This site uses cookies to improve your experience and to provide services and advertising.
By continuing to browse, you agree to the use of cookies described in our Cookies Policy.
You may change your settings at any time but this may impact on the functionality of the site.
To learn more see our
Cookies Policy.
Download our app
WATCH: Here's an idea for what to do with unused construction sites...
WHAT CAN IRELAND do with its legions of disused construction sites? Well, here’s one idea – turn them into “adult sandpits” where grown-ups pay to play around with diggers and earth-moving machines.
Users of Ed Mumm’s ‘Dig This’ facility in Las Vegas, Nevada get just a ten-minute training session before they are let loose on the construction equipment to push around dirt, rock and giant tyres. Trainers are also on hand via headset if people get stuck with a tricky JCB manoeuvre.
Mr Mumm said he started Dig This after renting and operating an excavator for himself for two days while building a house. He quickly realised that toying with heavy construction equipment is a diversion that takes participants completely out of their everyday lives.
“I thought to myself: If I’m having this much fun, imagine the amount of people that don’t get to do this stuff that would love to do this,” he said.
“When they’re in those machines, everything else doesn’t mean anything,” added Mumm, 45. “They’ve forgotten about all the stresses in their lives because the fact is, they’ve got to focus on that piece of equipment. When they get in there and they rev up that engine, they know they’ve got a serious programme on their hands.”
The idea isn’t quite recession-proof – a single session costs US$750, or around €500 – it seems to be working. “This was a day just to chill out sans kids, sans family” said one customer, Sheryl, who got behind the wheel of a bulldozer. “I want to go on the excavator next.”
Watch: The grown-up sandpit in action
- Additional reporting by AP
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
Construction Construction sites Dig this Diggers Ghost Estates Las Vegas Sandpit