superman lives in Metropolis. NYC is Spiderman's backyard.

Unless NYC is being invaded by super-deities, then he's nowhere to be found.

Does anyone know if Spidey's webbing can even stick when it's raining?

[jberryhill]

28. It depends on which Marvel Universe you are in

Like, with the upgrades in the new suit circa 1986 Amazing Spiderman, yeah, the webbing was even better.

There have been a number of times where bad guys have developed substances which keep the webbing from sticking.

[HopeHoops]

31. Yeah, well Gotham is a euphemism for NYC too.

[jberryhill]

42. Of course, just about any word would be a euphemism for NYC

[HopeHoops]

43. The use of the Statue of Liberty sort of cemented the deal.

Two Face, helicopter, Yin/Yang parachute, you know the scene.

[dropboss11]

48. lmbo

[HopeHoops]

61. I wasn't joking!

[kentauros]

59. We should call The Tick instead.

So he can ... defy ... the laws ... of physics!

[sarisataka]

65. SPOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOONNNNNNNNNNNNNN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! n/t

[Purrfessor]

69. Superman has it under control. Here is the evidence:

[HopeHoops]

71. That might be a Photoshop job.

[PCIntern]

9. Lookouts below! Nt

[bananas]

10. How about a picture of the street below it

so we can see what it will hit and have a before-and-after comparison.

[DonRedwood]

11. I hope the wind is blowing it away from you....

[HooptieWagon]

33. +1000

If that is upwind of you, get out of there!

[Aerows]

12. I feel for you folks

I know how bad they can hit. The next time someone says "well just move out of the areas affected" you want to slap somebody. Especially when they just went through the area affected.

Let me interject something positive, though - you in NY and NJ have some of the best emergency services in the world. The whole world is pulling for you. We love our sisters and brothers on the East Coast, and if the power goes dark, we will be lighting a candle in our hearts for you.

[LadyHawkAZ]

13. Holy FUCK Steve! Get away from the windows!

We don't need cool photos if it's going to put you in harm's way. Really. I for one would like to see you back- in one piece!- after the storm passes. Go sit somewhere safe, k?

[stevenleser]

14. Thanks everybody! I'm at the restaurant getting some grub

Will respond to everybody more fully in a few

[jberryhill]

18. Skip dessert... It's coming loose... Get a good picture!

Because in five months, there will probably be a conspiracy theory about it.

You could be the next Zapruder!

[NotThisTime]

41. Can you switch your hotel room to the other side of the hotel so you are not on THAT side of the

building?

[Posteritatis]

15. Saw a pre-storm pic of that yesterday; definitely saw that coming. (nt)

[countryjake]

21. Man, you are way too close to that window!

Pull that shade, step away from the window, and put the camera down!

And don't forget that the higher you are in a building, the higher the wind speeds will probably be.

Really, do stay safe and thanks for the photo, but I would seriously have that shade down to a mere crack for occasional peeping out!

[barbtries]

22. should you be that close to it??

especially with what's coming at you???

[jberryhill]

23. I gotta say.. I saw picture of something "dangling from my hotel room"...

And found this thread surprising.

[Kurovski]

24. Yeesh! (nt)

[ChisolmTrailDem]

25. Same crane from Google Earth Streetview:

This gives some idea of the crane's usual configuration. As you can see both from your image and from the TV angles, the boom seems to have been blown directly up and over the cab/counterweight platform and the cross-member structure has been ripped out of thecenter of the boom. It appears as if the boom came down exactly center of the rear cable support structure, the part angling up and back opposite the boom in the image below. That thing seems to be hanging literally by a thread consisting of what's left of the boom.

[onecent]

29. I am praying that you stay safe...this thing could

break off and land ALMOST ANYWHERE within 3 miles or right in your room....
Maybe a room on the other side of the building.???
Wow...I would be petrified if i were you. Order a bunch of drinks and stay in the
bathtub..and drink some more.
Stay safe!

[jberryhill]

30. Wait, is this one of those David Blaine stunts?

[Hugabear]

35. Only if David Blaine is strapped to the end of that crane

Or is he...

[jberryhill]

40. Let's assume he is, and see how this works out....

[nadinbrzezinski]

32. Do me a favor, stay away from the window

That is one of many reasons, and as wind picks up...

Thanks for sharing though.

[Warpy]

37. I think I might request a room change

to the other side of the hotel. I don't care if the view is of an air shaft. Nothing's going to bust through from an air shaft window.

[Iterate]

39. Picture from ABC

3:47 PM EDT: Here’s an image of that crane dangling above New York City. Authorities say high winds will affect their ability to lash the crane in place or remove it safely until after the hurricane.
abc new york crane collapse ll 121029 wblog Hurricane Sandy: Live Updates

A construction crane dangles off of a skyscraper in midtown New York. (Credit: Courtesy Total Traffic Network)

http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/headlines/2012/10/hurricane-sandy-live-updates/

[Barack_America]

45. Looks like the whole thing could come down, not just the boom. nt

[stevenleser]

44. Just announced. They are evacuating my hotel due to proximity to the crane

to where, I have no idea yet, but suffice to say, this is likely my last post of the day.

[DonRedwood]

46. good luck stevenleser!! we're worried about ya!

[Lone_Star_Dem]

52. That maybe a good thing.

It did look dangerously close to your hotel.

Be safe, and check in when you can.

[NotThisTime]

54. I hope you have good luck, last time I was evacuated from a hotel, every hotel in the city was

booked, I stayed with a friend. Good luck tonight.

[Wind Dancer]

56. Glad you're getting out!

Stay safe and please keep us updated when possible.

[Swede Atlanta]

47. Shouldn't they have begun to secure or lower the cranes when the storm was forecast?

Oh, right.....private businesses are calculating their costs...

Lower and secure the crane $1.5M
Litigate and pay for the death of each pedestrian......$500K..

Ok....I'll just leave it up there.

[pasto76]

49. oh shit, you you saying this if from the storm?!?!?

Im in ironworker. one of the guys that work up there.....but I live in colorado. This is absolutely horrifying.

[bluestate10]

51. Wow, you are real close to the crane. nt

[slackmaster]

53. That's ominous. Thanks for posting it!

[Incitatus]

55. I hope they've secured all the construction supplies on the upper half of that building.

There could be some dangerous projectiles with 100+ mph gusts. Maybe there's a bar in the lobby with no windows.

[spanone]

57. npr announced they are evacuating the hotel 'across the street'

[onecent]

58. Stay safe, and check back in when you can. n/t

[spike91nz]

60. Damocles

I assume. Better Damocles than Dionysius I i think. Depends upon which way the wind is blowing. In any case, stay away from the window.

[FourScore]

62. Incredible picture! Stay safe! n/t

[lonestarnot]

63. I guess they didn't have time to break any of it down?

[BlueMan Votes]

66. they probably weren't done using it yet...

those cranes don't just come down or go up quickly and easily.

[lonestarnot]

72. I will say no more because it is said to be secure now, but some fucking corporate fuck made the

decision that it would be cheaper liability for injury property and lives had it crashed down than the expense of time and labor to tear it down because "they... weren't done using it yet." Someone in my immediate family operates a tower crane, and I do not profess to be speaking for that person. That is just my opinion. That is why I asked the question, they don't go up quickly/easily, just like you stated.


You really didn't think I would say no more did you?

[opiate69]

73. There should have been no reason to take it down.

It should have been able to ride the storm out without incident. That leads me to believe there was some sort of other error, either in securing it, or missing something during the inspection that all the cranes in the city had prior to the storm. Which leads to the next point: consider how many other cranes, of all type and size, made it through that storm without experiencing a catastrophic failure.

[BlueMan Votes]

74. you couldn't be more wrong.

first off- There was not enough time to take the crane down safely before the storm hit.
It had been inspected by the city and was deemed safe- and it should have been. It'll be interesting to see what ultimately caused it to fail.

[stevenleser]

64. I'm OK. When they evacuated my hotel, I managed to get into one of the last operating cabs

and made it back to my apartment.

Thanks to everyone for your thoughts and well wishes!

[Panasonic]

67. Just wondering...

What were you staying at the hotel for?

[stevenleser]

68. I was prepositioned to be close to the office where I work.

So that I could still work right before and after the storm.

[Panasonic]

70. Ah

glad you're okay.