If there were an “end of the world”, as in “where the sidewalk ends”, would it be a popular tourist destination? And if so, how popular? Disneyland popular? This was a question posed by a small group of people sitting near us when we were out to dinner the other night. They were arguing adamently about it for a very, very long time: yes it would be a tourist destination, but how could you fit that many people at a point at the end of the world; how much would one charge given that it would probably be popular; what kind of souvenirs could one sell; is there upkeep involved, does the edge of the world erode periodically into nothingness; would one need mega-insurance to handle someone falling over the edge (presumably into abyss)…
While I am sure that the space at the end of the world would be a popular destination among a very large set of people, I’m not sure I would ever travel there unless they assured me it was safe in the same way that, say, Niagara Falls is safe: it’s unlikely that I would tumble over the Falls, but there they are, anyway. I’m also not sure what there would be to “see” at the edge of the world? What *does* abyss look like? Are there trees and “nature”, or is it just dirt? Might there be an actual sidewalk, a la Shel Silverstein? Oh, it’s all so philisophical! (I might say “deeply philosophical”, but then you’d know I was lying.)
“The end of the world as a popular tourist destination” … a topic that I think should be addressed more frequently in highschool and college debate. You have 30 seconds… GO!
