Keith Nuttle wrote:

I personally think that if some one believes that someone would
buy one of these ladders, an NEVER climb the straight part; they
are either a government bureaucrat in thier ivory tower, or on
drugs.

Where I grew up, if you were a kid on one of those ladders, there
would be 3 to 5 kids plotting the most interesting way to make
you fall off of it or to tip you over. And they would try to do
it too! A couple of times they dug a hole about 7 or 8 feet
deep, dropped a ladder in, and when they got an innocent victim
to walk down the ladder to take a look, they pulled out the
ladder, threw a piece of plywood over the top, and danced
mercilessly on top. I played the role of the victim once. Then
the race is on to find the next sucker. When the parent said the
hole had to be filled, naturally one kid was asked to step into
the hole when it was about 3 feet deep or so. And the sissy
screamed after he couldn't move his legs! Kids don't seem to
enjoy being outside as much as they used to... : )