"Rungs" Removed From Ladder-Like Times Building

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Photograph, above, of the New York Times Building--as designed by Renzo Piano--by WallyG on Flickr; below, photograph of workers removing the rods by David Dunlap/NY Times

After a third person managed to scale up its ladder-like exterior, workers went to work removing a number of the horizontal "rungs" gracing the New York Times Building. The NY Times dutifully reports this decision "represented a reversal for The Times, which had insisted that it would not remove the rods after two men scaled the building on June 5, using the veil of rods as a ladder."

2008_07_timesremo.jpgAfter two men--first Alain Robert, and then a few hours later, Renaldo Clarke--climbed the entire 52-story height of the building in June, the Times tried to increase security and some plywood to prevent further exploration. But climber David Malone, who claimed to have climbed the building to promote his book on Osama bin Laden, was the last straw for the NY Times.

Malone called the Post and Daily News, but arguably the News got the biggest scoop: Daily News night editor Jill Coffey developed a rapport with Malone on the phone and actually became involved in "jumper" negotiations. The NYPD arrived at the News' offices, then took Coffey to the Times Building to try to talk Malone down! Coffey described what happens in today's Daily News (her husband actually works at the Times) and in a video (see it after the jump):

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Comments (15) [rss]

It's about time! You'd think they would have done this after the first 2 yahoos did it.

damnit!! i was just going 2 schedule a flash-mob of hipsters to climb this thing. i'm so bummed now.

All they really needed to do was open a window and poke the climber with a sharp stick. No more climbers.

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next up! the descent from the top.

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They should just randomly make some of the bars "break-away".

it's amazing that no one thought that no one noticed that this could be a when they were designing the building. why they chose this design to begin with is a mystery. it's downright ugly.

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I'd say it's time for a woman to climb this sucker. Also, I can't wait for the next person to climb to show up with a huge ladder.

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she became involved in the hostage negotiation?

what?

Rub a few random rungs with Crisco. Problem solved.

Electrify the goddamn things...

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He captivated the city. So maybe we were his hostages?

Stockholm Syndrome for everyone!

I think I subconsciously felt like he was holding the editor and Times building hostage. Thanks for noticing that!

Whatever. Whenever I climb a tall building, I bring my own ceramic rods anyway.

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