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100. Bungee -- Just for the Thrill
2013-09-06
Would you pay lots of money to fall off a 120-foot high platform, held only by an elastic cord around your waist or ankles?
It may sound crazy, but lots of people do it. Bungee Jumping, as it is called, is gaining as much popularity as it is gaining controversy and criticism.
Bungee jumping as a sport started in New Zealand, probably in the 1970s. People attached thick elastic cords, called bungees, to their bodies.
Then they jump off bridges or high buildings, falling fast through the air until the cord caught them, and then bounced back up and down a few times until coming to a stop.
Modern bungee jumping is usually done in a parking lot and people jump from a platform at the top of a crane.
You can have bungees tied to your waist or ankles.
There`s a large air cushion at the bottom that is supposed to catch you if the bungees break or if something goes very wrong.
People who bungee jump say the thrill is like no other thrill. "You have a feeling of accomplishment," says one.
"It beats a roller coaster ride," says another.
One happy customer says, "just for a second you feel like you`re going to die. It`s amazing."
But there are many customers who are less than satisfied.
In fact, more than a dozen people have got killed in bungee jumping accidents last year in the U.S.A. and Canada and many non-fatal accidents have been reported.
Despite the dangers of bungee jumping, people still line up and pay lots of money to experience the death-challenging thrill.
