Eye glasses? to wear or not to wear?

I am heading out to bgw friday and the last time I went coastering I took my glasses off. I was wondering what eveyone else does about thier eye glasses when they ride?

and jeff if this is not an aproproate topic by your standard go ahead and click her from existence!

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All at once the ghosts come back reeling you in now.

Well I used to think they would fall off if I wore them on the coasters at SFMW, but then I started to realize that they weren't falling off anyone else's faces so I tried it on Medusa and eventually Roar. Since they didn't fall off on Roar, I pretty much decided they are safe to wear on most coasters.
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Brian Grapes
SFMW Online- http://www.sfmwonline.com

(Seems like a fine topic to me...)

I'm a happy contacts customer now, but when I'd wear glasses to a park, I normally took them off and put them in a big pocket or something, just because even though I knew they'd be pretty safe on my face, they're was almost no way they'd come out of my velcro-fastened pocket. I was more able to enjoy the ride without worrying about losing my vision. ;)

The ride that prompted me to start that practice was Superman: Ride of Steel at Six Flags America. I literally had to reach up and grab my glasses from mid-air after they flew off my ears. Powerful airtime on that thing!

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Matt Lynch
Co-Webmaster : Kennywood Boulevard

I hate when ride ops make you take you classes off since i am practically blind without them. Most coasters I have ridden with my glasses on but some do not allow it due to safety procedures. Although sometimes it is pretty cool to ride without glasses and everything is just a blur of lights, especially on Speed in vegas. i definitely like to wear them, without vision the ride seems to be less intimadating and makes it hard to recognize the speed of the train in relation to other objects. So for me, the rides seem slower without my glasses.

CROAKIES!!!
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Son of Drop Zone - PKI CoasterCamp I Champions!!!

I always wear sun glasses, unless its dark or something.  it helps keep rain, wind, and debris out of my eyes.  since I wear contacts, my eyes are a little more sensative to everything it seems.  after riding Iron Wolf once I was crying.  it took me a minute or two before I could see clearly again.  I also wear a hat on rides.  the first time I wore a hat on a ride was Incredible Hulk.  I tried to give my hat and camera to a ride op, but they refused.  I had to sit on my camera and strap my hat down tight.  throughout the entire first half of the ride, I had one hand in the air and one on my hat.  after that, I realized that it wasn't coming off so I let go.

I have a bigger problem with what's in my pockets.  I lost my wallet somewhere in Universal Studios.  I noticed it after T2.  thankfully someone found it and returned it.  but the next day I lost my pocket knife.  I noticed it after I got off Dr. Doom.  I don't wear those shorts to parks anymore.

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Jay and Silent Bob have left the building ~Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back

I never wear glasses on roller coasters that go upside down, so I put them in my pocket (I always make sure to wear pants or shorts with cargo pockets). If it is a wooded coaster than I just leave them on.

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We're not White, Black, Hispanic, or Asian. We're American!

Glasses on.  Properly fitted glasses won't come off.  I wear a strap when the park won't let me ride otherwise (Six Flags America comes to mind), but other than that, I just wear my glasses without a strap -- I hate 'em.

If you choose to take your glasses off, make sure you have some good way to protect them.  I came out of PPP this year with a SERIOUSLY mangled glasses case that I'd put my sunglasses clips in (just ask Lori ;) )

Now mind you, I just got new, rather expensive, and relatively delicate-looking (but nice) half-rimless glasses.  I'm wearing my OLDER glasses on rides, just in case -- I'd really really hate to lose the new ones, and I know how well the old ones hold up when coastering. The new glasses are probably actually more secure than the old ones -- spring hinges, silicone nosepieces, etc. -- but I'd rather not find out the hard way if they're TOO delicate ;)

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--Greg
"Beat the rush, sign up for your post-Mean Streak MRI now..."
My page  My other page  And my coaster page

*** This post was edited by GregLeg on 10/16/2001. ***

Wear them. If they fit properly, nothing will shake them loose. If they don't fit properly, or if you are worried, get a neck-cord or a strap. One caveat, though: I've found that a snug strap will actually tend to pull the glasses off of my ears, making them LESS secure...and a neck-cord can go flipping over your head and catch under your chin, pulling the glasses off, if you're not careful.

If you do not require glasses, I personally suggest that you get yourself a pair. Sunglasses, motorcycle glasses, ski goggles, whatever...with coasters running in excess of 80 mph, you don't want to hit anything at high speed without some kind of protection. I've scraped enough bugs and other junk off my glasses over the years that I really really really don't want to ride without them!

--Dave Althoff, Jr.

I usually take them off at the top of the lift hill and hold them in my hand the entire ride.  Sometimes, I put them in the little boxes on the exit dock, but then they could get crushed.  And my glasses are not very snug so I don't want to risk losing them.
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Acrophobia--High Alititude Attitude

I always wear my glasses on every coaster..... I just make sure they are snug and I always wear a strap around the back of my head. The strap is tight fitting and ensures that my glasses will indeed never fall off. I love my strap because it enables me to see everything and know where I am actually. I would be blind without my glasses.
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Dave

I wear my glasses. I usually wear a strap if I remember to bring it, but if I don't, I just wear them anyway.  Never had any problems, and that includes riding MF front car without a strap. (see profile pic for evidence).  The only ride I took them off for was X-Flight, because the flying position is not a good one for glasses...face pointed straight down.

Jman

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Jman
Webmaster: Gravibulb Coasters - Home of Professional Quality Coaster Photos
http://balder.prohosting.com/gravbulb/coasters/

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astrosgp said:
I usually take them off at the top of the lift hill and hold them in my hand the entire ride.

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I've seen many people lose their grip on items they THOUGHT they could hold during their ride.  If you REALLY value your glasses you may want to reconsider.

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--Greg
"Beat the rush, sign up for your post-Mean Streak MRI now..."
My page  My other page  And my coaster page

ACE15, that's exactly what I meant!
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Son of Drop Zone - PKI CoasterCamp I Champions!!!

During sunny days I always wear my sunglasses. The only time I've taken them off is on X-Flight - I was afraid they'd fall off. And on Chang - because the OTSR hit the glasses frame and I was afraid they'd get damaged or I'd hurt my head.

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Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not sure about the former." - Albert Einstein

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GregLeg said:

 
I've seen many people lose their grip on items they THOUGHT they could hold during their ride.  If you REALLY value your glasses you may want to reconsider.
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--Greg
"Beat the rush, sign up for your post-Mean Streak MRI now..."
My page  My other page  And my coaster page

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I am definitely a newbie to this department. Finally at age 30 I needed glasses. Granted, my eye sight is still relatively good but I am what you consider the normal near sighted person. I got my first prescription glasses about a month ago and wore them to SFGAm 2 weeks ago. Not one ride op told me to take them off. However I kept removing them and holding them like Gregleg recommended that you shouldnt. I see what you mean. If they flew out of my hands I would have been pissed. I will probably invest in a strap or just leave them in the car.

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"The Peoples Elbow" or "The Spinaroonie?. Cant decide which is the most electrifying move in sports entertainment!!! LOL

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GregLeg said:
"Glasses on.  Properly fitted glasses won't come off.  I wear a strap when the park won't let me ride otherwise (Six Flags America comes to mind), but other than that, I just wear my glasses without a strap -- I hate 'em.
(SNIP)
Now mind you, I just got new, rather expensive, and relatively delicate-looking (but nice) half-rimless glasses. "

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Like GregLeg, I too have delicate looking, half-rimmed, spring hinged glasses. However, I will almost NEVER ride a hyper or looper without a strap. I *have* ridden both S:ROS @ SFA and Medusa @ SFGAdv strapless, but both time I waas so paranoid that they were comming off that I hardly enjoyed the rides. My CROAKIES headband type strap work just great. I have another neck cord type thing that I'm not as pleased with, but as long as I keep my head against the headrest, I know they aint going no where.
lata,
jeremy

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"Nobody writes about the planes that land." Steve Salerno Washington Times 7-10-01

like GregLeg said, I have two pair... my normal pair (a little bit more fragile) and my "Coaster" glasses (1980's something glass frames with current perscription in them... I call them my "Coaster" glasses because of their very tight/snug fit, my wife calls them my "Nerd Boy" glasses because of the 1980's style frames).

For some coasters (coasters that have no inversions, coasters with slower speeds, coasters that are a bit tamer than others) I do not wear a strap. For coasters that are a bit more wicked (and ones where parks insist you have a strap or "otherwise secure your glasses") I do have a strap. It also does come in handy on some flat rides (PowerSurge, Dominator, etc) as well... and even with this strap I do not feel uncomfortable wearing my "every day" glasses if I would forget my "coaster glasses" (as I did at the York Fair... rode Power Surge with my every day glasses and the strap.)

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"I wasn't always this cynical, but then I started kindergarden..."

I wear them on every coaster except a very few where the OTSRs beat you so brutally that you glasses would be twisted like a pretzel even though they stay on your head.  As several others have said, well fitted glasses just don't come off.  I've done things much worse than riding ocasters, and my glasses have stayed on.  I must admit though that I did hit so hard once crashing in a bicycle race that I knocked a lens out while the glasses stayed on my face.

I always wear my glasses.  RideMan's right, if they fit properly, there is not a whole lot that will shake them off.  You could easily drop them if you try to hold onto them in your hand.