I know you're comment is tongue in cheek but there's more than one cable tethering the tihng to the ground.

they have one of those at the San Diego Wild Animal Park. I've never gone up it but it's been going up and down many times a day for many, many years.

Having said that, I'd much rather go to the top of the Eiffel Tower to get the view than be on a tethered balloon.

Michael