What Amusement Park Rides have Frightened you Most?

Radrook

Radrook

Senior Member
Location
USA
For me the most frightening was the rollercoaster ride back on Coney Island when I was a child. I barely escaped death due to the tremendous centrifugal force that was trying to dislodg me from my seat as the coaster took hairpin turns at high velocity. All I could count on was my meager grip on the bar and I was only approx. four years old.

The Ferris wheel comes in second. The higher that it gradually elevated me, as it paused to take on more riders, the more intense my fear of heights grew. I had a death-grip on the handhold bar and my eyes shut tightly. One thing that kept worrying me was that the handhold bar had been very casually slapped shut and I imagined any slight counter pressure from me could easily unlock it leaving me dangling .
 

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Paco Dennis said:
Everyone of those awful things. Barf inducers. :)
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My grandmother once got on one of those infernal rides, but immediately changed her mind. She kept signaling for the guy in charge to stop it so she could get off, but he totally kept ignoring her. Each time she passed by him, she would hurl barrages of insults his way while making aggressive clawing gestures in his direction, but to no avail. He just cranked her up and let her fly again. LOL!
 

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The ferris wheel without a doubt. I;d be ok if they didn't stop it when I'm at the top.... No. I will never go on one unless it's completely enclosed..

I was never afraid of heights, until when we were young teens, my brother asked me to go on the ''Big Wheel'' with him, I made him promise not to rock it.. it was completely open.. so any rocking, and we'd be ejected out of it.. he promised...


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When we got to the top and it stopped to let people on.. he started rocking it, and this Ferris Wheel was absolutely HUGE.. very high.. and he rocked it, until we were literally horizontal, and I just felt sure I was going to fall out I was holding on to everything I could.

from that day to this..I've never gone on an Open Ferris wheel.....and sadly I lost every bit of trust in my brother
 
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hollydolly said:
The ferris wheel without a doubt. I;d be ok if they didn't stop it when I'm at the top.... No. I will never go on one unless it's completely enclosed..

I was never afraid of heights, until when we were young teens, my brother asked me to on the ''Big Wheel'' with him, I made him promise not to rock it.. it was completely open.. so any rocking, and we'd be ejected out of it.. he promised...


7f7d21f5c5e04afd123dae313513723e


When we got to the top and it stopped to let people on.. he started rocking it, and this Ferris Wheel was absolutely HUGE.. very high.. and he rocked it, until we were literally horizontal, and I just felt sure I was going to fall out I was holding on to everything I could.

from that day to this..I've never gone on an Open Ferris wheel.....and sadly I lost every bit of trust in my brother
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Yikes! Don't blame you! Luckily my cousin who was sitting next to me seemed almost as scared as I was. I imagine that you were mad as hell with him after you got off.
 
In Puerto Rico towns hold festivals or at least they did way back in the 1960's when we lived there. Like the picture in in Hollydolly's post there were rides like that.

The fear came from how the basket pins holding the basket/seat to the frame flexed & all but came out of the holes on the frame. If they would have come out the basket/seat would have dropped. Not a happy thought when at the top.
 
Knight said:
In Puerto Rico towns hold festivals or at least they did way back in the 1960's when we lived there. Like the picture in in Hollydolly's post there were rides like that.

The fear came from how the basket pins holding the basket/seat to the frame flexed & all but came out of the holes on the frame. If they would have come out the basket/seat would have dropped. Not a happy thought when at the top.
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Yes, they are called fiestas patronales, or festivals dedicated to each town's patron saint.

What you describe sounds like a flaw that should have disqualified that ride as inherently unsafe. Unfortunately, too many ride owners skimp on repairs and the riders are the ones who ultimately suffer the catastrophic consequences.
 
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You are right. When I worked in meteorology I would sometimes have to go up on a rickety 410' open weather tower. I faked it and enjoyed the view but rejoiced when I got back down to earth.
 
I've been on lots of ferris wheels and roller coasters and found them scary but exhilarating. I got hurt driving dodge 'em cars and almost threw up getting off a tilt a whirl. Yikes. :oops:
 
hollydolly said:
The ferris wheel without a doubt. I;d be ok if they didn't stop it when I'm at the top.... No. I will never go on one unless it's completely enclosed..

I was never afraid of heights, until when we were young teens, my brother asked me to go on the ''Big Wheel'' with him, I made him promise not to rock it.. it was completely open.. so any rocking, and we'd be ejected out of it.. he promised...


7f7d21f5c5e04afd123dae313513723e


When we got to the top and it stopped to let people on.. he started rocking it, and this Ferris Wheel was absolutely HUGE.. very high.. and he rocked it, until we were literally horizontal, and I just felt sure I was going to fall out I was holding on to everything I could.

from that day to this..I've never gone on an Open Ferris wheel.....and sadly I lost every bit of trust in my brother
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The long school summer breaks I spent at my grandmother's fish & chip shop in Ramsgate. Grandmother spoiled her grandson, she gave me far too much pocket money, some of which went on the amusement rides at nearby Margate's Dreamland. There you could say farewell to any constipation troubles by riding the double ferris wheel, which, when everybody was strapped in, rotated at speed.
ferris.jpg
 
horseless carriage said:
The long school summer breaks I spent at my grandmother's fish & chip shop in Ramsgate. Grandmother spoiled her grandson, she gave me far too much pocket money, some of which went on the amusement rides at nearby Margate's Dreamland. There you could say farewell to any constipation troubles by riding the double ferris wheel, which, when everybody was strapped in, rotated at speed.
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yep that's what I meant by Open seats....
 
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