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Back to Podcast EpisodesPhilippe Petit, The Man On Wire (Part Two)
On August 7, 1974, a twenty-five year old man named Philippe Petit walked across a 200 foot wire between the twin towers of the World Trade Center, 1,350 feet above the ground, something that even the policeman who arrested him described as a once in a lifetime event.
After Philip and Jean Francois are booked and fingerprinted, they were handcuffed to chairs while paperwork is composed that specifically defines the charges of Criminal Trespass and Disorderly Conduct. In the details of the complaint, the headline reads “Man on Wire.” It only takes Petit a few minutes to charm most of his captors by balancing a policeman’s hat on his nose and flipping it on to his head repeatedly.
. It is ultimately decided that both men are to be conveyed to a downtown hospital where Philippe is to be given psychiatric examination. The doctor in charge quickly pronounces him sane. He is taken back to a precinct house, where he is told that his sister is on the phone, a ruse to allow Annie to attempt to speak with him. An hour later, in front of a judge, the deal is made official. Ultimately, this little show will turn into a October 29 high wire walk across Central Park’s Turtle Pond, in front of 5,000 spectators. Both Jean Francois and Philippe are released and their cuffs removed. They are free to go, however Jean Francois was eventually officially deported.
Merely walking through the lobby, he heard his name being called and turning to the source of the voice he saw a very well dressed man with a striking handlebar moustache. The man ebulliently explained that he saw Philippe performing in Paris while the stranger was on vacation. He introduced himself, also responding to Philippe’s already probing questions telling the aerialist
Published on 3 years, 2 months ago