99. The Skywalks (Hyatt Regency disaster)

I've listened to this twice and I have to say that the setup / payoff of establishing the Hyatt wanting their "Jesus Christ factor" followed ten minutes later with the 911 dispatcher saying "Oh Jesus" when she's told of the disaster is fantastic writing and editing. Subtle but devastating.

The Skywalk episode description of the catastrophe was so well written that I felt like I was in that hotel watching as the skywalks came down, and the carnage that followed. Probably the best episode yet! (The are all good though ) It was so intense that my primal reaction was to laugh, which was the opposite of what I should have been doing lol. Maybe it was my brain coping in the face of adversity i.e. to cope with such horror. Whoever wrote that episode deserves an award, as what my minds eye saw was truely spectacular!

I was about 5 years old when this happened. We lived in a ramshackle old house about five minutes from the Hyatt when we heard the news on the radio. My dad pretty much dropped everything and went down to see if he could help, but the first responders told him it was way too dangerous. Growing up, Hallmark was a big presence in the city in so many ways, and they did a lot of good, but it makes you wonder how many other terrible things were paid off and swept under the rug. Thanks for the ep, it was excellent. Going to check out that book you talked about asap.

Well there’s your problem: a podcast about engineering disasters https://youtu.be/Hw2t0MOGnVc And https://youtu.be/W8-ImMaRVNM

There's a good video of this event with pictures of how the hotel looked before the tragedy (for those of us like me who have a hard time visualizing what the "skybridges" must have looked like) on YouTube. It's called "Fast-Tracked Failure: The Hyatt Regency Walkway Collapse."

Hallmark missed a profitable line of cards - the front featuring a bridge or atrium skywalks with the words: "We won't keep you in suspense"...then the receiver opens the card to reveal the words..."Our sympathies for your family's crushing blow..."

This was tough to get through just listening, I can't imagine how hard it would be to read about, research and then write and narrate. ACC you did an incredible job - thank you

No way of swindling people is a "bridge" too far

My father in law and his parents were at the Hyatt the night of the tragedy. Luckily they were safe and able to get away but to this day it haunts my grand mother in law (she's the only one of the 3 still around) and she's petrified of buildings taller than a couple stories.

Hallmark chipped in $25,000 for a memorial. Damned nice of them. Regular philanthropists they are. 🙄😡🤬

Who knew a seemingly innocuous greeting card company could be so greedy, murderous, and evil? Great job ACC -- I listened to another podcast on this story, but you did it much better with more eloquence; better story-telling; and your trademark understated but barely constrained outrage. 👍

Great episode, got me feels. Great story telling

Whew. This episode was hard to listen to.

I live in south Florida and I remember this awful incident 💔

I wish my cats got hyped like I do for new Swindled eps...

1. Not buying Hallmark products any longer. 2. Never visiting KC after this and the poor boy on the water slide. Excellent, devastating, episode, ACC!

Two tragic stories and then two "strengthen that member"s at the end to take me out

Wow, absolute chills. Great job.

LET'S GOOOOO

I remember sending you something on this on Twitter a while back, glad you got around to it :)

Ah I remember suggesting this forever ago! Yay!

This is going to be brutal. I went down a rabbit hole on this topic one night and all bad news

BABE WAKE UP NEW SWINDLED DROP