I love horror movies.
I don't mean the current batch of so-called "torture porn"-style slasher flicks in which it's more about gross-out than true terror. There's only so much fake blood and plastic eyeballs you can see before it gets boring and you want to switch to the weather channel for thrills.
For my money, give me the movies where you hardly see the monster or psycho, and the anxiety builds with each thump and shadow.
Those movies exist because people love to be scared to feel that thrill of fear.
It's also why sports like skydiving, bungee jumping and BASE jumping exist.
Now, those aren't my particular choices for recreation, mostly because of my dual fears of heights and becoming a big, red splatter on the ground somewhere - but if you're craz er, stupi um BRAVE, yes, let's go with brave - enough to want to leap out of a perfectly good plane, or off a cliff go for it.
But as with every sport, try to keep safety in mind.
I wouldn't, say, invite Charles Manson, Jeffrey Dahmer and a knife salesman over to watch horror movies with me. So, too, should you exercise a bit of caution when participating in any of those extreme sports.
If you want to bungee jump, go to a reputable and registered company with a great safety record.
The same goes for skydiving.
But what about other sports like climbing and BASE jumping?
Those aren't regulated, and people have to assess the risks themselves, and determine whether their skills are sufficient to survive the experience.
Most of the climbers I know are pretty safe, professional folks who take the sport and safety seriously - and the Chief is ideal for all levels of climbers, I'm told.
BASE jumping, on the other hand, seems like a pretty hazardous sport for these parts - given the strong winds that come out of nowhere.
Last week, a guy from Washington State found that out when he had to be rescued after jumping from the Chief and being apparently blown off course into trees.
The same thing has happened before, and then-mayor Greg Gardner even asked for a ban on the activity because of the dangers.
Admittedly, I don't know the intricacies of the sport, but if that particular spot is indeed too dangerous for the sport, maybe a ban isn't a bad idea.
It would be worth it to at least have a BASE jumping expert or governing body take a look, before someone gets serious hurt or worse.
I'm all for thrills and being scared - personally from the safety of my couch, behind a pillow with some popcorn - but let's play safe and leave the blood splatters for movies and my fears.
