SM Marilao held a Hydro Summer Spree last May 20. Every P1000 purchase, single or accumulated entitled a customer to a ticket. A ticket allowed you entrance to a waterlogged but not foam sprayed (by nightfall) inflatable obstacle course and maze. There were slides, swings, beams and slippery slopes. There were five giant inflatables: four obstacles and a maze. We only got to try three of the obstacles and those we tried were arranged by increasing difficulty. Ten persons were allowed inside the area at 15 fifteen minute intervals. Your group's 15 minutes are up once you heard a whistle blown. You can queue and enter repeatedly.
There was also a foam party at the other side of the parking lot where a band played.
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| Foam pool. No foam mounds from the foam machine yet. |
Here are takeaways from our first Hydro Inflatable Obstacle Course/Maze experience. Of course, the next Hydro Party could be different.
1. SM Marilao is deleting comments that recount negative experiences on its FB Page. Check how many comments there are in
one of its posts on the Hydro Summer Festival. Where are all those comments? Where is the second comment in this screengrab?
2. Go there early, really early.
- So you could go through the course again and again and again.
- So you could enjoy all the inflatables. By around 1030PM, they have already packed up one.
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| Packing up one of the inflatables. |
- So you could enjoy the full fifteen minutes. We were among those who had to exit the course once we completed it. We were only allowed to go through an obstacle once unlike the lucky ones who managed to get in at 9PM and earlier.
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So you wouldn't get grossed out by the smell. Granted, only one
inflatable stunk. The maze, by the time we entered it, reeked of poop.
- So you wouldn't have to line up for hours.
We were there at 8PM. We got in at 11PM. We stood in line for 3 hours. While finding the end of the line, there was this girl about three quarters more to go telling someone on her phone that she's been in the queue since 4PM. And it's already 8PM. Why the hold-up? THERE WERE LOTS OF LINE JUMPERS. As we were nearing the first curve near the entrance, the people behind us were already complaining that there were people cutting into the line. We weren't moving as much as we should have. Some were cutting into the line by intimidating people with their size and basagulero attitude.
And then, as we were nearing the entrance to the course, these punks decided to cut in front of us. Their style was to sit on the chairs near the entrance, let people who noticed them go forward and then cut into the line of people who haven't noticed that they didn't fall in line or thought that they were with the earlier group. SOME PEOPLE LINED UP FOR FIVE HOURS AND THESE LINE JUMPERS WERE GETTING IN IN 30 MINUTES AND LESS. So we went in front of them and my sister asked the girl who was in front of us through 2/3rds of the queue (those who were initially in front of us decided to quit after 2 hours of lining) if they were with the punks. They have different auras so we were sure they weren't together. But we needed confirmation. We are thankful to her and her group for sticking out for us. She told off the punks that we were behind them in the line. One of her companions seconded looking at me. "Di ba ate kayo ang kasunod namin?" A girl in the punk group countered that they were in line first and that some people cut into their line. My sister countered that then they should have called out those people and not cut in front of other people. The line curved, leaving out the punks. The people who were behind us all throughout the queue followed us. They and those within hearing distance with what was happening voiced their dissent at what the punks were doing. Apparently these punks have been seen cutting in line several times.
But the punks were answering back so I went to the security guard in white uniform at the gate and told him what was happening. He shouted something towards where I came from about bawal sumingit. Cutting into the line is not allowed. I was not listening to his exact words because I wanted him to go to where the commotion was. Hindi daw sya pwede umalis. He can't leave his post. Believe me, I know this rule. It's in our CAT manual. I was thinking: but it's okay for you to leave your post if you're bringing YOUR chosen people into the maze/obstacle course area that are not ahead in the line. Palakasan lang? Earlier he had escorted 3 people in who were not ahead of us. They were in soaking attire not personnel obviously. Earlier still, another person was able to get in ahead of everyone else and when the girl who was in front of the line asked, the security personnel in black who was at the gate said it was because kulang pa. They hadn't completed ten. Huh? And you didn't bother calling out if there was someone ahead in the line who'd like to go instead? Also there's three of them security personnel at the entrance, none of you can be bothered to scare the punks? Guess why these punks have the guts to cut into the line over and over.
The solution of the security personnel in black was to move the line along. Ten people were let in and we were left in front of the line. White uniformed guard asked us how many we are. When we told him, he told the security personnel in black to let us go in as well. Wow. We're not in hurry to get in. We were able to wait three hours, what's a few minutes? We just want what is right and just. Of course this was all in my head because then I might get thrown out for making a scene. It was like we were at fault for bringing up the matter to him. If he's gonna reason he did it to protect us, while we were there, THE GUARD IN WHITE UNIFORM SHOULD HAVE ASKED THE LINE JUMPERS TO MOVE TO THE END OF THE LINE. HE DID NOT.
The security personnel/guards should have cracked down on these line jumpers. They should have been vigilant, be the one to spot these party poopers and ask them to go to the end of the line or go out. People who call these punks out run the risk of being gang upped on once they went out of the area. The organizers should have posted a rule about cutting in line. They could have given out numbers at the entrance. The crazy lines and learning what caused it took the fun out of the event.
3. The attire requirements were not followed at the time we were there (night time). Of course no one wore dresses, skirts, jeans. But there were people who wore cotton shirts and denim shorts who got in without a hitch. Also, don't go in your swimwear if it isn't a rash guard.No one was wearing swimwear.
4. Aqua shoes are the only footwear allowed in the
inflatables. You can go barefoot. You can leave your slippers beside each of the
inflatables at the risk of them being slipper-napped.
5. Bags are not allowed into the inflatables, only ziplocks and waterproof pouches. But your hands should be free. How would you climb or hold on to that rope swing? Unless you've done these before no hands, just teeth and feet. You can take turns guarding your bags though.
6. There were 3 showers in the area. But by 10PM, only one was running.
7. There were portable toilets. At 8PM they already stunk.
8. There were male and female changing tents. Each tent does not have any dividers to afford an individual privacy. Also, at night, silhouettes of people changing can be seen outside.
9. There were food kiosks inside the area sectioned off. If you're not picky, these could tide you over but you can also have someone from your group get something to eat from the mall. Such a shame that the mall was open only until 9PM.
10. The motorcycle parking lot was open until the last motorcycle left.
11. There doesn't seem to be an age limit. There were people around forty going through the inflatables, kids about four going through the maze.
12. It's tough climbing a wet slope. The technique is not to go on your knees but to hold on to the sides then climb, digging with your feet. But then where's the fun in that? Go tumble and roll over.
13. The maze would be much more enjoyable if someone was at the entrance controlling the number of people in, letting a group in with intervals of a minute. What happened was a line from entrance to exit with no one getting lost.
14. After showing our tickets at the entrance to the queuing area, our arms were stamped with the hydro summer spree logo. However, our arms were not checked at the entrance to the inflatables. They would just count ten people per interval. People can easily enter the queuing area since it isn't cordoned properly off the rest of the parking lot. Draw your conclusions from that scenario: accessible queuing area, no checking of people entering.
No one was directing people where they would go next between the second and the third inflatables and the maze. We went to the third installation from the second and ended up at the exit of that inflatable.
There was one other person who made the experience a bit enjoyable for me. The manong who supervised this installation above was really friendly. The woman at the first installation was shouting about the baggage left beside the installation. This guy was more accommodating when left our snacks and flip flops by the installation and had shown concern as he had asked if we live nearby. Because it's already 11PM. Thank you manong.Also, the personnel inside/on the inflatables were attentive and encouraging. "Kaya mo yan ate!" You can do it. One of them cheered and helped me as I struggled up a slippery slope.
Will we line up again if there's another Hydro Slip and Slide Summer Spree Party? After some thought, I don't think we deserve the stress, trauma, the white-washing being done by SM's socmed crew, SM's inept security guard and losing 3 hours of our lives. And a second rate band which butchers Teeth's Laklak. "Di bale nang hindi kumain Basta may BABAENG nakahain" Treating female as commodity is offensive and insulting. Di bale na lang rin.
