PARIS (Reuters) - 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.
