法国一家名为“终极现实”的公司推出可以按客户要求定制的“绑架”服务,想要寻求刺激的客户只要花900欧元便可以有一次被绑体验。工作人员会出其不意将客户当街掳走,再五花大绑囚禁四个小时。如果觉得刺激还不够,还可以追加服务,定制逃跑或被直升飞机追赶的情节。该公司创始人指出,客户在参加此项服务前需签署合同和免责协议。因为这样的绑架活动都是在客户知情并且允许的情况下进行的,所以警方表示不会插手。除绑架服务外,该公司表示还会为那些已经厌倦了蹦极和跳伞等极限运动的人们推出更多的服务,比如活埋,参加自己的葬礼,或者在太平间过夜等。
Thrill-seekers in France tired of the usual array of white-knuckle sports are turning to a bizarre new service to get their adrenaline rush -- designer abduction. |
Thrill-seekers in France tired of the usual array of white-knuckle sports are turning to a bizarre new service to get their adrenaline rush -- designer abduction.
For 900 euros ($1,226), clients of Ultime Realite ("Ultimate Reality"), a firm in eastern France, can buy a basic kidnap package where they're bundled away, bound and gagged, and kept incarcerated for four hours.
Alternatively, they can opt for a more elaborate tailor-made psychodrama, involving an escape or helicopter chase for example, where costs can quickly escalate.
"Basically, anything is possible. I identify what the customer wants and then try to put it into action," said Georges Cexus, 28, who set up the company in the middle of January.
Once the scenario has been established, clients sign a contract and liability waiver, but have no idea when the kidnappers will strike in order to maximize the surprise.
But Cexus said the maximum incarceration time is 11 hours, beyond which clients might find the novelty tends to wear off.
After just a few weeks in business, Ultime Realite says it is already getting up to two requests a day, the majority from top-level executives seeking an extreme alternative to bungee jumping or skydiving.
Others are hoping to confront deep-rooted phobias, such as one potential client who says he wants to be buried alive.
For those searching for the ultimate nightmare, the company is also hoping to branch out beyond kidnappings and is looking into options such as spending a night in a morgue, or attending your own funeral.
"Let's say it will really be about bringing to life the client's worst fear, the thing that's lurking in the back of his mind and he's never dared talk about," said Cexus.
While paying "victims" might find the experience cathartic, however, there's little guarantee of how innocent bystanders might react to witnessing a kidnapping in broad daylight.
A spokesperson for the French police said they had no legal objections to the service, but the company would need to warn local authorities beforehand so they were prepared for any emergency calls.
"With regard to the police and penal code, there's no reason for us to ban this service, as the victim is consenting which means there's no crime," the spokesperson said.
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(Agencies)
Vocabulary:
adrenaline rush: 寻求刺激
(中国日报网英语点津 Helen 编辑)