Fear of Roller Coasters

I've never understood this. My best friend is so afraid of roller coasters that I can't even get him to come to a park with me (which obviously sucks). He's too afraid of being coaxed into riding one. I've told him countless times that there's a better chance that he gets struck by lightning than injured or killed on a roller coaster, but no bite. Are these types of people just insane? He's also ridiculously afraid of spiders fyi, lol.

Check out this video I just saw via reddit, it's ridiculous!: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GoQ0OXJCbaE

The guy is afraid of riding a virtual coaster! I've tried with all my heart, and am still not able to understand people this ridiculous/stubborn.

Anyone else have stories?

My mom can do roller coasters, but only ones that aren't over a certain height. She can handle stuff like the Yankee Cannoball & Blue Strreak fine, but anything over that & she freaks.

I was working at CP in the summer of '05, and my parents & sister came out for a visit. My mom did Blue Streak fine, so we moved on to Magnum. My sis & were front row, mom & dad in the 2nd. About 1/2 way up (on a geogous clear Ohio day), my starts freaking. The other three of us were thinking, it's only 200'. Needless to say, she survived, but wouldn't ride ANYTHING else the rest of the day.

I watched the video, which I don't often do.

There's two wasted minutes of my life I'll never get back.

I think most of us are acclimated to a degree that we don't understand or relate to the fear of these things held by the public at large. When I think about what a ride like MF or TTD is actually physically doing, in terms of distance, height and speed, it's pretty mind-blowing, and I realize I've become detached from that gut-level thrill.

Thinking back to when I was little, the biggest fear for me was the feeling that once I closed the restraints, the rest of the ride was inescapable, and that I was then at the mercy of the ride. I used to fear the stomach-churning sensation of the drops (which I can't even feel anymore), and it filled me with a sickly anticipation. Funny enough, my fear was kind of the opposite of what I imagine the more common fear to be: falling out of the ride.

I had one legitmate fear attack on a coaster, the very first time I rode a Stand-up (Iron Wolf) going up the lift hill was terrible. At the end of the ride, the fear was gone, replaced by pain (had not learned proper riding technique for boys yet.)

I understand some people have this fear, and as long as they have actually tried a roller coaster once, I dont push them onto the rides.

Not everything is for everybody. I'm an aeropace engineer and I'm deathly afraid of flying. I have to get drunk in order to fly more than three hours. Irrational? maybe. But everyone's fear is real to them, so cut him a little slack. Plus, the accident that just happened doesnt really help the situation.

I actually think that if anyone is insane, it's those of us who DO ride coasters, not those who don't. I used to hate heights and still kind of do, so I definitely relate to those who let that fear keep them off the rides.

I dunno... we all have our "irrational" fears. I for one am scared to death of needles. I completely freak out any time I have to get a shot, or get my blood drawn. I'm well aware of the fact that it barely even hurts, sometimes not at all, but it still doesn't stop me.

There are certain things I understand, even if I don't fear them myself. Fear of flying. Fear of coasters. These are easy to understand. There are many different levels of this. You can be scared of the height aspect, the danger aspect (sudden maneuvers, being upside down, bad weather, turbulence) or you can simply be scared of the mechanical aspect. I understand not wanting to be 6 miles above the earth in a man made machine.

Calvin sums it up best:

http://www.gocomics.com/calvinandhobbes/1992/09/15

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^ Note that this belief doesn't stop him from trying his own alpine loop.

Yes, I'll vote up any and every Calvin and Hobbes post.

Except for when he's peeing on some logo. I hate those. lol

The list of things I am or used to be scared of is pretty long. Plastic dolls, dummies, manikins (especially if they are missing limbs or their head), glitter, mayonnaise, some children (but not all children, I like kids), fecal matter, spiders if they are touching me or my clothes, slugs, fuzzy caterpillars, and the list goes on and on.

I also have "car-breakdown-a-phobia," which stems from a lifetime of driving used cars to theme parks that are hours away.

LostKause said:

Except for when he's peeing on some logo. I hate those. lol

Bill Watterson has never authorized a single piece of C&H merchandise. Any thing you see the characters on (outside of the strips) is bootleg stuff.

True that. I read that many years ago. He's very protective. In the interview I read, he was questioned about a line of plush Hobbes merchandise. He refused. Imagine how lucrative that would have been?

Mars is Amazing! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QyXJfUPSQhM

Can't believe I hadn't seen that. Two of my favorite things combined: Calvin & Hobbes and Robot Chicken. That was great.

I have an irrational fear of online bran muffin petitions.

Mike Gallagher said:

True that. I read that many years ago. He's very protective. In the interview I read, he was questioned about a line of plush Hobbes merchandise. He refused. Imagine how lucrative that would have been?

I think I remember that he refused to do plush Hobbeses because he didn't want to ruin whether Hobbes really could be real or if he was just a stuffed tiger that Calvin imagined was real. Pretty cool. And yes, it would have made him a fortune. There were Opus plush everywhere at the time.

So is this where we all knock Watterson's junk around for a little bit because he's not a sell out?

...

Trying to find the right words to express love for the comic and an appropriate amount of respect for Watterson while still calling him kinda weird and possibly unlikeable and yet at the same time making fun of a guy who draws a cartoon stuffed tiger being concerned about devaluing his 'art' but also showing admiration for his standing up for what he feels is the right approach and maintaining control of his creation no matter how silly it seems to others.

But I can't seem to find them. :)

I have a very rational fear of any roller coaster thread that is started by Tyler or Timber-Rider.

Watterson's always had my utmost respect. Yeah, it's a cartoon about a kid and stuffed tiger, but he is an artist's artist. The guy is a great draftsman and storyteller, and people need to realize that sometimes, the almighty dollar isn't everything.

I have no idea whether or not he's unlikable, because he worked so hard to stay out of the spotlight so the "public" at large never really got to know him. But I like that about him. ;)