A proposed slip-and-slide event scheduled for downtown Los Angeles on September 27 is coming under fire because of the state’s severe drought. Nearly 10,000 people have signed an online petition to prevent the event from happening, as of Monday morning. The event, called Slide the City, is run by McFarlane Promotions in San Diego, and has been scheduled for dozens of cities across the country for the next few months.
T.R. Gourley, who supervises the event, told the Los Angeles Times that the slide would use 12,000 to 16,000 gallons of reclaimed water and the water would be reused and treated while the event was occurring. He said his staff tried to do their part to save water by eschewing showers for two weeks. Noting the opposition from those signing the petition, Gourley said simply, “I think we want to come to a city that wants us to come.”
There is a petition online to save the event, but it has garnered far lee supporters.
Opposition forces have an ally in Michelle Vargas, a spokeswoman for the DWP, who said the event “is not consistent with the water conservation lifestyle in Los Angeles,” according to the Times. The Los Angeles Public Works Department still has to review the application and decide if the event can proceed. The Department’s spokesman, Pul Gomex, only said, “Everything is considered.”
The website for the event states that the vinyl slide is “1,000 feet of soapy vinyl,” adding that riders must be at least four feet all. Tickets range from $15 for one ride to $25 for three slides, unlimited access is $35.
Photo: Slide the City
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