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You are here: Home / Economics / Free Markets Solve Everything / Basically, the Perfect Metaphor for the Last Few Decades

Basically, the Perfect Metaphor for the Last Few Decades

by John Cole|  October 30, 201212:46 am| 52 Comments

This post is in: Free Markets Solve Everything

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For those of you living in a cave or in one of the areas hit by power outages, the media has continued to run footage of the broken many ton crane dangling from the top of luxury condos in Manhattan:

With one mighty gust of wind, the storm on Monday announced itself at 2:30 p.m. at one of Manhattan’s most prestigious addresses.

A crane at 157 West 57th Street swayed up and up and then snapped, leaving tons of metal dangling precariously over 1,000 feet above the ground, with no evident way to secure it with the storm bearing down.

It was one of the most visible and startling moments in the city where the storm had seemed more of a major inconvenience than a serious threat. And it occurred high above Central Park at what is supposed to be the city’s tallest building with residences and which has become a trophy address for some of the world’s richest people.

The winds picked up as night fell and the crane twisted and turned, seemingly poised to fall at any moment, forcing the evacuation of several buildings.

When asked about how secure it was, Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg answered bluntly: “Nobody knows.”

“We just don’t want to risk the lives of anyone trying to be a hero and secure it,” he said in an evening news conference.

Mr. Bloomberg said the main body of the crane, which rises 90-stories up the side of the building, seemed secure, as did the main cab. The arm of the crane, he said, appeared to have been lifted and flipped over the cab. The city, he said, was focused on ensuring that if it does fall, there is no loss of life.

The mayor said nearby buildings would be evacuated, steam pipes running beneath the streets shut down, electricity turned off and all the surrounding streets closed to traffic and pedestrians.

The tower, known as One57, has attracted attention around the world for the prices it is seeking to attract to live in luxury high above the Manhattan streets. It will be 90 stories high when complete and the top floor apartments are being marketed to an exclusive club of billionaires for a jaw-dropping $90 million apiece.

But on Monday, nearby restaurant workers, pedestrians and curious tourists looked skyward from rain-slicked streets and saw only a threat.

The police quickly pushed people back as they cordoned off seven square blocks around the building and began evacuating hundreds of people from the area, which is home to Carnegie Hall as well and hundreds of residential apartments and a luxury hotel.

For witnesses who saw the partial collapse, the wrenching sound of metal was jarring and could be heard more than a block away.

“We heard a big noise, and we didn’t know what it was,” said Victor Font, 40, who was eating lunch at Rue 57, a restaurant that looks out onto the high-rise building. He rushed outside and saw the huge crane drooping over the street. As the police converged on the scene, he said, his first thought was: “What are they going to do? How in the world will they bring that down?”

It’s basically the perfect metaphor for trickle down economics and the last three decades. A couple hundred tons of metal death will possibly rain down on the lessers on the ground, the city and taxpayers will have to clean up, and the owners of the $90 million dollar condo will be front and center on the NY Times talking about their “disaster.”

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Reader Interactions

52Comments

  1. 1.

    Short Bus Bully

    October 30, 2012 at 12:50 am

    Flaccid crane FTW…

  2. 2.

    Nemo_N

    October 30, 2012 at 12:50 am

    Wasn’t there a way to secure that? The “before” picture seems like they just said “nah, just leave it like that. It will hold”.

  3. 3.

    sfinny

    October 30, 2012 at 12:51 am

    Well, at least this is confirmation of my fear of cranes and scaffolding and grates. It is real. And the fact that it looks like a limp you-know-what is just frosting on the cake.

  4. 4.

    Corner Stone

    October 30, 2012 at 12:51 am

    Hmmm, a crane being unable to lift its equipment.

  5. 5.

    BGinCHI

    October 30, 2012 at 12:51 am

    It also kind of looks like a limp p@nis.

    But I guess sometimes a crane is just a crane.

  6. 6.

    BGinCHI

    October 30, 2012 at 12:52 am

    Wait, isn’t there a They Might Be Giants song about this crane?

  7. 7.

    Spaghetti Lee

    October 30, 2012 at 12:53 am

    Did you all coordinate these peen-themed comments, or is that just always on everyone’s mind?

  8. 8.

    Richard

    October 30, 2012 at 12:54 am

    The icing on the cake would be if it turned out that the crane’s failure was as a result of parts manufactured by outsourced labor using substandard materials.

  9. 9.

    MikeJ

    October 30, 2012 at 12:55 am

    @Nemo_N:

    Wasn’t there a way to secure that? The “before” picture seems like they just said “nah, just leave it like that. It will hold”.

    Sure, if you want big gubmint dictating what to do to everyone. FREEEDUMB!!

  10. 10.

    Brother Shotgun of Sweet Reason

    October 30, 2012 at 12:56 am

    the city and taxpayers will have to clean up,

    IANAL but it seems to me there’s a good case to send the bill to the contractor and/or building owner. It’s not like the crane is a natural disaster.

  11. 11.

    suzanne

    October 30, 2012 at 12:56 am

    Ironically, I am studying for my Structural Systems ARE, especially wind design. Structural failure FTW.

  12. 12.

    scav

    October 30, 2012 at 12:59 am

    @Spaghetti Lee: Well, it looks a little like an elephant too, but that’s just a minor variation on the theme. (OK, an elephant-giraffe hybrid).

  13. 13.

    trollhattan

    October 30, 2012 at 1:00 am

    This is going to so delay that penthouse being profiled in the NYT “Home & Garden” section.

  14. 14.

    TheMightyTrowel

    October 30, 2012 at 1:02 am

    @Spaghetti Lee: This is Balloon Juice. If we’re not thinking about booze or pets we’re thinking about sexythings.

  15. 15.

    leinie

    October 30, 2012 at 1:02 am

    @Brother Shotgun of Sweet Reason: They fights over who is to blame, and whose insurance company is on the hook for this will be epic if that thing goes down. If I were the contractor or the crane erection company’s risk management manager, I’d be sweating bullets. They’ll try to pin it on the crane manufacturer, and everybody is going to point to everyone else, and site the force majeur clauses in the contracts and insurance policies. I heard it was inspected on Friday, and if that is the case, they’ll all use that to get themselves off the hook too – I really hope that was a private inspector and not a city/state one, or that’s the path they’ll use to pinning it on the taxpayers.

    Be as safe as you can in this mess, East Coast.

  16. 16.

    lacp

    October 30, 2012 at 1:02 am

    So? There’s a crane 1000 feet up on a building and a hurricane is on its way? What could possibly go wrong?

  17. 17.

    amk

    October 30, 2012 at 1:02 am

    Until this crane killed one of those millionaires, this will be non-news by tomorrow and the gobinment will quietly pick up the clean-up tab.

  18. 18.

    Corner Stone

    October 30, 2012 at 1:02 am

    @Spaghetti Lee: Well, we are talking about a post by Cole afterall…

  19. 19.

    jharp

    October 30, 2012 at 1:03 am

    Count me as a cave dweller. I have power and this is the first I had heard of it.

    And on second thought. Someone did good that it didn’t crash down on the street.

  20. 20.

    The Dangerman

    October 30, 2012 at 1:04 am

    I read on the NYT that the contractor or crane owner (if not the same) have been repeatedly cited for safety issues. Also, if memory serves, the last inspection was 10/26, well inside the storm warning, so someone will be looking for a job after this is over.

  21. 21.

    Roy G.

    October 30, 2012 at 1:05 am

    I was thinking earlier that these PAC propaganda blitzes are the trickle down effect, but I have to admit this nails it.

  22. 22.

    ulee

    October 30, 2012 at 1:11 am

    Basically a metaphor for something. Sandy came blowing in and well…

  23. 23.

    eemom

    October 30, 2012 at 1:13 am

    @Brother Shotgun of Sweet Reason:

    IANAL but it seems to me there’s a good case to send the bill to the contractor and/or building owner.

    A better than good case, and to God knows how many other private entities and their insurers.

    Only an idiot or John Cole would look at this and think “city and taxpayers.” But I repeat myself.

  24. 24.

    David Koch

    October 30, 2012 at 1:16 am

    Also a good metaphor on how the legacy media is crumbling, especially as the election nears.

    Fresh attacks today by media elites on Nate Silver and arithmetic.

  25. 25.

    John Cole

    October 30, 2012 at 1:18 am

    @eemom: Yeah. Cuz the taxpayers have never been on the fucking hook for the excesses and failings of private businesses. I made up the phrase “Privatize the profits, socialize the losses.” Why, I even bet no lawyers would get involved, and the businesses will just give the city whatever the bill says, with no litigation.

    At this point, I am firmly convinced that the best thing that could happen to this website is for EEMOM and Cornerstone to make a suicide pact.

  26. 26.

    David Koch

    October 30, 2012 at 1:19 am

    Looks like Sandy has taken down GOS.

  27. 27.

    maven

    October 30, 2012 at 1:19 am

    Certainly nothing the free market can’t correct.

  28. 28.

    Mike in NC

    October 30, 2012 at 1:19 am

    No worries, the Job Creators will save both the crane and AMERICiA!

  29. 29.

    Corner Stone

    October 30, 2012 at 1:25 am

    @John Cole: Hey, just because you’re fucking around with a married woman that’s got nothing to do with my self esteem. Amigo.

  30. 30.

    ulee

    October 30, 2012 at 1:25 am

    @John Cole: Cornerstone. Cole wants you make a suicide pact with your ladyfriend.

  31. 31.

    Odie Hugh Manatee

    October 30, 2012 at 1:47 am

    I heard that Bloomberg turned down FEMA advance positioning assistance, saying that NYC would be able to take care of itself.

    I’m sure that Bloomie has this well in hand now.

  32. 32.

    John Cole

    October 30, 2012 at 1:48 am

    @Corner Stone: What in the fuck are you talking about?

  33. 33.

    opie jeanne

    October 30, 2012 at 1:54 am

    @Spaghetti Lee: Always on our minds.

  34. 34.

    NotMax

    October 30, 2012 at 1:55 am

    Apparently, where Sandy is concerned, the crane was just the right height.

  35. 35.

    PurpleGirl

    October 30, 2012 at 1:59 am

    And it occurred high above Central Park…

    Pet Peeve Rant: It is over West 57th Street NOT over Central Park. Central Park is two blocks north of this building. It was dangling over 57th Street and opposite Carnegie Hall. There are lots of other buildings between it and Central Park. (end of rant)

  36. 36.

    eemom

    October 30, 2012 at 2:02 am

    tee hee

  37. 37.

    NotMax

    October 30, 2012 at 2:04 am

    @PurpleGirl

    So line of sight from our greatest threat, the Russian Tea Room, then?

  38. 38.

    Anne Laurie

    October 30, 2012 at 2:07 am

    @John Cole: Commentor on an earlier thread suggested that your Ladyfriend might be… Your Most Favorite Female Commentor. Much typical BJ hilarity ensued. If you fuss too much, it might even turn into a meme, goddess help us all.

  39. 39.

    Jewish Steel

    October 30, 2012 at 2:15 am

    Your Most Favorite Female Commentor.

    gasp

    m_c!

    faints

  40. 40.

    opie jeanne

    October 30, 2012 at 2:23 am

    @Jewish Steel: LOL!!!

  41. 41.

    Misterpuff

    October 30, 2012 at 4:58 am

    Crane Viagra for all!/Gu911iani

  42. 42.

    Sarah

    October 30, 2012 at 8:37 am

    I was thinking that yesterday, here in Brooklyn. The mayor probably won’t even fine them – they’re the good guys, the rich guys. Let the peons pay for it, and live in 25 sq foot apartments.

  43. 43.

    bjacques

    October 30, 2012 at 8:44 am

    From my misspent teens I remember Hustler Magazine’s rating system for porn movies, as the number of spoons of saltpeter you could take and still get it up. Five spoons meant top fap material, while One was “can’t get it up with a crane.” We now have a criterion for Zero, which is “even a crane can’t get it up with a crane.”

  44. 44.

    denali

    October 30, 2012 at 9:20 am

    CNBC, in its coverage of the falling crane, interviewed the real estate agent in charge of selling the luxury apartments in the building. All she could talk about was how this was the most expensive place in NY if not the world to live, the billionaires, etc, etc, and of course, somebody must have thought it was a good idea to leave a huge crane in the path of a huge hurricane. Somehow, my faith in the judgment of those 1%ers and their minions is rattled.

  45. 45.

    kc

    October 30, 2012 at 10:05 am

    Why didn’t they take the fucking thing down before the storm?

  46. 46.

    marianne19

    October 30, 2012 at 10:13 am

    Brilliant to see the metaphor. Thanks!

  47. 47.

    Jay C

    October 30, 2012 at 10:15 am

    @kc:

    Why didn’t they take the fucking thing down before the storm?

    Quite probably because they can’t: on buildings of this size, these big cranes are basically fastened to the sides of the structures they construct: they take days, if not weeks, to dismantle once their job is done (i.e. the framing and cladding are finished). The arms are supposed to be secured for storms: obviously at One57, someone slipped up….

  48. 48.

    Pluky

    October 30, 2012 at 10:21 am

    @kc: Because that would cost money.

  49. 49.

    Matt McIrvin

    October 30, 2012 at 10:28 am

    Dear penthouse adviser, I always thought your letters were fake until it happened to me.

  50. 50.

    Mary McElroy

    October 31, 2012 at 12:21 am

    How do they normally take these cranes down?

  51. 51.

    Arthur

    October 31, 2012 at 5:21 am

    The crane of Damocles is hangin’ over my head /
    And I’ve got the feeling that someone’s gonna be cutting the thread..

    Sorry, it had to be done :)

Comments are closed.

Trackbacks

  1. Disasters and trickle down economics | Under the Mountain Bunker says:
    October 30, 2012 at 10:30 am

    […] John Cole writes about the broken crane in NYC: […]

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