Published 08:26 IST, July 11th 2020
Japanese theme park says 'scream inside your heart', netizens think that sums up 2020 well
Japanese theme park near Tokyo announced that it imposed a strict "no screaming" ban to fight COVID. It also requested riders to "scream inside your hearts".
The Fuji-Q Highland amusement park near Tokyo proposed an unusual request and ban as it opened the country from a lockdown. The park is fighting COVID in its own unique way and visitors saw signs that requested them to "scream inside your heart" instead of out loud, especially on rides.
The rather unique and unorthodox request is reportedly meant to reduce the risk of spreading coronavirus. While it may seem bizarre to some, visitors have a more practical question — they're sceptical about how to quietly sit on a roller coaster as it drops down in tingling all your senses and inciting an adrenaline rush.
'Please Scream Inside Your Heart'
The amusement park released a promotional video to answer the question shutting down trolls and proving that it can be done. In the unintentionally hilarious video, two suit-wearing men (reportedly the owners of the theme park), stone-faced half-covered with maks can simply be seen sitting silently, almost expressionless, during the entire Fujiyama rollercoaster joyride, which is also incidentally the park's main attraction.
Reportedly, the 'no-screaming' guideline isn't the only restriction, the park which recently opened up has put up several recommendations to be followed diligently. Thrill-seekers at the park have also been requested to refrain from yelling or speaking loudly to avoid possible droplets of the virus infecting someone else, according to the guidelines.
'Don't scream, be serious'
The ban has resulted in visitors complaining that the request is "unreasonable", "unrealistic" and some even suggesting that it was "too strict". One visitor, who returned from Tokyo Disneyland spoke to a local news agency and reportedly quipped, "If a scream comes out, it comes out, how do I stop that?
Some on the internet have unsurprisingly responded with hilarious memes and shared that "scream inside your heart" is their motto for 2020
Japan's coronavirus spread has been reportedly slow compared to its neighbours, largely due to the disciplined civic sense and considering the population of the elderly, the people followed quarantine rules even without being strictly supervised.
The pandemic has thus far resulted in 20,000 infections and 982 deaths. To compare this with the US, which is leading the world on both counts — infections (30 lakh) and death toll (1.3 lakh), it must be noted that Orlando's Disney World is opening on July 11, although at a reduced capacity, there are no strict rules have been announced. However, it is expected that a "no screaming" ban will also likely be implemented there.
Florida, which is the home state for Orlando, the city of theme parks has witnessed a spike in COVID cases and according to latest reports, it has seen a 146% increase compared to the last two weeks.
Updated 08:26 IST, July 11th 2020