Irish Man Jumps From A Plane, Skypes His Parents While Falling [Video]
An Irish man jumped from an airplane while having a nice Skype chat with his parents, creating a viral video that is being picked up by news outlets around the world, Huffington Post is reporting.
Roger Ryan was doing what a lot of young people do — that is, touring around the world, backpacking, and staying in hostels — when he stopped by Sydney, Australia, and stayed at the Bounce Hostel. As it turned out, the hostel industry group Hostelworld was in Sydney, looking for hostel guests looking to participate in a video series.
Spokesperson Freya Leete said that the skydiving video was intended to “show that when you stay in hostels, you meet people who turbo-charge your experience.”
Ryan took them up on the offer, and the result has gone viral. You can watch the skydiving Skype conversation below, but be warned: this video contains strong language.
Roger’s mom, Mary, and dad, Pat, weren’t at first sure what was happening?
“Can you hear a word he’s saying? Is he in an aeroplane or what? Oh no! He’s jumping out of an aeroplane!”
Mom and Dad’s obscenity-laden shock at their son’s shenanigans provide most of the laughs in the video.
“F**k off! Oh no! Good God! Ahh! Holy S**t! You eejit! He’s doing a selfie coming down in the f***ing airplane! I would not have thought that was f***ing possible.”
Needless to say, Ryan made it safely to the ground after his skydiving Skype adventure, and his parents breathed a sigh of relief.
Hostels, sometimes called “youth hostels” (although there’s no age limit as to who can stay there), are accommodations geared toward budget travelers; and here, “budget travelers” means “travelers willing to part with very little money.” In some destinations, a bed in a hostel can cost as little as $20 per night, or less.
The trade-off is that hostelers sacrifice luxury and privacy in favor of efficiency. Hostel guests generally stay in open dormitories, sometimes in bunk beds, and share bathroom and kitchen facilities.
The hostel industry has long suffered from something of an image problem — because of their cheap costs, coupled with the crowd they attract, hostels developed a reputation as being dirty, dangerous places where unseemly characters go to do drugs or have sex (or both). And of course, a certain 2005 horror movie “promoted” hostels as a place where one could go to be kidnapped, tortured, and murdered.
These days, the hostel industry is attempting to promote itself as a way for budget-conscious travelers to see the world, meet new people, and experience unexpected adventures (such as Skyping your parents while skydiving).
The hostel trade group Hostelling International USA, on its website, explains these new goals of the industry.
“[Hostelling International] USA promotes a dynamic community of global citizens who have the wisdom and humanity to actively make the world a better place… [Hostels] facilitate interaction among people from diverse backgrounds, from across the country and around the world. As our community of travelers gets to know each another, they are discovering their similarities and their differences, expanding their world views as they build friendships… By thinking beyond typical guidebook recommendations, our hostellers are able to see the place they’re visiting through the eyes of locals. It becomes more about gaining a deeper insight of what life is like in the area, as opposed to checking off a list of typical tourist attractions.”
Would you be willing to prank your parents by carrying on a Skype conversation with them while jumping out of an airplane? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.
[Image via YouTube]
