Tuesday, 29 July 2008

Window Washers Add Sparkle to Little Rock Skyline

See main story & video here.

Little Rock is home to the tallest building between Memphis and Dallas—the Metropolitan National Bank Building. On Monday, Channel 7 tagged along as window cleaners William Teas and Todd Gentry got to work, and gave us a bird's eye view. (Todd Gentry, Window Washer) “Being way up there is a totally different story--when you look down and everything looks like a match box car, and people look like ants walking around. It kind of makes you a little nervous, and your muscles start cramping up and you start wondering whether you are about to do it or not.” At 40-stories tall, the building has thousands of windows. Up this high, safety is a top priority. (William Teas, Window Washer) “I've seen a couple of guys have close calls, but never me. I've been cleaning windows since I was 16 or 17-years-old, and I've never had any close calls. Not me personally. I always double-check everything and re-check. The key is to keep your fear up there.” Standing on the roof, wearing a full-body harness, it's time to get strapped on to a small seat and climb over the edge. (Teas) “You kind of have to forget about where you are for a minute. Don't look down. It's not a bad job. It has its ups and downs.” It's a job that is definitely not for someone scared of heights. But for Teas, it's a job he loves--and one that has taken him all over the country. (Teas) “Ever since I've moved here to Arkansas, the city has just come alive--blossomed in to a big city. I’m getting in on the ground floor of an up-and-coming city.” Teas and Gentry say it take about eight weeks to clean the entire building.

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