Tuesday Open Thread – The Roller Coaster Comes to America

Posted on by

On June 16, 1884 the first true roller coaster was inaugurated at Coney Island.

The roller coaster traces its origins back to railroad cars the were released to careen down existing graded tracks which had gone out of service.  By 1885, the roller coaster had evolved into its modern form with the familiar lift hill.

Since then, designs have been introduced that almost defy the laws of physics:

And if you wish to have a near-death experience, go on:

You can deposit your barf bags in the container to your left as you exit the ride.

Advertisement

42 thoughts on “Tuesday Open Thread – The Roller Coaster Comes to America”

  2. I learned at a very young age that I had been given two gifts. One was a pair of over sensitive inner ears. The other was a healthy respect for human life, including my own. Just looking at pictures of roller coasters makes me queasy.

  3. I too, have an aversion to roller coasters. I can do DisneyLand space mountain, or Matterhorn, but the six flags ones are beyond my ability to endure.
    I hope that isn’t just old age sinking in!

  5. The first roller coaster I ever went on was at some traveling fair, so it was small and not too scary.
    Then I went on the Dragon Coaster at Rye Playland (where parts of “Big” were filmed), and that was scary, in part because it was so old.
    Then I went on a Six Flags one; at the time it was the tallest and fastest in the US (goaded by my girlfriend, of course).

    Instead of looking at the roller-coaster as it actually was (a potentially deadly vomit-inducing torture device), I imagined the crests and troughs as part of a wild ski-run and that took my fear away.

    I also found that mindlessly shouting “woohooh” all the way helped a lot too.

    So I actually had fun and went on it again.

    And now having done it, I never need to do it again. Ever. Because it’s stupid.

  6. Favorite? Space Mountain.

    I also find it fun to go on a roller coaster in a totally relaxed state of mind. It’s a whole different experience.

  9. BnF: “a totally relaxed state of mind” ?

    You mean clutching a Glade Plug-In Aroma therapy doohickey, right? :D .

  11. worshipped at the porcelain god….

    painted the pavement…

    technicolor yawn….

  18. “technicolor yawn….” – Mike Harding, yes?

    I think there was “make a call on the Big White Telephone”, “yodel up your breakfast” and “chunder” to round off this dive into the culture and langauge of vomiting…

  19. The Profanisaurus. Dude, buy the book, it’s the most best and most permament bog book I have ever had, until my son learned to read that was…

  20. I used to love roller coasters when I was a kid. The last one I rode was at Busch Gardens somewhere near Williamsburg, VA, when I was 19 years old.

    They don’t scare me, I guess I just got over it.

  21. I did manage Space Mountain (actually loved it and rode it 4 times). I think it was something about being totally in the dark so that I couldn’t imagine just how far my body would fly on the next corner.

    We used say calling God on the big white telephone but that was back when you still had the cut off bar on a phone. Now its whoofing cookies and yakking chow.

  22. Here in Wisconsin we have, supposedly, the biggest water park in the world. They have managed to combine roller coaster and waterslide.

    Now you can scare yourself shitless on two levels with fear of flying and fear of drowning.

    Good news is, the ride is self cleaning.

    • Ew, gross. :D

      Space Mountain was good. I liked the darkness. Didn’t care much for Disneyland.

      Maybe I’m weird or cranky, but I find water parks offensive. They’re just too mass consumer-ish for my taste. Plus, I’m such a pasty white rice cake that I burn almost instantly, so maybe I just don’t see the attraction.

  23. Schlitterbahn, New Braunfels in Texas for waterparks. Yes I know, Texas, but still NB has a sound Oktoberfest too.

  25. 5th – I mean ‘becoming your breath’ in a manner of speaking… a state of mind akin to lucid dreaming.

      • Ensign sez: “the woman who I was involved with and her husband were close friends of mine.”

        Damn, this guy is a real bastid, ain’t he? Of course, his wife forgives him. :roll:

  27. nwmuse

    I think the “hands up there in all of Congress ” are part of the problem! :D

  28. Does he thaw them? Does he first bake them? If so, does he let them cool or butter them fresh from the oven? Inquisitive minds need to know.

  29. Speaking of buttered baked goods, this is one of the funniest damn things I’ve ever seen ( its about 1min 20 secs) :

  31. That waffle video proves that TORTURE PRODUCES RESULTS! WORK! –When the results are DELICIOUS!
    :D

  33. Oh Zooey, on the TP post where you wrote ( re my SAM reply) :

    “This one calls for the rarely bestowed LOL.
    Well done, 5th!”

    I gave your comment a recommend! Does that make me a bad person? :(

Comments are closed.