Just looking at that scares the hell out of me.
I missed this one live, but when I worked in Manhattan the story was legendary. As told here:
By 7 a.m., the work to tighten the cable had been completed and Petit stepped out high above Gotham. A few minutes into the walk, policemen arrived on the rooftop but Petit only laughed and smiled. He knew they were powerless to do anything until the walk ended—one way or another. The policemen could only lean against the girders and watch with everyone else as the lithe acrobat made eight trips across the wire, even kneeling down at times without losing his balance. Finally after 45 minutes, Petit returned to solid ground.
The policemen immediately handcuffed the aerialist and read him his Miranda rights. After undergoing a psychiatric examination at a local hospital, Petit was booked for disorderly conduct and criminal trespassing. Under details of the complaint, an officer wrote only: “Man on Wire.” That afternoon, Manhattan’s district attorney dropped all charges in return for a free aerial performance in Central Park. “My punishment is the most beautiful punishment I could have received,” the daredevil told reporters. When asked why he attempted the walk, he said, “If I see three oranges, I have to juggle. And if I see two towers, I have to walk.”
This dope in Chicago isn't half the man Petit is...and Petit is French!
You should check out the movie they made of it in 3D...