He Walked the Line: Daredevil Crosses Tightrope between High-Rise Buildings in L.A.
Ben Schneider, 28, earned his “Reckless” nickname by performing the feat between two abandoned buildings, amidst the decrepit beauty of Downtown Los Angeles.
By Gabe Herman · May 29, 2024
Disclaimer: While this article is based on well-balanced facts, it does also contain a dizzying amount of satire. Don’t look down.
People get their dopamine fixes in different ways, whether it’s staring at a phone for 16 hours straight or trying the newest special at Applebee’s on opening day. For daredevil “Reckless” Ben Schneider, however, a recent dopamine fix was courtesy of him tightrope walking across two abandoned office buildings in downtown L.A. He walked along a 1-inch wide rope, about 45 stories up. Meanwhile, I get dizzy if I slightly lean over the railing on a second-floor balcony.
“Performing these kinds of stunts probably has its pros and cons,” said an onlooker on a nearby street. “A pro is that you’re not stuck working in an office somewhere, having the life slowly drained out of you day by day. A con is that one slip of your foot or hand means an instant death. So these are both things to consider. It is entertaining to watch, though.”
Schneider was able to gain access to the abandoned buildings thanks to friends creating a distraction for the police. After he and some friends set up for the stunt, they reportedly played Monopoly and took a nap - because, hey, not every moment of life can be lived to the extreme.
"I'm definitely inspired by this stunt to live more in the moment, and to try to do things in life that thrill and excite me, because... Hold on, I think someone just tagged me on Instagram, I need to check this out."
The LAPD has opened a criminal investigation into the lofty act. Because, now that all crime has been eradicated, resources can be spent chasing entertainers who use abandoned spaces, and who don’t seem to really be harming anyone.
Schneider said he hopes to inspire people. One witness said he was inspired by Schneider’s performance art to make the most of life and live to the fullest. He then immediately buried his head back into his phone and didn’t look up again for 15 minutes. The man continued his screen-gazing even as he nearly got hit by several cars while crossing a street, and then he continued looking down as he almost walked into a fountain in a park. “Too bad I didn’t fall in the fountain,” the man was heard saying. “That would’ve made good content.”