Leisure trips?

[DeletedUser]

Yesterday morning in the North Island of New Zealand, there was an accident where 11 people died.

In this sad case, it was a hot air balloon crash.

(See some details Here)

At first i thought that this case was somewhat unusual, but it's more common than i thought. So much so that there is an entire website devoted to such accidents (google it, i'm not linking to that one as it's attitude doesn't really suit the situation).

What gets me is, that instead of being an extreme event, Hot Air Balloon trips are often seen as Leisure trips. There's the same (if not higher) risk of danger and death. The 'Thrills' gained are the same as most extreme sports. So what is the leisurely appeal and how does give it a different title to related experiences?

 

[DeletedUser12324]

Well when you look at driving or cycling or even walking there's probably more chance of getting hurt or dying than most extreme activities, i think the thing that classes them as extreme is the fact that it's rare to do and gets the heart racing a bit more than a leisurely stroll

 

[DeletedUser]

Well to be honest hot air balloon don't look very reliable.

 

[DeletedUser2595]

I believe that an Exteme Event is something that is mentally or physically gruelling (e.g. White water rafting or BASE jumping) . A hot air balloon ride is neither of these (Unless your scared of heights! )

 

[DeletedUser]

i am totally afraid of heights, but a hot air balloon ride isn't that bad. It would only be considered extreme if your engine actually went out, or you got caught in a windstorm. Have you ever been in a hot air balloon? It feels like you are just standing on a porch on a windless day, except you are about 1,000ft in the air and you are moving with the wind. How can that be extreme?

 

[DeletedUser18132]

It's extreme when you look down.

 

[DeletedUser]

Looking at cycling, that is looked at as leisurely, but there's also extreme cycling (BMX/Mountain).
What i want to know is what is the difference, seeing as there are the same risks. Let's be honest here, Hot Air Balloon seems safe enough but you could easily crash and/or plummet to your death (example quoted above).

 

[DeletedUser]

You don't need a license, in most places, to ride a hot air balloon. Unfortunately, they should require it. In command of competent drivers, hot air balloons are relatively safe. But when you run off to witness a hot air balloon event, well over half the owners of these devices only know how to flick their Bic.