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Bevins Takes on Denver’s Blucifer

Photo: Eric Golub/Creative Commons
Photo: Eric Golub/Creative Commons

The Denver Airport

I’d been through the Denver International Airport more than a time or two before, and this time was just like the rest – passing through and trying to get where I was going in a hurry. But this particular day, a storm was brewing, the wind whipping around my rented SUV. Lightning in the distance reminded me of all the repair work linemen would have after this weather left the area.

Just a few hours earlier, I’d been suspicious of the strange Nazi-like paintings on the walls of the Denver airport and the odd symbolism they seemed to evoke. Still, it’s airport art. Nothing to be too serious about.

On my way from the parking lot, I’d heard the rumors again. That the airport, built in 1995, lay on top of secret, subterranean command bunkers for the New World Order. That the odd shape of the runway pattern badly hid a giant swastika. Most of all, that the “Blue Mustang” sculpture, better known as “Blucifer,” had been cursed. The rumor centered on the fact that its creator, Luis Jiménez, had died when the 32-foot sculpture had fallen on him and severed an artery – causing him to bleed out. Gruesome.

Think Safety, Right?

I didn’t want to think about dead artisans, creepy airport paintings and cursed horses. I’d come to remind those gathered at the regional meeting how awareness, tailgate meetings, proper gear, the best tools and the latest technology in the electric utility industry are crucial to safety. I took the time to discuss the newest innovations and ideas we’re developing to make linemen even safer.

But on my way back to the airport, I happened to be looking up in the right direction at the moment the lightning lit up the sky behind the infamous statue. A fierce red glow lit its eyes just as the thunder cracked the clouds above. Maybe it is cursed. It has become an icon, standing to challenge those arriving and dare the departing to return to darker days…in Denver. I don’t know, but the giant blue sculpture has certainly made a name for itself here.

My Work Continues

In the end, my meeting went well, and the great drive toward keeping linemen alive and well continues in my work every day. But I do wonder about Blucifer and all the rumors about the Denver airport. Someday, I want some answers. But today, I’m just happy to be exiting the airport in Tulsa where the scariest statue is the Golden Driller, standing like a bastion of honor and strength in front of the Tulsa Expo Center.

It’s good to be home.