Fire Escape Accidents

I read an article about a young man falling off a fire escape. I found myself wondering what kind of carelessness it takes to fall from a fire escape. They're pretty sturdy and user-friendly. A couple days later I climbed out my back window and up the fire escape at dusk. I had a beer in my hand, so I prudently reached up to set it on the roof so I could climb with both hands. That's when I noticed what looked like a wolfman crouching down on the rooftop just above me. It turned out to be a raccoon, but the shock of it nearly sent me onto the roof of the building next door.