C.R.A.P.: Mackinac Bridge Cable Light Change 

Thank you for brining me here Timcast IRL. I never knew this episode existed! Kudos to Mike for his integrity and as the celebrity who constantly walked the walk.

The harness has a fall arrest device attached to the D-Ring at the back. If you were to fall it lets out another 6 to 8 feet of cable as it slows your fall speed so the sudden stop does not injure or kill you. Mountain climbers INVENTED a lot of the safety gear that we use on our jobs. So anybody who looks at them guys climbing cliffs and mountains and ask why would somebody do something that crazy---I say THANKS guys for saving a lot of lives.

Mike Rowe is one of the most underrated humans alive

No way I'd ever do this. I'm deathly afraid of heights. Watching this is freaking me out. I have so much respect for the men and women who do this for a living. God bless them and keep them safe.

A maternal and humble salute to all civil engineers everywhere,

Mike that had to be one of the more exhilarating job experiences you've had. It would seem overwhelming to the mind and body, but it's intestinal fortitude and willingness of one's own mind to overcome and conquer a perceived impossibly. Good job Mike!

I just watched this episode. Ive seen it many years ago but still wanted to watch it. I was having ANXIETY when they climbed up change the light bulb and wnen they climbed down in the tower to paint the inside.B-day 1961 and grew up in the UP and have lived in Michigan all my life. I grew up a yooper and in the mid 80s went to the Detroit area to work. I have some relatives in that area. I always referred to myself as a transplanted Yooper. I just moved back to the central UP after 30+ years. Ive crossed the bridge i don't know how many times. Riding with somebody else or driving myself. My late brother-in-law from Detroit area was dating my sister during the time the bridge was being built. He drove up every week or two weeks. He of course took the ferry across while the bridge wss under constuction. If he had taken pictures, you probably could've lined them up and saw the bridge taking shape. He wasn't too...?sentimental about that kind of thing. I've started 'claiming' the bridge as mine. The part i dont like about driving on the bridge is when it's rainy and you have to drive on the grates in the middle. It's greasy(i think it is) and feels like my car's gonna slip and slide and fly off the bridge 😱 Do i love this bridge? YES. Do i want to do painting/maintenance on it? NOOOO ! That's for someone else braver than i am😊

Thank you for bringing us along, Mike. And just W O W to those guys who build and maintain these structures.

Omigosh...I grew up in NJ and 5 years ago moved here to MI...this summer I saw and went over "The Mighty Mac"...being in a car was stressful, I don't know how you did THIS!! Love you Mike!

I'm very proud of Mike for doing this. I've been over this bridge at least a dozen times, maybe more, when I used to live in the area. I watched one episode where he was painting it. If you look up the stats you'll find that the Mackinac bridge is longer and heavier than the Golden Gate. The inside lanes in both directions are steel grate, and make a humming sound when you drive on them. If you live on the north side of this bridge, your known as, and called a "Yooper". Thanks.

Damn! The clip cut before the best part! Mike: "I suppose we'll have to climb down the cable now." Worker: "Well, we could, or we could just take the elevator over there", and points to the elevator only a few feet away. It's priceless. (Quotes are approximate)

Used to live within walking distance of this bridge. It's far, far more terrifying in person.

I'd be hugging that cable yelling I WANT MY MAMA!!!

can you imagene the guys that made it putting it together,,

I know this is 10 years ago but i just heard about it. Great job Mike. Keep supporting the working man.

So I listened to your most recent podcast, like I do every Sunday morning, and heard you talking about this. Watching this has made me queasy in my tummy. Love your podcast and think you are an interesting person to follow.

Welcome to Pure Michigan :) I wish you enjoy the outdoors of Michigan

Mike Rowe for president!

My favorite episode! I am from the UP of Michigan and have crossed the bridge many times.

Way to go Mike. You walked the walk. Very impressive. The Mighty Mac is a beautiful bridge.

Oh my! Mike, you're amazing.

Biggest bridge in the USA and was once biggest in the world. Far bigger than the Golden Gate Bridge. Many people out west don’t know about the Michigan Mighty MAC Mackinaw bridge. In fact, it is a whopping 5 miles longer than the golden gate and tall like skyscrapers. The bridge is even on the Michigan license plate…

Just watching this makes me, shall we say 'tense up'.

I just did the annual bridge walk on labor day, the thing this episode doesn't do a great job of depicting is that even on an extremely calm day the bridge swings and oscillates about a foot or so. It's a crazy tensor workout just to walk in a line, so as he's climbing and dealing with not knowing where his next step is going to land he can feel the muscles steadying him slowly giving out. Must've been terrifying!

One has to have a great sense of well-being to do that job. Thanks for the video.

The Mighty Mac in all her glory.

Best dirty jobs segment ever. I also enjoyed when he was in the bridge tower scraping and painting the innards. If your claustrophobic don’t watch.

From that height Mike, what good was that helmet going to be ???? :-)

Hey Mike, I just watched your spot on Tucker Carlson where you mentioned this so I had to check it out, figured I would find it here on RU-vid. Wow I can’t believe you did this! This blows away my 5 jumps during army jump school! I’m a 5 jump chump! Anyways you should check out the “Butt room” where us deputies have to strip out incoming inmates at the downtown San Diego county jail 🦠🤮🦠🤮🦠🤮🦠🤮🦠🤮🦠🤮🦠🤮🦠

You could NOT get me doing this for all the "insert commodity here" in "insert place here" ffs!...

My folks are up around Macinac this week on vacation. Beautiful part of the state. But man, I'd love to walk the top of the bridge cables like that! :D

I’ve been on the bridge before and it was SO SCARY! I can’t imagine how terrifying it is to climb the cables. I’ve also been under the bridge on a ferry to Mackinac Island and, let me tell you- YOU CAN SEE THE CARS!! I never want to cross the Mackinac Bridge again

I do not care how much safety equipment there is my pucker factor was at 10 just watching this.

I was born and raised in Michigan, not too far from Windsor tunnel linking into Canada. I never went up to the UP or even farther north of bay city, but would definitely want to in the SUMMER TIME!

I'm scared and I'm just watching the video!

I like how they have one lane closed. That way if you fall you won't die by getting run over by a car! It's how we roll in Michigan.

Thanks timcast .Mike is a damn beast

I got to drive over the Mackinac last month and dam it just keeps going and going like its never going to end. I would love to walk the cables.

You are one BRAVE man!

Mike Rowe has balls of steel.

Just heard about this on Timcast Irl...holy shit!!!

I just found out in 2024 that this job pays 20 to 31 dollars an hour. No where near enough money to stare death in the face everyday lol

Been across Mighty Mac a lot. Always drama, usually due to high winds. I'm getting vertigo just watching. Mighty Mac is even very scary to drive across, so they have a shuttle service that will drive your car across for you. Don't know of any other bridge that does that.

My legs are like noodles watching this

Mike Row is the man !

I can't breathe. 😖 I get dizzy standing on a chair. Watching this was hell.

Insane. It's scary enough driving across, that takes a very brave person!

That was a sphincter clincher!

You can tell he is nervous/focused: one word answers with no comedy. Also, Mike makes sure he takes his glove off to shake hands.

Now my hands are sweaty after watching that XD

Going up might not be too bad. Going down on the other hand would be tough because it's impossible to not look down. In a nut shell, f that.

You have balls the size of bowling balls

Just watching that video makes me cringe. It's funny though that both guys are uncomfortable up there, just like I'd be, but they're doing it anyway. God bless people like this, who can swallow their feelings about a situation and get the job done.

I've crossed this bridge a couple times in my life and believe me, it is not a place you wanna cross without care.

At least you were able to get down via the Elevator.

and then what? how do you get down from there? you have to walk back? that seems even more scary..

It makes me nervous just watching the video!

So cool

Fake TV host? Mike Rowe is about as real as they get.

no way would I do what Mike did. You go Mike Rowe

Ok I have no fear of heights and I know I could do THIS. But I freak out DRIVING over the damn thing! Go figure...

Oh C.R.A.P

Mike, does your Mom know about this? The only way I can handle watching this one is by keeping my eyes on you constantly (no real chore, you being beautiful and all) and not looking at anything when you're not there. How did you ever do it?

2 words: Fuck that shit.

People say never say never! I'm telling you as sure as my head is bald, I'll never be climbing the Mackinaw bridge to do a $@#$ thang. You can betcha last money on that!

Look at that something I'm uniquely qualified for. It's like hiking and climbing towers had a baby.

Michigan kicks ass! Dunes anyone?

So beautiful

Yeah, well try doing it in an 18 mile per hour wind like I did!

Pure Michigan :)

One of my favorite "Jobs"! :D

Watching this from my Lazy Boy at ground level and feeling dizzy and nauseous!🤢

My hand is sweating!

Amazin

I would love to go up there and film with my GoPro

Pure awesome

Your awesome Mike! :D

I think that would be a fun job I will bet it pays good

Awesome

thats insane!!!

NO WAY IN HELL NOPE NOPE NOPE.

This is something you should charge for I would love to do this !!

..er..no thank you!

Barski shits his pa tiloons on this one, I betcha!

Hell to the NOOO

i wanna do this

Anyone else here from Tim pools podcast with Mike Lowe?

not in a million yrs

Nope!

that's three words lol

No way

Whimps................

NOPE

Thumbs up if you came here from Timcast 👍

Shhhhhhhh

hope this isnt a minimum wage job

I would love to do something like that. Even climb Mount Everest in Nepal. I love challenges and overcoming them.

I’m

This is utter crap. Get it?

I'd be hugging that cable yelling I WANT MY MAMA!!!