Name: Joe Fortuna on Letterman, February 21, 1989
Uploaded: 2017-11-18T23:00:43.000Z
Description: Watch the stand-up comedy video 'Joe Fortuna on Letterman, February 21, 1989' from Don Giller on Comedy Buff. Published 2017-11-18. Transcript available. By request. Joe Fortuna tries to teach Dave how to climb a pole.

Watch the stand-up comedy video 'Joe Fortuna on Letterman, February 21, 1989' from Don Giller on Comedy Buff. Published 2017-11-18. Transcript available. By request. Joe Fortuna tries to teach Dave how to climb a pole.

Welcome back to the program, ladies and gentlemen.
Now it's time to climb some poles.
When our next guest, Wah, talks about getting to the top in his profession,
he's talking about, well, roughly 30 feet.
Thank you.
Ladies and gentlemen, from the Bell Atlantic Telephone Pole Climbing Academy
in Valley Forge, Pennsylvania, please say hello to Joe Fortuna.
Hi, Joe. How are you?
Oh, that's fine, Dave.
Nice to see you.
You don't want to climb with that anyway.
We've constructed a pole here. This is how high?
This pole is 20 feet high.
20 feet. And generally, when you're working, what kind of height are you
talking about?
You're talking 18 and a half to 20 feet high.
And why do the linemen work on the poles? What is usually the problem?
Downed wires, storms?
Well, basically, the installers and repairmen would go up to install a new
service
because the connections from the house are connected to the cable at that level
of the pole.
But one day, because of microwaves and satellites, poles will be a thing of the
past, correct?
I doubt it.
The way I say it is when they invent the anti-gravity belt, we'll probably be
able to do away with the poles.
Great. I'm not sure I know what that means, but let's show the folks what you
do.
Now, you teach people to climb the poles in your school, right?
That's exactly right.
All right. You want to show us first, and then I'll give it a try?
Sure. I'll give you a demonstration climb.
All right.
Oh, good. A demonstration climb.
You can hold on to...
Thank you very much.
What?
What?
What?
What? I should wear? Huh?
Okay.
Okay.
Going up this side?
Has this side been specially prepared?
For how?
For how?
All right. Go ahead, Joe.
All right. I'll do a demonstration climb.
Show us what we need to know.
Three-point contact method of climbing.
Pay attention because when you get your chance, that's what you want to do.
Well, you're suggesting that perhaps I wouldn't be paying attention.
Okay. That's how we go up.
You know, if I were you, I don't think I'd be coming down.
But come on down anyway, Joe.
Come on down, and then you show me the finer points of doing this.
I guess we have special attachments to our shoes, don't we?
Yes.
That's a great thing about America.
They're called climbers.
Uh-huh.
The appropriate name for them.
All right.
And what do I need to know about this?
I'll slip into my gloves now to save a little time.
Here I am.
Slip into my gloves right now.
What you want to make sure you do is when you gaff the pole, that's when you...
I have the gloves on.
Do what, sir?
When you gaff the pole...
Gaff the pole.
That's with a little spear there, the little cleat, huh?
Spikes, right.
Uh-huh, yeah.
You want to make sure you get at least a quarter...
You know, this would be good for fishing in shallow water.
Just...
Ah!
I got one!
I got a flounder!
You want to make sure you get at least a quarter-inch penetration into the pole.
Quarter-inch penetration into the pole.
All right.
And then you want to...
You folks make up your own jokes.
I'm tired.
You want to take eight to...
Here we go.
You want to take eight to 12-inch steps.
Uh-huh.
Eight to 12-inch steps.
Now, can I go ahead and hook one in there?
Put both hands on the back quarters of the pole.
All right.
That's a little too high.
Eight to 12 inches.
Lower.
A little too high.
Lower.
I'm stuck.
Okay.
There.
Is that good?
Okay.
That's good.
A little too high.
Too high?
Well...
Eight to 12 inches.
Well, get out the tape measure, all right?
Oh, and I can't get the other one out.
Some kind of...
Too high.
Too high.
Too high.
This way a little bit more.
Okay, good.
You want to stroke the pole.
Okay.
Nice stroke.
Left hand.
Move your...
Okay, get your right hand up.
You're doing great.
Yes, sir.
I'm an old pole stroker from way back.
Yeah.
All right.
Okay.
How much time do we have?
I'm not coming down.
All right.
Great.
Hey, Paul, I can see your car from here.
Okay.
All right, looking good.
Looking good.
That's good.
How much higher do I have to go?
That's fine.
That's high enough.
I'm going all the way up.
Okay.
All right.
All right.
Now, should we...
Oh, do a...
Oh!
You want to come down?
Hold on.
Get that.
Oh, I'm trembling like a bunny.
Get your...
Get your right knee locked back.
Yeah.
Just lock it back.
Is it pretty much a reversal of the coming up procedure?
It's a little different.
How did I know that?
We'll do a commercial.
I'll be right back, folks.
I'll be right back, folks.
Nice job, Joe.
Thank you very much.
It's been a real pleasure.
Real pleasure.
Joe Fortuna.
That was fun.
It must be a nice way to make a living.
Oh, yeah.
It's a lot of fun.
It's like going to an amusement park and not having to pay for...
Are you available for parties?
Absolutely.
Great.
My thanks to everybody who was here tonight.
Bill Maher, Joe Fortuna, of course, and the lovely Glenn Close.
Tomorrow on the program, Martin Mull, Billy Bragg, and Daryl Waltrip.
Thanks for being here, folks.
Good night, everybody.
Good night, Joe.
Good night, Joe.
Good night, Joe.
We'll see you next time.