19 Comments

I’m headed to a wedding on the cape next weekend. Thankfully it will be to cold for me to be tempted to take a dip.

Unless I’m really, really, really drunk.

Expand full comment

I’m guilty of this 🤦🏻‍♀️. Ten years ago. The embryonic stage of balconing.

Expand full comment
author

Blame it on the movie 'Almost Famous.'

Expand full comment
founding

Nice people. Nice island. Nice tropical excuse to off one's self in a world gone to shit.

Hope the drinks were top shelf.

Expand full comment

It's terrible those folks lost their life over an insignificant achievement. This sounds like social "Tide Pod" syndrome.

Expand full comment

Here's a thought I'll only have when this late ( Its dawn here). I wonder if one of the dead tourists was a suicidal, who heard about these high rise jumps and thought: '' I'd better get a ticket to Mallorca, that is my shame-free way of qutting the stage''. Death by accident lands much softer, and raises less questions.

Expand full comment

Of ALL the beautiful things you could have reported, you picked the one about drunks curling up into cannonballs and dropping from 12 stories onto hard ground. Nice. I wonder what their final thoughts were.

And it reminds me of when you talked about how young people ought to make all the mistakes, make friends with the wrong friends, just totally go bat-shit crazy. That way, they'll have these incredible stories.

Just don't die.

I wish someone told me that 12 years ago.

Hope you enjoyed your time in Spain :)

Expand full comment
author

What struck me was that almost every interviewer mentioned the trend. It seemed to be the ice breaker in every new situation.

Expand full comment

Nuts…. If you’re still there head North. I was there a couple of weeks ago where we stayed was all low rise so no messy pools.

Expand full comment

Damn.

Expand full comment

I'd bet money that all four of those dead were Brits. Don't ask me why. I never have an answer to that question for my Spanish in-laws.

Expand full comment
author

(yes, that did seem to be the case)

Expand full comment

Yep, ask any Spaniard the first thing they think of when you say the word "Brit," (or Guiri, as they like to call us), and most of them will say "died falling from a hotel balcony."

By the way, while I've got your attention, thank you for taking the time to read and give tips for how to improve my piece. I'd missed it when you put it out, distracted by other events, but just wanted to express my gratitude, I appreciated that greatly, thanks Chuck!

Expand full comment

From splash to splat. Yeesh.

Expand full comment

From Splash to Splat: My Interviews with Balconying Survivors

Expand full comment

A bucket list item I'm probably going to pass on.......

Brittle bone disease is a fucking deterrent to any impulsive idea of mine because if I survive, I'm most likely breaking a bone now.........

I'm sure I will make a brand new trend anyhow. Like maybe using sheets as parachutes. Or worse.......

Expand full comment

The hotels there are turning into real dives!

Meanwhile my husband's supervisor vacationed in Mallorca last week (lived to tell the tale) and my dearest friend will visit there in a couple of months.

I wanna be a part of it, Mallorca, Mallorca!

Expand full comment

I'm glad you didn't fall (or take the fall) for that one.

Expand full comment
founding

Like that Panic at the Disco music video with a Gatsby ending. Ooooof. Things that will shut down a party.

Expand full comment