Embarrassing :(

doktormartini said:
Ok. I'll admit it. I NEED HELP!!!

Sounds like what I went through when I was much younger. I used to LOVE coasters, but I would never ride anything larger than Corkscrew at Cedar Point, or even Sea Dragon at Wyandot Lake. Those were considerd 'big' coasters to me.

I would mainly limit myself to taking pictures or trying to make coaster layouts with a garden hose (don't ask). I was the one person in my family that would stand and watch my family ride while I say down and said, "Those people are nuts." as the coaster would run in front of me.

That all changed for me on June 16th, 1990. A group of friends decided to take me to Kings Island. The entire way down to the park from Columbus was a horrible time for me because I couldn't help but remember that the people I was with were really into coasters and I was worried they would make me ride with them.

Later that day, someone in my group suggested we ride The Beast. I said there was no way I was going to get on something that large. This didn't sit well with my friends so they physically pulled me into the line and made sure I could not leave the line. I figured I would just walk up to the station and continue to walk to the other side and down the exit.

That's not what worked out. Somehow, and I don't know how, they convinced me to sit down in the front row and ride. I was terrified as we started over that first drop. I could not believe I was on 'THE' Beast, and I was still alive.

As we started the second climb up the lift, I looked over at my friend that was sitting next to me and said, "You don't know what you have done. You just tore down a wall. I am going to be doing this for the rest of my life."

He remark was, "Everyone says that with their first big ride."

Five hundred coasters later, I am still doing it and don't plan on stopping anytime soon. That same friend now thinks I am a loon for being so die hard about coasters.

My best advice would be not to get on something you think would be too much, but have a group of friends around that can give you support. That way, if you bail out, they won't make fun of you, depending on how good of friends they really are.

Start with something small and work your way up. Pretty soon, you will transform your fear into enjoyment and might even become addicted like many of us are.

I hope this helps you out.

-Sean F

My experience is pretty much the same as Sean's.... I loved coasters, drew sketches of them all the time, etc., but I never could ride anything bigger than the Racer at PKI.

However here's where the story's different: I believe it was in 1989 that I went to the park with my friends, and they were all CHICKENS... none of them would ride anything, and all they wanted to do was play Karate Champ. (one of them ended up with blisters all over his fingers after playing for hours).

I got so tired of hanging out in the arcade with them that I just screwed up my courage and rode the Beast by myself. It was so much fun that I RAN to Vortex and rode that next... my first looping coaster.

Now I only have 87 coasters under my belt, not 500, but still... ;)

------------------
A day is a drop of water in the ocean of eternity. A week is seven drops.

There is nothing wrong with loving coasters and not actually wanting to ride them, for other entusiasts that means theres going to be less people in the queue line ahead of them.

I also have a little problem that I hope will be solved soon. I adore coasters but I can't ride most of the good ones because I live in England, you soon get a little tired of the same ones over and over again - nemesis (can't really get bored of this), oblivion, shockwave, nemesis inferno (new, keep um cummin), vampire, the big one, etc. Although the UK does have some very good coasters we need more, at least you have quite a lot to choose from, once you start riding you will really feel the US benefit.

There has been some good suggestions of how to persuade yourself to go on a coaster - my one is to think if anything happens I can always sue, unless I'm dead - then I'm in trouble. Just remember more people get hurt travelling to a theme park rather than when there in it. So enjoy yourself. Go on the highest rated coaster you have near you and you will never look back. Check out theme park reviews for this on the net and try and stay away from rides that are rough or just generally poor - your first big ride should be one to remember and defintiely shouldn't be one that could put you off or give you a negative outlook on coasters.

Yeah, you dont have to RIDE the coasters to like them! It works the same way with me and girls.

I lvoe girls, and i study them.. and i search then online, but i never talk to them. Same thing right?

My first coaster was a now defunct woodie that had bench seats, no seatbelts and a buzzbar. I was 8 years old and my father took me on it. It scared me half to death. My first trip to Cedar Point in 1966, I refused to ride Blue Streak. I finally got up the courage to ride Cedar Creek Mine ride when it opened in 1969 , but still refused to ride BS. But the following year a boyfriend shamed me into riding Blue Streak and I loved it.

I didn't have a problem riding any coaster until Magnum. Gemini made me nervous, but I wasn't scared. Magnum scared me to death before I got on it. By the time we crested the second hill, I was hooked and no coaster has scared me since.

I am deathly afraid of heights. After my first ride on Power Tower drop, I swore I would NEVER do it again. I KNOW the ride is safe, but that doesn't stop the fear. Last year I decided I had to get over that fear. Even though I still get that awful knot in my stomach on the high drop rides, I'm not nearly as afraid as I used to be on them. I can even keep my eyes open now and look around.
------------------
I'd rather die living than live like I'm dead
http://www.webtechnik.com/ebony/CPLady.htm

I was in a similar situation. I loved watching coasters, and always thought that some of them were absolutely beautiful, and was jealous of all those who could ride 'em. I would almost become literally paralyzed with fear thinking about getting on them. The only ones I'd ridden by the time I was 25 were all the ones at Disneyland and the Giant Dipper in San Diego.

The entirety of my core group of friends all decided they wanted to go to SFMM, and they finally convinced me to go. Lo and behold, the first ride they had me get on was Viper, which isn't exactly a small coaster for someone who's afraid of them. Peer pressure worked, however, and by the end of the day, they got me to take a front row ride on Goliath. I know Goliath isn't considered one of the better hypers, but it's still a hyper.

After that day I'd ridden every ride in the park (Deja Vu and X weren't open yet, X was still mid-construction), and, in my friends' words, "we've created a monster". Suddenly, I couldn't get enough of 'em, and I had 25 years to make up for. That was about 2 years ago, and while my first ride on X still scared the ever-livin' jeebus out of me, and I still get nervous the first time I ride something big (Xcelerator), I'm so glad that I finally was pushed to get over my initial fear.

Good luck, face your fears, and go for it! You'll be glad you did.

I don't Know. I am afraid of heigts, but nothing at SFGAm is really that tall except for Raging Bull. I don't mind rides like the Whizzer that much. I am used to those. I haven't been to a park in awhile so if I go I need to get used to it. Maybe this year I'll try Demon (or maybe not).

The best rides of your life happen when your scared ^_^

I have to admit, the launch on dragster was giving me a nervous feeling.. Not to the point I would ever leave the line or whatnot, but I just coulnt wait to get on it! Oh my, was it the greatest ride :)

Go for it.. Don't think what bad could happen, just think of how awesome it will be.

------------------
Six Flags Worlds of Adventure Online

I think the way is to just force yourself onto a coaster and just GO FOR IT. Once you take a ride on a looping coaster or any big coaster, you will never look back from that day on.
I remember visiting PKD getting over my coaster fear, basiclly I had no problems getting on non looping coasters but when it came to looping coasters, I was always scared of them. However my dad kept trying to talk me into going on Anaconda and I just thought to myself What the Hell, Lets do it.
I was absolutly terrified all the way up the lift hill, but when I came off, I absolutly loved it and even wanted to go on it again. I did of course and loved it even more. Ever since that day I have never looked back and gone on to ride some of the best coasters in the worlds including X at SFMM,GeForce in Germany,Goliath at SFMM etc, I will also be hitting my 200th coaster very soon as well :)

Also Its really best to start with something small and work yourself up to bigger and better things. If you ever get to go to Cedar Point, thats a great place to start as there is plenty of small coasters and if you do really well, you can work your way up to the big stuff(TTD,Millennium Force,Raptor etc)

Anyway good luck in the future :)

I also am seriously afraid of heights, I can't even climb a ladder, but when I was small my grandfather got me on the Thriller, I was scared to death screaming its Too High, he told me to look at my feet, and don't look anywhere else til we're starting to go down, I did it and been hooked on coasters ever since. Once you start down that first hill, you forget all about height and just start having fun.

And some 45 years later, I still look at my feet until I start down that first drop. I even looked at my feet on PKI's Beastie, a kids coaster!!! If I can do it with my fear of heights, I know you can do it, and you'll never regret it. Until you feel more comfortable try looking at your feet on the lift hill, you'd be surprised how well it works. You might even be able to look around at the view sooner than you think, although that hasn't happened for me yet.

Power Tower type rides, no, not for me, no matter how brave I think I am.

You can do it, try it, you won't regret it, nothing like riding coasters!! My next big hurdle is TTD in August, my heart is saying yes, my mind no, but I got the speed on my side, don't think I'll have time to look at my feet!! LOL!!

And don't be embarrassed, everyone has something in life they are afraid of. All the men in my family are scared to death of snakes, but I'm not, everytime they give me a hard time about looking at my feet, I tell them to go pick up a snake, it shuts them up!!
Dream as if you'll live forever. Live as if you'll die today. "James Dean"
*** This post was edited by Bambi1953 6/5/2003 6:46:56 PM ***

I've been obsessed with rollercoasters for about 4 years now.

My first coaster over 80 feet was Montu at Busch Garends Tampa a little over a Year ago. May 4th I rode Top Thrill Dragster. I was scared to death of the larger coasters, but as soon as you get on them, you can ride them all...there isn't anything that scares me to the point of not riding it now.

The best thing to do is what i did...(well in my opinion anyway)...I dunno if SFGA has any free fall towers but i would go on one of those...well thats only if your scared of the drop, the rides are tall fast but are over with fast. After i got off of Stuntmans Freefall at GAdv i felt like i could ride anything...well almost anything.

------------------
Coaster count:41
top3 wood:Boulder Dash, Wildcat, Thunderhawk
top3 steel: Steel Force, Nitro, S:ROS@ SFNE

I had a real Problem with Loops before I really got into Coasters. I could ride anything that did not turn Upside Down. Finally I faced my fears and rode a looping Coaster. I was surprised to learn that Loops go by so fast that you really can't tell a very big difference.

Now I tell people that are scared of Being turned Upside Down that you really can't feel it at all.

------------------
"The Mountain Slidewinder. Voted The #1 Non-Rollercoaster Ride in America Amusement Business Magazine, 1991"

Start out on a ride that does't have a line. Long waits give you too much time to think about how scared you are.

superman said:
'Don't let anyone tell you otherwise: Being afraid to ride a coaster is a totally natural thing, it's actually a healthy reflex, and no one should have to feel embarrassed about it.

It's much more unnatural NOT to be afraid of dropping down 10 floors.
I definitely think there is an almost-suicide aspect to coaster riding - to look into the most terrifying eye of desaster and live.
To turn that into a pleasure, you have to let go of certain fears for a while - suspend a part of your natural life-sustaining reflexes for a moment.'

I would have to say that I abselutely don't agree with that - you simply can't go through life being scared. It's all in your head - and as long as what you're doing is safe, there's nothing to be afraid of.

According to what you're saying, it would be unnatural for anyone not to be completely freaking out doing common things like flying in planes, riding in cars, or riding in elevators, which are all a lot less failsafe than theme park rides.

I've just never gotten the coaster riders I hear of that love riding simply to be terrified. It seems like reverse logic to me. I think that flying through the sky, floating, looping, and feeling the sensation of speed are all purely enjoyable things.
------------------
~ Blast Coaster | BlastCoaster@coaster-net.com | www.COASTER-net.com
*** This post was edited by Blast Coaster 6/5/2003 10:15:24 PM ***

I was the same way when I was younger. I was totally obsessed with coasters, but I wouldn't ride them. Hell, it took alot of balls to get me on Scooby-Doo @ PKD! One day @ PKD, I said "hey, what the hell" and just jumped on a big coaster. I've been riding ever since :)

Hey, you've got alot of advise here, and alot of good advise, but it comes down to just your heart and your mind, your heart says go for it and your mind says lets think about this!! Follow the one you trust the most and don't worry about anything else!!

Personally, I always follow my heart. Yes it can sure get broken, but it is also can give you some really fun times!!

If your heart says get on that coaster, then get on the coaster, ignore the brain!!-----------------
Dream as if you'll live forever. Live as if you'll die today. "James Dean"
*** This post was edited by Bambi1953 6/6/2003 12:13:02 AM ***

I envy you. The best coaster rides are when you are new to it.

------------------
Buy "Stereotype Be" from Kevin Max at Amazon.com

I was always terrified of coasters when I was younger.It's like everone in my group would ride the Corkscrew and I'd sit back and watch.

The day that changed it all,was when I followed a girl I liked onto the Demon Drop.:)

You just got to go. Some times you need to force yourself to do things you don't want to do. In the end it'll be worth it.

------------------
TRoy