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Spiderman Foiled In Houston


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'Spiderman' stopped in his tracks

05:10 PM CST on Tuesday, November 22, 2005

By Amy Tortolani / 11 News

http://www.khou.com/topstories/stories/kho...___.4ac24b.html

A man who calls himself "Spiderman" was tackled by Houston police officers after trying to climb up One Houston Center Tuesday morning.

The suspect is a Frenchman named Robert Alain Philipe aka Alain Robert. He's reportedly scaled skyscrapers around the world -- often with his bare hands.

This time, it seems he was a victim of his own publicity stunt. Police they were tipped off after Philipe alerted the media about his plan. Philipe denied that.

"I don't know what has happened and how all these people knew I was trying to climb," he said.

"What are you doing? Relax," as he handcuffed Philipe.

"I haven't commited any crime. No tresspass. No reckless, no disorderly. If you can charge me with something I really want to hear it," Philipe told 11 News as police handcuffed him.

He was wearing logos for an online casino that has sponsored several of his climbs. It's the same gambling site that sponsored the infamous Super Bowl streaker who bolted past security at Reliant Stadium a couple of years ago.

Investigators tell us they found out about Tuesday's scheme because Philipe alerted the media.

"In fact, he did try to scale the side over here on Walker and one of the officers was able to grab him and bring him down," said HPD Lt. D.B. Edwards. "Apparently this guy does this all throughout the world. He wanted some media attention so we were able to come out here and be on the lookout for him."

According to his Web site, Philipe has climbed over 60 skyscrapers and landmarks worldwide including the Eiffel Tower, the Empire State Building, Chicago's Sears Tower and the Sydney Harbor Bridge in Australia.

Sources tell 11 News they found drugs on the climber so he could face a felony.

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i wonder what sort of "drugs" he had. doesn't seem to be the best time for any of that...

Maybe something to numb the pain of the physical exertion, or something to control the sense of vertigo, or instill a feeling of invincibility needed to overcome common sense and complete the task.

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Alas, it seems the drug charge was trumped up.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20051129/od_nm/...DRpBHNlYwM3NTc-

"Robert presented to the court a prescription for pills found in his possession when police arrested him before he could climb a 46-story Houston office tower on November 22.

He says the pills were Urbanyl, a drug prescribed by his doctors to ward off epileptic seizures commonly known as Clobazam. Police charged him with illegal possession of the drug Xanax, a commonly abused anti-anxiety drug."

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Gotta love that name. "Urbanyl...the Big City drug!"

According to my Googling, it's made in Switzerland. Here's a description auto-translated from the French:

"It is used in the treatment of the anxiety when this one is accompanied by awkward disorders (generalized anxiety , crisis of anguish...) and within the framework by an alcoholic weaning.

The tablets with 10 Mg are used in the treatment of certain forms epilepsy ."

The very thought of scaling the Sears Tower gives me awkward disorders and crisis of anguish.

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Alas, it seems the drug charge was trumped up.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20051129/od_nm/...DRpBHNlYwM3NTc-

"Robert presented to the court a prescription for pills found in his possession when police arrested him before he could climb a 46-story Houston office tower on November 22.

He says the pills were Urbanyl, a drug prescribed by his doctors to ward off epileptic seizures commonly known as Clobazam. Police charged him with illegal possession of the drug Xanax, a commonly abused anti-anxiety drug."

I had to help a friend with an epileptic seisure a few years back. I'm curious as to how that Spiderdude would survive with an epileptic seisure while 30 stories up on the side of a building...

Edited by DJ V Lawrence
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I had to help a friend with an epileptic seisure a few years back. I'm curious as to how that Spiderdude would survive with an epileptic seisure while 30 stories up on the side of a building...

with loss of motor control, it doesn't look good...

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