Verdon Road resident Howard Finneman states that after 3 months of consideration, he is no closer to a decision regarding paying $2 to stand in the 78-mph “Hurricane-force” wind booth at Virginia Center Commons Mall.
“I might just do it,” stated the somewhat indecisive Finneman as he sat in his hard plastic chair in the food court with 8 other people, enjoying a Korean smoothie and eyeing the attraction wistfully. “I don’t know.”
Finneman says he has not seen anyone else dare the wind and potential humiliation of the free-standing attraction, which is parked just outside the closed Waldenbooks, so he cannot ask for references and has no basis for comparison. “It looks interesting, I’ll give it that much.” He said. “Maybe one day I’ll give it a try.”
Finneman says obstacles to his trying the booth include the “rather steep” $2 cost, and the embarrassment factor of standing in a glass booth in front of a lot of other people, being buffeted by 78-mph wind. “What if it sticks, and I can’t get out?” he asks worriedly, “What if I pay my $2 and it doesn’t even come on at all? These are all major concerns. I don’t know – I need to think about this.”
At one point it looked as if a teenage male was going to get inside the booth. “Watch that young fella,” Finneman said, anxious to see if the young man was going to pay his $2 and brave the generator-produced hurricane-force gale, “Let’s see if he gets in it.”
But no, the man moved on after reading the warnings on the side of the booth, electing to go clothes and sneaker shopping inside “Shabaz’s Hip-Hop Wear”.
Finneman finished his smoothie, stood, stretched and tossed out his empty cup when his wife Margaret returned from shopping at Lane Bryant. “I may get in that thing yet,” Finneman said as he and Margaret started toward the door.
“You haven’t done anything in your life!” Margaret retorted.
