Borrow a kid method?

I've heard countless people talk about the borrow a kid method to get on a ride that you can only get on if you're with a child. I've never done this but I really want to get on some of these coasters that I can't get on. Do you just stand by the entrance and look for kids walking your way?? I'm 15 so do you think adults wouldn't want their kids riding with me just because I'm a teenager?? Thanks a bunch!

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Raging Bull= 100

Im 13 and I do it all the time. If you polite and ask nicely they usually will. WAiting at the exites is a good way if you follow the kid to there parents.

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Sean

janfrederick's avatar
I'd probably get reported to the police! ;) "Hey kid, do you think your Mommy will let the strange man with the goatee ride with you?"

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"If the beats were made of meat then they would have to be me ..." - L.L. Cool J

There is no way that I would allow my children to go with a stranger, even in an amusement park. That's just asking for trouble.

We usually go up to the parent and ask them if we could borrow there kid. We simply tell them were coaster enthusiasts and we wanted to ride the coaster but to get on we need a kid. Most of the time the parents let you.

It was funny the one time we borrowed kids at Dorney to get on the Woodstock Express. My girlfriend borrowed a kid that reeked of pee!

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Knoebels visits in 2002. 6

coasterpunk you can go on WE at Dorney without a kid. I did.

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Sean

This is becomes a challenge when you are hardpressed to get every coaster possible on your record. Even I look like a criminal, yet somehow manage to explain nicely to people that I ride 'em all over, and that "certain parks won't allow big kids like me without a little kid". That usually works! You just have to be lucky, and sometimes you have to wait until a nice bunch of people come along and are willing to help you out (it helps the parents too, since they don't always want to ride!). Then of course there's the occasional ride op that will bend the rules after they have seen you stand and wait for 4 hours. Or if you repeatedly visit the ride with no success.
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Brad Sherman
BuzzCon Frequent Flyer, responsible for guests fleeing the queue in horror!
Model coasters and rides
Well one thing that has worked for me. Just get the mother or father to say you are with them in the group. That way, you dont even have to ride with the kid and they dont have to let their kid ride with a stranger. Saying that to the ride op worked and I got on Taxi Jam.
I am not one for the Borrow a kid method... I am not that desperate to up my count (close though)

However, the "flirt with the ride op" method sounded good to me, but has yet to work.

staticman00's avatar
Or just have a kid of your own. A means to an end my friends, a means to an end...

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Long live Whizzer; 1976-2002...

I did it for Jr. Gemini at CP. We had a lady that we were with ask the parents if we could ride with them. They didn't seem to mind, but I can see a problem if a man were to walk up and ask that.
rollergator's avatar
sometimes during events parks will let us ride in the kiddie coasters...due to weight limits on the chainlift motors, it can often mean only a few adults at a time....(but it's cool to se a long line of "adults" waiting to ride a small kiddie coaster...;)

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If you're not watching "The Daily Show with Jon Stewart", you're just watching the news....

I have never done this method, nor do think that I would. It all seems a bit akward to me to ask to ride with someone elses kid. As much as I would like to have some of these rides in my track record, I don't think I would borrow a kid to do so.
CPLady's avatar

I was lucky in that I got to ride a few kiddie coasters when my son was young. I've also gone with friends who had young children.

I would never ask a stranger if I could "borrow" their kid. Being a mother myself, it would make me nervous if someone did that to me.

But there have been times when I've overheard a parent telling one of two or more children they have to either ride alone or take turns. In cases like that, I have offered to ride along and most times the parents are grateful.

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I'd rather die living than live like I'm dead

Gotta love the borrow-a-kid method.;)

You could also join a Big Brother/Big Sister organization and take the kid to the park with you. You get your kiddie coasters, and the kid gets to visit a park that his family probably can't afford to visit.

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Current favorite coasters:
Wooden: 1) Beast 2) Raven 3) Son of Beast 4) The Boss 5) Timber Wolf
Steel: 1) Raging Bull 2) Millennium Force 3) V2 4) Wild Thing 5) Mr. Freeze
Visit: http://www.dynamicgroove.com

Once I tried this (wanted to do SFA rides I had not done before just out of curiosity - I have never done it before or since) and the father acted like I was trying to kidnap his son. Thing was he was in line, and i just wanted to wait with him - he had 3 kids! While I understand his reaction, he could have been nice about it and still said no. In fact, the two women behind us were laughing about his loudness, and said that they would have lent us a kid if they had more than one.
When nothing else works, and the ride op refuses, you always get a laugh by telling them you'll be back in 9 months (no I'm not the first to use that!)......of course it's even funnier if you're there with a significant other, who may not find it humorous. ;)

Nothing beats PPP last year, when an entire trainload of (adult) chickens flapped their way over the lift on HSTC! LMAO still.....
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Brad Sherman
BuzzCon Frequent Flyer, responsible for guests fleeing the queue in horror!
Model coasters and rides

When asking the parents, you could do what I do and let them hold your drivers license while you and the kid ride. You could also offer the kid a doller if for incentive.

I've done this before but not in a long while.

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