Coasters: Effects on Relationships

Recently my 5 year old brother said "Dan I want to play rollercoaster tycoon" I told him I'd try to teach him

All summer both of us have been fighting and arguing like brothers do, but the past week we've been getting along great together and have been playing RCT. He's pretty good too. I didn't even show him and he made his own complete circuit woodie that had an excitement of 6.75. Pretty good for a five year old.

Another thing is that my parents accept my love for thrills and understand that its what I like to do, even if its to the extreme.

My grandpa doesn't seem to understand though. I told him I went on Silver Comet at MFI 18 times and he told me to get a life. I said I had one: It just is filled with thrills.

Any relationship or family changes with rollercoasters with anyone else?

My girlfriend goes nuts when I go on weekend trips and such because my thrilling hobby "kills people." I simply tell her that it is BS and very unlikely to happen. Markey needs to shut his trap...

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Yes I'm 15, no I'm not childish, I'm not being sarcastic, well maybe I do have somewhat of an ego...

Yesterday at an Anniversary Party in a country club for my Aunt and Uncle, my uncle approached me and said I Was going to get my father killed.. Afterall, those coasters are just killing machines (All this Markey and G-force crap).

Also, my brother thinks I'm a freak. At least my hobby requires me to go outside and get exercise (Hey, walking around the park IS exercise!) instead of sitting around half naked in front of a computer screen like he does.

My parents totally understand everything (my dad is even becoming an enthusiast! He knows several manfacturer names. Actually, I think he just knows Intamin and B&M. lol) and my mom actually tries to plan trips to far away amusement parks for me. So thats cool.

Now kids at school, ha! Yeah, some of them do know but I wouldnt proclaim anything like that to people. Afterall, "Its stupid". Ya know what, sleeping around at age 14 is pretty stupid too, yet they all do it.

*** This post was edited by Blitzjade on 9/1/2002. ***

My family just thinks I am crazy, but hey, I think the same about them.

My parents are enthusiasts too. Last summer, they took me to Cedar Point, Kings Island, Kennywood, and SFWOA. Considering I live in New York, that's pretty cool. My mom went on every coaster at CP except Mantis and Raptor (too many inversions make her nauseous). My friends kind of look at me funny when I tell them some obscure coaster fact(s), but they're ok with it.

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105 coasters, and the Cyclone still tops 'em all.

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CycloneWacko said:
My parents are enthusiasts too.

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I know you probably know this, but you are sooooo lucky. Oh well, I will have a car next year...:)

I have a car and parents who aren't enthusiasts... Now if I had understanding parents...

Anywho, my friend and I have a running joke that someday I'll solve world peace with roller coasters. Many times when I'm watching my coaster videos, my little sisters will walk in and watch too. If I'm in a good mood, I'll let them stay in my room and watch.

But letting them ride with me on coasters, not yet...

The cutest thing is my little 2 (almost 3) year old cousin. I sit him on my lap and turn on a coaster video or a POV video on my computer. Almost every time he's over here, he'll run into my room and say (or attempt to say) "roller coaster". :)

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Tommy Penner - Variable X
Cedar Point FanBoy since 2001.

I'm just spoiled little brat with a mother who doesn't think she spends enough time with me. ;)
She'll take me to any park I want too go to, it doesnt matter how far it is :).

Another thing that helps is that her job sends her on many business trips. I just ask to go and she will take me with her.

Also, her family is located in either San Diego or Germany. We go every couple years to visit and ride coasters! (Going to Southern CA this Decemeber:))

So because of coasters, I spend much more time with my mom.

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1.Phantom's Revenge 2.Thunderbolt 3.Shivering Timbers 4.Montu 5.Mega Zeph

I guess my parents are ok with it. They don't quite understand driving hundreds of miles to parks in other states when PA has several good parks.

I guess my relatives figure I could be blowing my money on worse stuff like strippers and drugs! ;) They usually just tel me that I should be saving my money and not roaming everywhere to parks.

I'm out of the house, I have my own place, my own car, and pay all my bills on time (well most of the time), I figure they can't prech to me that much about my hobby.

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Visits to Knoebels in 2002: 10

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Blitzjade said:

Now kids at school, ha! Yeah, some of them do know but I wouldnt proclaim anything like that to people. Afterall, "Its stupid".

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I guess I must be one of those lucky people who goes to a school were a good number of people like coasters, even to the extent of being called enthusiasts.

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Just sit back, and enjoy your record breaking ride on Millennium Force!

Well I have addicted several people in my family to the rides. First it was my brother, than my fiance, then it was my mom (amazing how she loved Goliath and X) and others. Now I have found that my roommate is also addicted, so I guess you could say that I have the perfect senario for thrills. The only ones that don't get it (but accept it) are my Dad and Grandpa, Grandma thinks it's (in her words) "Cute" and buys season passes as gifts for the "kids" at Christmas. (still refers to us as kids even though we are all the legal drinking age - oh well). :)

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SWOOSH
http://www.themeparksonline.org
(In cyberspace no one can hear you scream)

Thank goodness I met someone who loves them as much as I do. See y'all on the midways next year!

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

I'm just hoping my next girlfriend tolerates me as much as my previous one did. She would listen to me go on and on about coasters and parks and stuff. I think it secretly drove her nuts, but she never showed it. She just called me insane. I'm hoping to take her to SFMM this spring sometime to "show her a good time." haha. My friends think I'm a freak since I know so much, but they accept me. I think I may scare some people off with my obsession, but I also think it attracts people since I am so knowledgeable. I know that I've got a few strangers to listen to me when I'm in line for rides. I know I can make some friends with what I know, but it's not all I should make friends for! :)

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I was asked to describe X in one word. The word? -- OhmygoshwhathaveIgottenmyselfintothisisthescariest
thingintheworldhelpmeIamgoingtodieAHHHH!!!

My older brother and I used to fight all the time before I got him addicted to rollercoasters. Now he wants to go to every park in the U.S. to ride coasters. He's turned into a cool brother now. :)

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Cornball Express- America's first stand up woodie.

The same love and devotion (obsession?) I have for CP and Raptor my bf has for training and showing horses (I have that same love too, but CP comes 1st :))
Raptor unfortunitely makes him puke and at CP he lovingly follows me around and "tries" to act like he's having as much fun as me. He doesn't mind when I go to CP solo or with my GTTP buds and totally supports the popularity of the park to me and my popularity at the park too.
The ONLY time this causes any static in our relationship is when we have something "horse related" to do, but I would rather go to CP or a GOCC event . (I am really the one who does all the horse showing and most of the training too, he just gets all the credit! ;)) For the most part we compromise. This Fall he really went out of his way to be sure any horse show classes for the Quarter Horse Congress would NOT conflict with my upcoming plans of working on Raptor again. Now is THAT true love or what? :) Now if I could just get him to buy me that new horse trailer I've had my eye on for MONTHS! ;) So although we don't "share" in the CP/Raptor hobby of mine he totally understands it and supports it!

Jo
2000 Raptor Crew
Gemini 100 "Survivor"
Lifetime Raptor: 640 :)
2002 Raptor Crew

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Cowboys dig cowgirls in trucks
Cowgirls dig cowboys in Wranglers! ;)

Oh I hate it. You can't talk about it to anyone without them trying to act like they know something or the locals saying Oh Im going to the great america in texas next year.

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This is a message from don corleone it says lucabratzi sleeps with the fishes.

My wife has become just as much of a fan as I have and if anything it is just another common interest we have that makes us closer. Nothing is cooler than sitting there in the break run of some awesome coaster you just rode and high-fiving the one you love!

Coasterkingoftheworld puts up with my obsession, mostly because he shares in it as well (we got married at CP so he better like it!). My friend Jackie puts up with it too ( I have dragged her on many coaster trips as well). So I guess I am pretty lucky :)

It's kinda cool because my girlfriend really is the only one who'll listen to me when I talk about coasters. Nobody else really realises how much they mean to me. She's great.

My parents on the other hand don't. Even though my dad's in ACE with me, they just get my total obsession. They think I go over board. Which isn't possible. But it seems like we get in a fight every other day just about my coasters.

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www.moviecoaster.com

While coasters are a BIG part of my "work time" (rollergator knows what I mean ;)), in the overall scheme of things they are very small. Sure, I'm at a park quite often during the summers, but that is just ONE thing to do. I cannot see them ever getting to the point where it started to strain or stress out my family and friends. Most of the time, I keep it to myself. Most people *know* I'm a junkie, but I dont try and ram rod stats down their throats.

Pretty much everyone I am close to has their own addictions. My mom's is videotaping, my dad's is football, my sister's is gossiping, my girlfriend's is cooking, mine is rollercoasters. We all accept each other and move on.
lata,
jeremy
--understand that you *are* weird an go with it!