# Who's up for a glass-bottomed walkway above the Grand Canyon? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [August 27, 2005, 11:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-up-for-a-glass-bottomed-walkway-above-the-grand-canyon/318856 "2005-08-27T11:44:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Can\_Handle\_the\_Truth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Can\_Handle\_the\_Truth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Can_Handle_the_Truth)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2005, 11:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-up-for-a-glass-bottomed-walkway-above-the-grand-canyon/318856/1 "2005-08-27T11:44:15Z")
[Here.](http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20050826/ap_on_re_us/brf_canyon_tourism;_ylt=AoP1yB6PdGpyy6904xeUCPes0NUE;_ylu=X3oDMTA3ODdxdHBhBHNlYwM5NjQ-) Too scary for me, I’m afraid. ---
**Author:** ![Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ccd318/32.png) [@Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paul_in_Qatar)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2005, 12:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-up-for-a-glass-bottomed-walkway-above-the-grand-canyon/318856/2 "2005-08-27T12:11:25Z")
i would do it, as long as I was sure that urine could easily be cleaned off the surface. ---
**Author:** ![ivylass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de053/32.png) [@ivylass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivylass)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2005, 1:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-up-for-a-glass-bottomed-walkway-above-the-grand-canyon/318856/3 "2005-08-27T13:04:20Z")
I would have a knuckle-whitening grip on the handrails the whole way as I shuffled along, but I think it would be magnificient. But $25 to walk on a walkway? How expensive will it be to maintain that thing? ---
**Author:** ![parthenokinesis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/cc9497/32.png) [@parthenokinesis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/parthenokinesis)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2005, 1:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-up-for-a-glass-bottomed-walkway-above-the-grand-canyon/318856/4 "2005-08-27T13:25:11Z")
> [@Paul in Saudi](#): > > i would do it, as long as I was sure that urine could easily be cleaned off the surface. Urine is a fair substance to use to clean glass. Doesn’t leave streaks. You would be aiding the maintainence efforts, and might get a discount off the $25 fee. ---
**Author:** ![Can\_Handle\_the\_Truth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Can\_Handle\_the\_Truth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Can_Handle_the_Truth)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2005, 1:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-up-for-a-glass-bottomed-walkway-above-the-grand-canyon/318856/5 "2005-08-27T13:55:29Z")
> [@](#): > > The walkway… will accommodate 120 people… it is designed to hold 72 million pounds Are we really that fat? ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2005, 2:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-up-for-a-glass-bottomed-walkway-above-the-grand-canyon/318856/6 "2005-08-27T14:19:17Z")
Wow. Just…wow. It would be the final thing to make me get off my suburban butt and get to the Grand Canyon. I want to lie on it face down, with my arms spread wide… …and then I’ll be on the clean-up crew with **Paul**. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![EarthStone777](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7ab992/32.png) [@EarthStone777](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EarthStone777)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2005, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-up-for-a-glass-bottomed-walkway-above-the-grand-canyon/318856/7 "2005-08-27T14:58:10Z")
> [@WhyNot](#): > > I want to lie on it face down, with my arms spread wide… > > …and then I’ll be on the clean-up crew with **Paul**. 😃 Um… I think you’d want to be on the clean up crew\* first\*. Otherwise who knows what you’d be lying face down in? :eek: ---
**Author:** ![Rufus\_Xavier](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/eada6e/32.png) [@Rufus\_Xavier](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rufus_Xavier)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2005, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-up-for-a-glass-bottomed-walkway-above-the-grand-canyon/318856/8 "2005-08-27T15:40:39Z")
I’m not an engineer, but I’m still dubious at the claim that a platform jutting out from a clifftop with no visible supports underneath could hold 72 million pounds. That’s about how much 240 blue whales would weigh. ---
**Author:** ![Governor\_Quinn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/d26b3c/32.png) [@Governor\_Quinn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Governor_Quinn)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2005, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-up-for-a-glass-bottomed-walkway-above-the-grand-canyon/318856/9 "2005-08-27T16:31:33Z")
No, thank you. There’s something about this that screams “Disaster in the making!” ---
**Author:** ![TellMeI\_mNotCrazy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tellmei_mnotcrazy/32/3419_2.png) [@TellMeI\_mNotCrazy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TellMeI_mNotCrazy)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2005, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-up-for-a-glass-bottomed-walkway-above-the-grand-canyon/318856/10 "2005-08-27T16:46:57Z")
I got a severe case of vertigo once from walking a flight of stairs that I could see through. And that was maybe 10 feet off the ground. And I’m not even afraid of heights! But I was very nearly a blabbering idiot in that case, I can’t even imagine what would happen to me on that thing. Which sucks, because it would amazing, I’m sure. ---
**Author:** ![Misnomer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/misnomer/32/14897_2.png) [@Misnomer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Misnomer)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2005, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-up-for-a-glass-bottomed-walkway-above-the-grand-canyon/318856/11 "2005-08-27T17:09:56Z")
I know I wouldn’t be able to do it. I went on a cruise a couple years ago, and the inside of the ship had 5 floors: between the 4th and 5th floors was a glass staircase that was suspended out over all 5 stories ([crappy picture](http://www.flickr.com/photos/misnomer971/25583719/in/set-582673/)). I was able to walk up that staircase but couldn’t walk back down, because walking down required _looking_ down. :eek: ---
**Author:** ![Hung\_Mung](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a88e4f/32.png) [@Hung\_Mung](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hung_Mung)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2005, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-up-for-a-glass-bottomed-walkway-above-the-grand-canyon/318856/12 "2005-08-27T17:58:36Z")
Something tells me they’re just getting us back. crack…crack…CRAAAAACK… WAAAAAAAAAAAaaaaaahhhhh “Gotcha ya!” 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Xema](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/9de053/32.png) [@Xema](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Xema)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2005, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-up-for-a-glass-bottomed-walkway-above-the-grand-canyon/318856/13 "2005-08-27T18:28:12Z")
> [@Rufus Xavier](#): > > I’m still dubious at the claim that a platform jutting out from a clifftop with no visible supports underneath could hold 72 million pounds. Agreed. The walkway will project 70’ and be capable of supporting the weight of a ship that’s, say, 500’ long? More than a trifle dubious. Let’s say we want to support 120 unusually heavy people with a 20:1 safety factor. That’s 120 \* 300 \* 20 = 720,000 lbs. ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2005, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-up-for-a-glass-bottomed-walkway-above-the-grand-canyon/318856/14 "2005-08-27T18:32:05Z")
Too coo! I would love it. Definitely would take a walk like that. ---
**Author:** ![Ludy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/d6d6ee/32.png) [@Ludy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludy)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2005, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-up-for-a-glass-bottomed-walkway-above-the-grand-canyon/318856/15 "2005-08-27T18:42:04Z")
Sign me up, can we get one over Niagara Falls too??? ---
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2005, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-up-for-a-glass-bottomed-walkway-above-the-grand-canyon/318856/16 "2005-08-27T18:44:12Z")
I feel ill just thinking about it. ---
**Author:** ![Dark\_Side\_of\_the\_Floyd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/bb73d2/32.png) [@Dark\_Side\_of\_the\_Floyd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dark_Side_of_the_Floyd)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2005, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-up-for-a-glass-bottomed-walkway-above-the-grand-canyon/318856/17 "2005-08-27T19:01:59Z")
I’d love it. ---
**Author:** ![Antigen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/848f3c/32.png) [@Antigen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antigen)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2005, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-up-for-a-glass-bottomed-walkway-above-the-grand-canyon/318856/18 "2005-08-27T19:17:45Z")
I’ll do it, but someone’s gotta hold my hand and calm me as I scream. ---
**Author:** ![Zebra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c0e974/32.png) [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2005, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-up-for-a-glass-bottomed-walkway-above-the-grand-canyon/318856/19 "2005-08-27T19:29:38Z")
What? No bungee jump? ---
**Author:** ![LouisB](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/dfb087/32.png) [@LouisB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LouisB)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2005, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-up-for-a-glass-bottomed-walkway-above-the-grand-canyon/318856/20 "2005-08-27T19:44:43Z")
They would have to pay me one hell of a lot more than $25.00 before I’d get anywhere near the thing. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-up-for-a-glass-bottomed-walkway-above-the-grand-canyon/318856.md?page=2)