Dori Monson: Strap me to the concrete wall as Bertha bores through

After news of Bertha’s next challenge, boring through a 20-foot concrete wall into her repair access pit, KIRO Radio’s Dori Monson came up with what he thought would be his greatest radio gambit ever.

“I’ve come up with this brilliant idea to get ratings: to strap myself to the concrete wall as Bertha is scheduled to break through. If she doesn’t get through then I’m vindicated. If Bertha did break through, I would be unable to break free and I would be torn to shreds by the tunneling machine,” said Monson.

Monson reminded his listeners he already put his job on the line betting against the project years ago.

“I think the new big game is I heard Dori Monson will quit his job on the radio if we bring it in under budget,” said former Secretary of Transportation Paula Hammond at the time. “That’s enough incentive for us to bring it in under budget.”

To up the stakes, he decided it was time to risk his life.

“Strap me to the wall. I’ll broadcast live. If Bertha breaks through, I will be torn to shreds and killed by this project,” said Monson, adding it would be a ratings bonanza either way. “Every radio in Seattle would be tuned in to see if I was going to be torn to shreds.”

Monson had his producer Jake reach out to the Washington State Department of Transportation to try to arrange for the big broadcast event. The representative did not want to be quoted in their response, but here is a portion of the transcript of what Monson dubs “the ask of the millennium,” made by his producer:

“You know Dori…What he would love to do if you guys are up for it – would it be possible for him to come down on the day Bertha is supposed to get through the concrete – I feel stupid even asking this – he wants to strap himself to the concrete.

“He doesn’t believe that Bertha is going to make its way through so he’s willing to bet his life on it.”

Jake explained Dori would be shackled or chained to the wall so he could not make an escape as Bertha approached, and that he would broadcast the whole thing live.

“Bertha, if she does what she’s supposed to do, she would literally bore right through him,” explained Jake.

The representative from WSDOT would not agree to the request, which was surprising to Dori in one way.

“I would think this would be exciting to them, this possibility,” he said.

The request was a little in jest, and Dori indicated the actual possibility would have been a bit intimidating.

“What if they had called me out on this and said, ‘Yeah absolutely, strap him in?'” he wondered. “That would have been the most brilliant governmental response in history.”