Seriously, I’m going to need someone to tell me why this can’t work.
You get some capital together, and you go buy some bulldozers, a wrecking ball, a couple of backloaders (I went on some auction sites…I’m stunned how cheap some of that heavy equipment can be), find yourself a demolitions expert…and then you open up a destruction company.
But you’re not the one doing the destruction.
No, it’s people like me doing the destruction. Or you. Or anyone.
I read stories like this one – http://www.freep.com/article/20120415/NEWS01/304150016/For-many-kids-in-Detroit-school-zones-are-danger-zones – about how many abandoned, dangerous buildings there are near schools, and there’s a problem.
And then I realize that there are a lot of people with a lot of pent up stress and frustration. And I see an opportunity…
I would absolutely pay, oh, let’s say $100 to drive a bulldozer through the front door of a house that needs to be destroyed. Or hey, let’s wire up a vacant, useless building with explosives, and then sell raffle tickets at $20 a pop to be the one to push the button that blows it up.
I played the video game Rampage a lot over the years…you give me access to a wrecking ball, and keep score on damage done to the building as various people take turns at $20 a swing, and you’ve got yourself a money maker.
But you also get the buildings knocked down that need to go, too.
Oh, and sure, you’re going to need to buy a ton of liability insurance. And everyone involved has to sign waivers until their hands cramp up.
I first started talking about this a little over two years ago…and I still haven’t heard a reasonable answer as to why this can’t be awesome for all involved parties:
– The cities involved don’t have to worry about burning their already strapped budgets on demolition.
– The people around the dangerous, empty buildings get to get them cleaned up and out of their neighborhoods (and then, hey cities – sell those lots cheap to the neighboring property owner and you both get an even bigger win)
– I get an awesome new stress release, as does anyone else who participates
Seriously…tell me why this is a bad idea.
Go.