Some of my fondest memories of a childhood spent in San Francisco are visits to the Seward St. Slides. It’s just a little sliver of a playground that consists solely of two enormous (or so it seemed to my eight-year old eyes) concrete slides. My sisters and I would zoom down the slide and race back up for another ride down. We would do this hundreds of times over the course of an hour or so.
Of course, the slide experience improved exponentially when my step-mother started bringing a roll of wax paper on our outings. We’d clamor for a fresh square to sit on as we careened down, ensuring that our little butts generated a minimum of friction, resulting in maximum speed, guaranteed airtime and a dramatic increase in the risk of serious injury… It was magical.
I’m frankly amazed that the slides still exist, what with both litigation and the coddling of children being so popular these days…
At any rate, this video captures perfectly that, while we can all take part in the simple joys of a slide, the physical experience for a grown-up versus a kid is quite different.
It's a Complete Outrage 