http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/world/americas/2163666.stm
When people start PAYING someone for the privelege of being kidnapped, then it’s just gone too far. Too much money, too much time on our hands, something. I just don’t know what it’s come to.
(NOTE: When I started this, I had a good head of steam going. But now I’m just sad. And disappointed. )
Goddam that’s weird.
False_God I’m confused, care to elaborate ?
What has gone too far ? What do you mean by "you don’t know what it’s coming to ? What exactly should people spend their time and money on ? What about this saddens and disappoints you ?
Forgive me, I just don’t see where the good head of steam might have come from.
Very strange.
That professor’s “slippery slope” based disapproval is so very lame. Couldn’t they come up with a stronger objection than that?
Sounds like fun. Wonder if he’ll open a California branch?
Goo, the head of steam was from me getting worked up over overprivileged people paying good money to someone else to “kidnap” them so that they could get a thrill.
Instead, of , you know, using their powers for good. Or taking one tenth the money it would take to do this and buying somebody a book. Or fifteen hundred packages of Oral Rehydration Salts, which could save hundreds of children’s lives in Africa.
I just can’t see that there’s a need for fake kidnapping services when most of the world doesn’t have access to medical care, clean water and sanitation. The US has the most power and influence at this time than any country since Imperial Rome, and this is what we do with it. (Disclaimer: I know this is a gross oversimplification, but this just hacked me off in a way I find hard to explain.)
It might be harmless fun, and if that’s what you like, then you’re going to like that sort of thing. It just seems wasteful and sad to me. Just my opinion, I might be wrong.
I just can’t see how there’s a need for people to spend time arguing on an Internet message board when most of the world doesn’t have access to medical care, clean water and sanitation. The US has the most power and influence at this time than any country since Imperial Rome, and this is what we do with it.
Anyone ever see the movie The Game? Sounds like a fucked up real life version of that, just not as psychologically screwy, since you know what’s happening.
This comment is comforting, though:
A little helpful hint there, for your wanna be kidnappers or would be terrorists, just make sure you’ve got people videotaping everything and folk’s will think your making a movie and not call the police.
Ummm…I agree with the OP - this is really sick on many levels. I honestly can’t believe that people are bothering to nit-pick. This is profoundly disturbing to most people. Oh wait - not to this person:
Now, correct me if I’m wrong here…a “Psychotherapist” is essentially a Communications major who couldn’t get that dream job at CNN they were sure was waiting for them after college, who chooses to one day call themselves a “psychotherapist” - while a “Psychiatrist” is a professional with a degree, right? At least, that’s how my ex-friend became a “Psychotherapist”…
I wonder what happens the first time either a cop or an armed citizen decides to help the poor person who is being abducted in front of them? I have to say - if I see a person being obviously abducted in front of me, and there are no police present, I know what I’m going to do - I’m going to draw my gun on them, and have everyone lay nice and still on the ground until the police arrive to sort things out.
What astonishes me about this is that, according to the article cited, it isn’t illegal. How that can be is a mystery to me. So the kidnap “victim” is paying for it. Isn’t paying someone to commit a felony an act of conspiracy? And if this is okay, then why would it not be legal to hire someone to kill you? After all, you asked them to. At the very least there is the possibility that a third party who is not in on the “gag” might get involved and cause injury or worse to someone.
Legal or illegal, it seems sick to me. Unfortunately, this kind of twisted crap apparently is what the world is coming to. What a shame.
It’s true. Some people have too much money. And not enough sense.
YMMV.
I think I’ve come up with a new business model that will make me millions!
I will provide a unique service where I run over the clients, and forcibly pour oil down their throats. It will provide clients with a thrill.
For a modest fee of $4,000.
Is there anything people won’t buy?
How long before there’s a case of mistaken identitiy??
BTW, I guess it’s not illegal because it’s not legally kidnapping if it’s not against the 'victim’s will. If they change their mind half way through, it mgiht be a problem.
I don’t know about the US, but in Canada at least, the reason you cannot hire someone to kill you is that the law specifically says that you cannot consent to be killed. It does not say you could not consent to be kidnapped.
Besides, kidnapping is taking someone somewhere without their consent. Once they’ve consented, it’s not kidnapping. Even if they’ve consented to be killed, though, they’ve still been killed.
[sub]Warning: IANAL. Please contact an actual attorney before attempting to kidnap or kill someone with or without their consent inside or outside Canada.[/sub]
Well, it’s a bit extreme for my tastes, but I’m neither surprised nor shocked. People frequently do things that can be dangerous (Or even deadly), or a simulation of danger, just to be able to know they’ve made it through. On one end you can have something like rollercoasters (Which give at least a little sense of risk), to paintball (Simulated combat, complete with fake “death”), to climbing huge mountains (Which can certainly be rather dangerous or fatal).
I imagine they need a lot of paperwork and waivers and the like, probably witnessed as well. And yeah, hope they don’t get the wrong guy, but I imagine they’re pretty carefull about it…
Agreed it’s pretty sicko, but there’s not much point drawing the over-used analogy: this is a waste of money, why don’t they give their money to worthy causes?
People spend entertainment money on what entertains them. Whether it’s a designer car (huge fking waste of money IMO), expensive theatre tickets, clothes, overpriced restaurant food, cinema, games arcades, golf, sports, nightclubs - all this stuff is arguably a huge waste of time and cash but we don’t endlessly get people jumping up and down saying “a 22-dollar pizza! Think of what that could have meant to starving people in Africa! Why didn’t you eat a can of beans at home instead?!”
Fake kidnapping is no more a waste of money than any other sad thrills us pathetic humans go in for.
The problem is that if people got used to fake kidnappings, no one would ever intervene in a real one. Or, what happens the first time one of the fake kidnappers gets shot by a well-meaning witness? If I had a gun on me in those situations, I certainly wouldn’t hesitate to draw it. It doesn’t seem like it’ll take long before someone is seriously hurt.
Oh, and it also seems to give people a false sense of security. “Hey, look, I can survive a kidnapping.” As if it had any similarities to a real-life kidnapping. That’s like saying my playing paintball prepares me for war.
I don’t know. I think I have to agree with Phoenix Dragon. While it looks a little extreme compared to, say getting really good and ripped at the local bar, people do odd things.
It actually looks to me on par with bungee jumping, which I see as one of the most idiotic things we’ve ever called “entertainment.”
Though it may look awful because it is designed to mimic an activity we are accustomed to being illegal, all parties involved must consent, they choose the amount of time involved, and they are in a controlled environment where their “kidnappers” are responsible for making certain you don’t actually get harmed in the process.
Sounds a lot safer than wrapping a big rubber band to your legs and jumping off a building.