Window Washers

November 27, 2011

A week or so ago, we had people going up and down the exterior of our building – washing the windows that line our floor (facing onto Jackson). I’m fascinated with the guys who do this sort of work, as it involves a lot of manual labor done at a fairly precarious height. As they were coming down, I opened up the blinds to get a better view. Though this wasn’t the first time I’ve seen them work, it’s still pretty mesmerizing.

This is fairly similar to a shot I took, back in 2006 when we were at the Merchandise Mart. Although that guy didn’t have the luxury of a platform – he was working on a single, wooden plank (a glorified swing, honestly).

I was able to get the guy’s attention, and waved. I’m sure people do this to him all the time, but he was fairly good-natured about it and waved back.

I showed him a sign I made, letting him know I was afraid of heights. He got a kick out of this, and laughed when he read it. Although… moments after I flashed this sign, I got worried that I’d somehow distract him and cause him to fall.

Working on a platform definitely seems safer than what those guys do at the Mart. Still – with all the strong winds and the heights – my knees would be wobbly the moment I stepped foot on the walkway.

After the windows were clean, I got a clear view to the DePaul building across Jackson. It’s nice that, at any given moment, I can look out and up to the Terrace… and see the spot where I got married. Not a lot of folks can say that, about their desk at work.