DUBAI // A giant water slide attraction disappointed adventure seekers on day two of its Dubai debut with people forced to walk and run because the incline was not steep enough.
Organisers had cancelled Friday’s City Slide event, a 500-metre inflatable thrill ride set up at the Dubai Autodrome, citing insufficient water pressure.
However, on Saturday, hundreds more ticket-holders asked for refunds complaining of inadequate water flow, poor organisation, overheated water and an unsatisfactory slide experience.
“This is not really a slide because you are standing and trying to walk,” said Gijs Van Brussel, manager with a health care firm, accompanied by relatives visiting from Europe.
Luz Barrcos said her friends and family felt let down since they had planned a day out for the Eid break.
“We were really so happy about coming here and everyone, even the six kids, tried to slide but there is not enough water, it moves to the side,” said Barrcos pointing to her grazed leg.
“You should slide on a slide no? Here you have to stand up, run and walk.”
A two-hour ride slot cost Dh170 and Dh50 for entry tickets.
Staff asked refund seekers to apply online with order or ticket numbers in a process that would take a few days.
“We thought it would be a family day out with activities for the kids, but we’re leaving and asking for a refund,” said Karla Muchmore, an operations manager.
“We were appalled to find out that to use another slide we would have to pay additional money.”
Promotions had advertised water pistols, water balloons along with the main thrill ride with participants whizzing down two water chutes on rubber rings propelled by jets of soapy water.
Many ticket holders turned back after watching people unable to slide the entire length, although several teenagers and children tried a couple of rides.
“Most of the time we had to get up and walk and the water was too hot,” was the verdict of Elly Molyneux, 13.
She was out with her friend Thea Elder who described the ride as “slow, steeper would have been better.”
Iris Ortner too grazed her knee while attempting the ride with her four children aged 12 to 6 years.
“It’s not worth the price, the water is hot and moves to one side, plus they had promised water gun fights,” she said.
Her son Phillip Ortner, 8, was among the few with positive feedback.
“I liked it, I could slide,” he said.
Organisers aim to return next year with the assurance of plugging trouble areas.
“The main drawback was the incline and because of tar roads the water was hot causing problems,” said Uttam Kumar, managing director of Tamquest Entertainment.
“But the response has been good and everyone loves the concept. Next time we will have this closer to winter, build or search for a specific incline and a natural water source instead of tankers.”
rtalwar@thenational.ae
Haircare resolutions 2021
From Beirut and Amman to London and now Dubai, hairstylist George Massoud has seen the same mistakes made by customers all over the world. In the chair or at-home hair care, here are the resolutions he wishes his customers would make for the year ahead.
1. 'I will seek consultation from professionals'
You may know what you want, but are you sure it’s going to suit you? Haircare professionals can tell you what will work best with your skin tone, hair texture and lifestyle.
2. 'I will tell my hairdresser when I’m not happy'
Massoud says it’s better to offer constructive criticism to work on in the future. Your hairdresser will learn, and you may discover how to communicate exactly what you want more effectively the next time.
3. ‘I will treat my hair better out of the chair’
Damage control is a big part of most hairstylists’ work right now, but it can be avoided. Steer clear of over-colouring at home, try and pursue one hair brand at a time and never, ever use a straightener on still drying hair, pleads Massoud.
Avengers: Endgame
Directors: Anthony Russo, Joe Russo
Starring: Robert Downey Jr, Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson, Chris Hemsworth, Josh Brolin
4/5 stars
The%20specs
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- Manchester City v West Ham United, 8pm
The five pillars of Islam
MATCH INFO
Schalke 0
Werder Bremen 1 (Bittencourt 32')
Man of the match Leonardo Bittencourt (Werder Bremen)
MATCH INFO
Qalandars 112-4 (10 ovs)
Banton 53 no
Northern Warriors 46 all out (9 ovs)
Kumara 3-10, Garton 3-10, Jordan 2-2, Prasanna 2-7
Qalandars win by six wickets
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Sand storm
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- Visibility: Often dramatic with thick "walls" of sand
- Duration: Short-lived, typically localised
- Travel distance: Limited
- Source: Open desert areas with strong winds
Dust storm
- Particle size: Much finer, lightweight particles
- Visibility: Hazy skies but less intense
- Duration: Can linger for days
- Travel distance: Long-range, up to thousands of kilometres
- Source: Can be carried from distant regions
MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW
Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman
Director: Jesse Armstrong
Rating: 3.5/5
Tonight's Chat on The National
Tonight's Chat is a series of online conversations on The National. The series features a diverse range of celebrities, politicians and business leaders from around the Arab world.
Tonight’s Chat host Ricardo Karam is a renowned author and broadcaster with a decades-long career in TV. He has previously interviewed Bill Gates, Carlos Ghosn, Andre Agassi and the late Zaha Hadid, among others. Karam is also the founder of Takreem.
Intellectually curious and thought-provoking, Tonight’s Chat moves the conversation forward.
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The%20specs
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