TheVagabondLady

• Jumper's Eiffel leap
May 17: Despite heavy security, Belgian BASE jumber Johan Vervoort successfully parachuted off of Paris's Eiffel tower.
Reuters...

Any fodorites get to see this?

willit

I am half in admiration, and half scroenful of the base jumper for defying the rules. Perhaps the Eiffel tower should follow Australian crickets example.

I believe that after a spate of pitch invasions, the Australian cricket board put under it's ters and conditions of entry, that anybody setting foot on the pitch without auhorisation owed the board A$10,000, and that purchasing a ticket constituted accepting this contract.

If the Eiffel towere were to do the same, thaen any publicity such as Mr Vervoort is now guessing would be very difficult as the tower would be after him for the money.

AnthonyGA

Don't give them any ideas. They are already extremely greedy.

AnselmAdorne

LOL, I opened this thinking that Guy18 had changed his plans from driving in England to jumping off the Eiffel Tower!

Hello to Guy18 if you happen to check in here.

Anselm

stardust

I heard an interview with this man on Belgian radio. Apparently it's the 5th time already that he's jumping from the Eiffel tower! He said he just climbed up at night, and then waited on the tower until sunrise to make his jump. Previous times he did it with some friends, but this time he said he was alone and so he was a bit bored and lonely during the waiting.

This time he had a special mission: he was holding a flag of "Robland", a "country" founded by Rob Van Oudenhoven, who has a TV-show on VTM about "how to start your own country" like they did on BBC last year.

It will be on TV tonight, Sunday May 21st, at 8.45 pm CET on VTM, Belgian cable TV, for people who would happen to be in Belgium

ira

I'm not getting up before dawn to watch someone do a publicity stunt.

SMNOVELLA

No, I did not. But I certainly hope he didn't wear jeans and white trainers whilst jumping. Or wear, mon Dieu, a t-shirt with a logo (GASP)!! There is nothing worse than looking like a tourist when hanging around (or off of) the Eiffel Tower.

If you absolutely must jump off of the Eiffel Tower, I think you should be outfitted in Gaultier. JMO.

Apple Annie

nytraveler

There are always idiots trying to jump off some tall edifice to get their face in the papers. The only thing for us to do iss ignore them. The only thing for authorities to do is send them to a mental institution for a 72 hour hold to determine their mental status.

The ones I feel sorry for are the innocent people he might land on.

As for folks running onto a "pitch" - I assume this means the playing field - just pull their tickets - for life.

Guy18

Hi Anselm,

LOL! I, too, thought immediately of myself and wondered if my body had taken to doing things I'm not aware of. Driving roundabouts will remain as risky as it gets.

AnthonyGA

Most people who jump off the Eiffel Tower fail to allow for the widening of the tower at lower levels, and end up hitting the tower itself and being diced and sliced. Their remains must be removed by the fire department. A few of the lucky ones are blown against the tower by the wind and don't fall very far. Only one has survived a fall all the way to the ground: she fell on a taxi and bounced off the roof.

cocofromdijon

wow Anthony:-s! you're right, there was one killed last year in May.

And if you survive and get caught by the police, you can get 2 years of jail and a 4500€ fine!