Culture

Jailing Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider Man

by ryan | June 1, 2007 at 09:16 am

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Looks like this superhero's powers weren't enough to save him from the Chinese police. And what will 15 days in jail do to his super powers?

Alain Robert, a 44-year-old Frenchman, has scaled the three tallest buildings in the world, and also the Eiffel Tower and the Empire State Building.

Shanghai’s 88-story Jinmao Tower was his next target, and he climbed it today in 90 minutes while wearing a Spider-Man outfit. (It doesn’t look like he’s getting any of the estimated $120 million in marketing cash for the latest sequel).

“His feet had barely touched the ground when he was arrested by police,” Reuters reported. He expects to serve 15 days in jail.

If there is such a thing as a more serious, premeditated charge having to do with building climbing, Mr. Robert will certainly be guilty. In 2001, Chinese authorities rejected his requests to climb the Shanghai building.

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Jordan Yerman

at 07:50 on June 2nd, 2007

This reminds me of George Willig, who aid-climbed the south tower of the World Trade Center. He wrote a book about it called Going It Alone; he describes being cheered on by the cops who were waiting at the top of the tower to arrest him!