If you’re going to climb the Golden Gate Bridge and perform a series of acrobatics that would make the Grim Reaper shit his pants, don’t say anything about it online or post a video of your exploits in which your face is clearly visible. Peter “Teatime” Kurer and Tommy Rector did not follow this advice when they scaled the bridge in April. The video they produced is queasy to watch and rather impressive, and it could land them in serious legal trouble.
The two stunt-loving kids live in Wisconsin, but they’ll have to come back to the Bay Area next month, since the Marin County DA charged them with trespassing and climbing a toll bridge, both misdemeanor offenses (the county line is in the middle of the bridge, but they began their ascent on the Marin side). Kurer and Rector face up to a year in jail if convicted, and they are also facing a civil suit from the Golden Gate Bridge Highway and Transportation District for their antics.
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The pair climbed onto the bridge from the northern side, which is reserved for bikes, and even offered to consult with officials to help them improve security measures. Neither climber shied away from the spotlight and both were honest about their stunt:
“Honestly, we were a little bit surprised at how easy it was. We did it on a hunch, sort of — didn’t plan it,” Rector said.
[…]
“We don’t want to hurt anybody else’s property or put anyone else at risk,” Teatime said by phone. “Obviously, we knew there were risks. We took all the risks into consideration.”
Unfortunately, the record is not in their favor. A man was caught climbing the bridge four years ago and was put on the Do Not Fly list by the feds. These two daring teens could have probably escaped scot-free and the authorities would have been none the wiser, but they couldn’t resist the allure of posting shit online.
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