SINGAPORE – Up more than 40 storeys in the air, a tower crane operator has been giving his TikTok viewers a glimpse of the million-dollar view from his “workplace” and the mouth-watering dishes he enjoys during meal breaks in his compact cabin.
The man, who wants to be known only as Dede, has racked up more than 12,000 followers since he began sharing his day-to-day life on the video-sharing platform under the account @sgtowercrane in September 2022.
There, he also answers burning questions such as how he cools off in the sweltering heat (water in a mist-spray bottle), and how he gets up to the 1.5m by 2.5m cabin (it’s a 20-minute climb up a seemingly unending ladder).
Dede, who is in his 40s, told The Straits Times: “It started when I took some random videos during my lunch break and uploaded it on TikTok. I got excited when some posts received many views, and I decided to share about my daily work life. That’s when the viewers started asking questions.
“I think people are curious about how a crane operator survives, be it rain or shine, up in the cabin alone.”
Despite the tiring 12- to 14-hour, six-days-a-week shift, Dede spares no effort on his meals.
Many of his videos shows how he packs ingredients from home and uses a portable electric pot to cook or heat up food such as sambal prata, black pepper udon and kampung fried rice.
For instance, he once whipped up a bowl of stir-fried black pepper udon with prawns for lunch using ingredients such as chopped onions, garlic and cabbage that he had individually packed.
He added: “The cabin is like my second home. I make sure that I’m very comfortable, happy and safe. I even lay a carpet. I have a radio, a mini electric pot and other things to make it homely.”
On some days, he indulges in food delivery orders and hoists the food up using an industrial pulley. This, however, can be troublesome, given that he is at a height equivalent to nearly 30 double-decker buses stacked atop one another.
In one video about his hor fun delivery order from GrabFood, he details how he needs someone to take the packet of noodles to the 36th storey, from where he then pulls it up to his cabin located another six storeys above.
Even though the videos make his work appear as breezy as the air he enjoys, Dede said the job, which he has been in for just under 10 years, does come with its dangers.
“There are risks when working at height. The higher the crane, the risk multiplies. As a crane operator, most things that I do are crucial and related to safety. I need to be constantly focused and alert at all times,” he said.
But he added that the sense of accomplishment he feels when a project is completed is worth it.
Dede said the most popular question he gets is how he uses the toilet.
The simple answer? A water bottle for No. 1 business, and a plastic-bag-lined bucket for No. 2.
He added that he watches what he eats to avoid having to take a dump in his cabin, although it is pleasant doing so high up where the wind is cool.
Some of his videos have garnered more than 650,000 views, but Dede said of his newfound fame: “I am a shy person by nature, so I don’t reveal myself in the videos. I feel satisfied with the viral videos but a little nervous at the same time.”
