Logbook entry № 9 · Duncan Macleod
Common questions from visitors and apprentices
First noted
Honest answers from Duncan Macleod about independence, weather closures, safety of the glass floor, and the role of this notebook.
- Is this website affiliated with the operator of the tower or with any official ticketing agent?
- No. It is an independent notebook of observations by Duncan Macleod, a retired hoistway mechanic. This site does not sell admission, book meals, process payments, or act on behalf of the tower’s operator. Buy any paid visit directly from the official operator of the structure.
- Why does the lift sometimes slow down on a windy afternoon?
- When sustained wind at the mast exceeds a defined threshold, the lift control system reduces the maximum speed of each cab. This adds roughly ten to fifteen seconds to the climb and reduces lateral stress on the guide rails. On severe days the lifts may be stopped and the mast dampers do their work.
- How safe is the glass floor at 342 metres?
- The panels are a laminated sandwich designed with a load rating many times greater than the weight of a crowded gathering of adults. The outer surface is replaced on a maintenance rotation. The engineering is sound; the discomfort some visitors feel is a reaction to visible depth rather than to actual movement.
- Can the outdoor terrace close even on a sunny day?
- Yes. The staff close the terrace at 356 metres when sustained wind is high or when the steel grating is glazed by freezing rain. A closed terrace is a precaution, not a cancellation of the visit. The main deck at 346 metres gives most of the same view with warmer air and no gusts.
- Why does my coat sometimes end up at the next table on the revolving dining floor?
- The floor rotates on a bearing while the walls stay fixed. Items placed against the outer wall drift to neighbouring tables as the floor turns. Keep personal items on the inner side of your table or under your chair. Staff are familiar with the recovery route.
- Does Duncan arrange tours, tickets, or dinner reservations?
- No. The notebook is for architectural observation and practical neighbourhood context. The contact page is for editorial correspondence only. Please do not send payment details.
- Why do some visitors find this page after seeing an advertisement?
- Some readers arrive after seeing a search result or shared link. That is covered in the privacy notice. The site uses no advertising pixels or social-media trackers; any referral address can appear in technical server logs if your browser supplies it.
- Can I reuse photographs or text from these pages?
- Short quotations with clear attribution to this notebook are welcome. Please do not republish whole pages, remove the independent status, or use the material to imply endorsement by the operator of the tower.
- How often are these pages updated?
- When something changes in the visiting routine, the lift schedule, the SkyWalk arrangement, or the weather closure policy, I revise the relevant page and note the revision in the privacy notice. Please write with specific corrections rather than general impressions.
- Does the notebook accept any kind of advertising or sponsorship?
- No. Duncan writes without sponsorship from the operator of the tower, from a travel agency, or from any payment processor. There is no affiliate link anywhere on the site and no account system that could ever introduce one.
— D.M.