My Annual Summer Tradition; Messing With Tourists On The 4th Street Elevator

It's my favorite time of the year! Not only does my family take our annual trip on the 4th Street Elevator, but I get to pull my favorite gag on tourists.

The kids have a word for it... "Cringey."

That's what my son, Jacob, says whenever I embarrass him.

I'm going to get called that soon as one of my favorite times of the year is here... riding the 4th Street Elevator.

If you're a Dubuquer you drive by the elevator all the time, but I always wonder if other folks in town ride it on the regular like me.

First of all it's not that expensive, so on weekends when my wife is working me and Jacob like to ride it after leaving Farmer's Market.

Second, it's a really cool ride and the lookout features one of the best views of downtown Dubuque.

If you ride on the weekend chances are you'll join a few tourists on board, experiencing the ride for the first time. That big, steel cable always looks a little scary so I like to do my annual prank every year. I always ask where the other passengers are from. I tell them about the river walk, museum and such.

Then about halfway up when the car shakes, I grab on to the seat or wall and get a scared look on my face.

"Oh my god, that's never happened before!"

Being about 200 feet up and hanging from that steel cable, I usually see the other passengers tense up.

Then I smile and let them off the hook. Jacob roles his eyes and I laugh.

I've been doing this every season for the last 10 years.

Cringey, I know... but I can't help myself!

(Want to know more about the elevator? Find details HERE.)

~Chris Farber