Climbing the Brooklyn Bridge for a hot photo op has become the tourist activity of choice lately. This Sunday, 23-year-old Jonathon Souid became the latest thrill-seeker to scale the iconic structure in a matter of months. He was caught in the act by the NYPD and taken to the 84th precinct in Downtown Brooklyn to be booked on trespassing charges.
Souid was visiting from France and according to police, he climbed over a fence on the pedestrian walkway of the bridge before scaling a beam over Manhattan-bound traffic and began taking photos.
After two German artists planted white flags on NYC’s most famous bridge in July and a Russian tourist was caught in the daredevil act in August, authorities have been on high alert. Senator Chuck Schumer found the trend so disturbing that in October he called for legislation that would make urban exploring on landmarks and “critical infrastructure” a federal offense, carrying a penalty of up to five years in prison.
(Photo: Tim Fleischer)
