We’re officially too bored.
For those seeking an extreme adrenaline rush, there is a new craze that may appeal to a select few: extreme kidnapping. Extreme Kidnapping is one such company that offers this unusual service that can be tailored according to the type of experience that you want, whether it’s being abducted by a group of attractive women or men, who abduct you, blindfold you, throw you into a van (or stuff you into the trunk of a car upon special request), and take you to an undisclosed location where you will be subjected to a variety of torture tactics. Options include being beaten, handcuffed, tied to a chair or chained to a wall for hours, waterboarding and other choices.
Extreme Kidnapping was founded in 2002 by Adam Thick, an entrepreneur from Michigan, who was inspired to start the company after watching the movie The Game. His employees (aka the kidnappers) include the Elite Squad, a group of sexy female kidnappers dressed like strippers (who are rumored to be even more sadistic than their male counterparts). Clients also have the option to select a back story (aspiring actors, this is your chance to shine) and story lines to play out with the kidnappers, whether your fantasy is to be a kidnapped socialite or a mistaken identity situation.
The company states on their website that they also teach “practical counter-kidnapping procedures and responses to deal with critical situations” to help you in real-life situations, should you find yourself the victim of an actual kidnapping. A “safe word” is also agreed upon prior to your kidnapping, so that if the experience becomes too intense or you find yourself on the brink of a heart attack, you can make it all go away in a matter of seconds.
Drew Magary, a writer from GQ, tried out the service and wrote about his experience in the magazine. He paid to be abducted by several henchmen who shocked him with a stun gun, threw cold water on him, slapped him across the face and duct taped him to a chair (in addition to playing the song “Sweet Dreams” by The Eurythmics on repeat). They then left him chained to a weight bench in a dingy basement for hours before the interrogation process began.
When it was all over, the kidnappers dropped him off at his motel and gave him an envelope that congratulated him for surviving his extreme kidnapping (definitely something worth framing and sharing with Mom and Dad over the holidays, right?) Magary later wrote of the experience: “There was a moment when it felt real. I wish I could tell you the exact time, but I was stuck in a frigid basement and they had taken my watch, along with everything else I was carrying when they grabbed me…I had one moment of vague fear. One moment was enough. One moment was plenty.”
The average cost for this type of experience is around $500 for four hours but can cost more depending on how long you want it to last and which torture choices you opt for. Despite the fact that this is considered a “safe kidnapping” experience, there is still that element of danger and many people often forget that the entire thing is staged. The organization’s tag line is “When life gets dull…call us. We can change all that.”
For more information, you can visit the official website where you can get a free consultation and discuss what you are looking for in more detail. Keep in mind that this isn’t for the faint of heart, but if you’re up for the challenge, it will certainly be an experience that you’ll never forget. Who knows? Maybe it’ll even prepare you for the real thing, so if you actually are kidnapped one day, it’ll be a piece of cake. Bonus? They also sell T-shirts on a limited edition basis for $19.99 if you want to turn the experience into a fashion statement.
