July 24, 2006

American's Rollercoaster Ride Inspires World Record Attempt

Publicity stunts like milliondollarinonepiecehomepage.com are a good way of attracting attention, but they also demonstrate that, ultimately, most people are just trying to sell you a load of old crap - the once-promising advertising space is now used to advertise a downtown beadstore. Thankfully, this latest stunt is not like that at all and has left us feeling all warm and fuzzy inside by virtue of the fact that the people behind it is not in it for the personal publicity in any way. He and fellow sufferers of bipolar disorder, an illness sometimes known as manic depression and which causes sudden, violent and uncontrollable moodswings, have got together to spend ten days riding the rickety old wooden rollercoaster at Vidámpark for a combined total of 200 hours, potentially adding another obscure world record to Hungary's growing collection.

The challenge, which rattles along for ten days until July 28, was dreamt up by the Sötét Nappalok, Fényes Éjszakák Egyesület (Darkest Days, Brightest Nights Society), or SNFÉ for short, to raise awareness of this unpleasant but ultimately curable illness. The idea is that suffering from the condition is like travelling on a rickety old wooden rollercoaster that you think is ready to collapse under you at any time, which is why the one in Vidámpark is so appropriate. But the society's dedication to helping others is not the only reason to shout about it while waving our arms in the air grinning inanely. SNFÉ takes its name from a book on bipolar disorder by American author Kevin Jackson, a sufferer who moved to Hungary from the US to help escape his inner demons (although he admits that doesn't actually work), get married, start the society, do some writing and to generally be an all-round good egg. And of course to ride a cute wooden rollercoaster that has stood the test of time and will never ever collapse.

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