NAME.....Razorblades In Waterslides
CODE.....CR1709
ORIGIN...Unknown
STATUS...False

A water park in Walton (Surrey) was all the rage when I was young, and the hot summer of 1985 was no exception. A waterslide called the 'Black Hole' was everyone's favourite; a fast ride with an almost sheer drop in complete darkness.

However, during this particular summer, a certain story made people think twice about going there. Apparantly, gangs of youths found it great fun to stop halfway down the slide (Black Hole) and stick razorblades to the sides with chewing gum. A girl aged 13 suffered serious injuries when her back and legs were cut due to the prank.

The story refused to die, and the Waterslide Park's popularity steadily declined. The effect on business was devastating, and shortly afterwards the park closed up for good.

Summary

When I was younger this story was taken as gospel, and it did stop kids wanting to go to the Water Park. It was not until I read an article on the Internet, that I actually realised it was a legend. The article told about an event (similar to the version above) happening in a place called 'Grundy's', which was an Amusement Park in Surfers Paradise (Australia). This supposedly happened in the late 1970's, and involved a girl (aged 12 or 13) being cut by a razorblade, stuck to the slide with chewing gum. Versions of the UL can also be found in almost every state in America.

This UL is particularly malicious, as it has had an impact on the business's involved. It is very believable that gangs would do this just for 'kicks', and the worrying thing is that the victim cannot do anything about it. The legend has an impact because it makes people feel very vulnerable. You can travel down a waterslide at great speed, and with little vision. The feeling of being out of control adds to the buzz of the ride, but this very feeling fuels the fear that this legend generates.

Final Thoughts

An American version situated in England, has an extra twist added to it. It states that water slides are now banned in Britain because of the risk factor involved due to that particular incident. This is not true.