How do you act toward the GP?

Hey everyone!

Today at school alot of the kids were having this discussion.

"dude remember last summer when we went to the darien lake? Ya that was awesome dude! Theres this ride called the superman or somtin and i went on it NINE TIMES!!! Dude then theres this ride called the boomerang and you go backwards through these loopdy loops but the bar hurt my head. Dude that viper loopdy loop coaster sucks. That wooden one is too bumpy i hate it. "

This was going on admist ten different people.

I just said forget it because i wasn't really friends with them anyway. Sometimes if it is people who are my friend I'll correct them and annoy them with my enthusiest talk.

My question for you is do you but it when people are talkin about coasters and saying wrong things like that?

Sometimes people are like "the Superman is so awesome" I'm like wait till you ride Millennium Force. I always think that in my head but never say it usually. But at Cedar Point people are always saying "That millennium force is really fast and has a huge hill" even if they do use GP terms they are right about that and being at a park like CP doesn't get much better.

What do you think?

Good Question. That happens a lot to me also. They always say all this stuff that isn't true like "chiller goes 150 mph and it has 25 loops". I usually just don't even say anything.

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-Sean

I think that just because we are "enthusiasts", we have no right to act snobby and throw our obsessions into their faces. Therein lies the term "EnthusiASSt"

We have to realize that not everyone cares... Think about it.

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Never Has Gravity Been So Uplifting.

*** This post was edited by BullGuy on 11/5/2002. ***

I am in the GP. Especially when I'm at a park! Time to dig up the old quote from Jeff about gettin kicked in the "love sausage". Anyone remember that one?

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- Peabody

I overhear discussions like that all the time. Most of the time I keep my mouth shut and listen. I'm not about to ruin their fun. Trust me, it doesn't go over too well if you burst in. Yes, they sometimes can be very annoying, but put yourself in the position on a subject you don't know too much about. I've said my share of stupid things and you probably have, too.

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I talked with the Dippin' Dots guy and he assured me that Cedar Point was to get that 10-inversion terra-woodie-invert-stand-up because Magnum is sinking. The current construction is for the new super-Dippin' Dots stall he is to run.

I usually just don't pay attention to them. But when they talk directly towards me, I get a kick out of it. At my most recent visit to SFGAm, some girls were saying how her dad owned the park and how she gets to go on all the rides without waiting (she was waiting in line with me for Deja Vu) By the end of the line she was asking me questions, such as "Why does it break down so much" "Why does this line take forever" I get a kick out of that stuff.

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There is no such thing as a stupid question, just stupid people.

I let the people say what they want, right or wrong, and laugh about it later. No sense in making someone feel stupid by correcting them unless they ask.

Moosh

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Roller Coaster & Amusement Park Christmas cards, clothing, and products - now available at S&D Greetings http://www.negative-g.net/sdgreetings

I just try and laugh it off, too. Trying to correct people just ruins their fun and makes you look like a jerk. Trust me, I've annoyed many people with my "smarter than thou" attitude. Now, I try not to talk about coasters unless someone else brings it up.

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"I feel like I'm diagonally parked in a parallel universe."

This reminds me of the Saturday Night Live "Frequent Flyer" skit.

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Jonathan Hawkins
Starcoasters.com
"There is a cluster of bees at the top of the lift. Sorry for the inconvenience."

rockman89 said:
I overhear discussions like that all the time. Most of the time I keep my mouth shut and listen. I'm not about to ruin their fun. Trust me, it doesn't go over too well if you burst in. Yes, they sometimes can be very annoying, but put yourself in the position on a subject you don't know too much about. I've said my share of stupid things and you probably have, too.

Yeah, it does not go over too well, not matter how much you know you are right and you feel the need to correct them! That is why we have these forums.....so we can tell our stories and make fun of them! :-)

Funniest (scariest) thing I ever heard in line:

"Hey, why do they only have one coaster train on Face/Off? The line would go a lot faster if they added another one."

Yep, I was speechless!

Tina Nelson

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Feel The Adrenaline....
www.intenserides.com

*** This post was edited by coasterqueenTRN on 11/5/2002. ***

Loopdy loop! UGH! I want to impale anybody who says that every time they speak of a vertical loop.

Anyways, I amazed two kids in line for Raging Bull who were saying "That 'little drop' is scarier than the big one" and "The big drop isnt the first". Then they ask (probably retorricaly ) "Why do they have a 'little drop'" and I say "It reduces wear on the chain". They were amazed.

Then I'm like "Hey there's only two of us you should sit in the back with us. It makes you fly right out of your seat!" And they say "That sounds scary". So in the station one kid says to the other "Let's ride in the middle" and the other replied "Yeah!" and I thought "There goes two possible friends..."

I just ignore it, or sometimes even play along and throw in the occasional true fact. I have earned my reputation though, and my friends usually go to me if they have a question on coasters. Of course, my two best friends have been around long enough to know these things:

There are many many Six Flags parks and now just one in Gurnee, Illinois.

Cedar Point rocks.

Steel Dragon 2000 is the tallest coaster in the world, MF tallest in America.

The difference between a B&M, Arrow, and Intamin (main companies).

Different types of coasters (inverted, stand-up, hyper coaster, etc).

I think somethings just rub off on them.

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The top 3 all time cobrarolls.

1)Raptor's
2)Deja Vu's (times 3)
3)Batman Knight Flight's

Let's see, you're 13 right? I'm almost 32 and I only interrupt someone if they're having trouble remembering the name of the ride. You know how frustrating it is when something is on the tip of your tongue and you just can't remember the word/s? Don't worry about what your classmates think about rides. It's their OPINION, and you said you weren't friends with them anyway. So why worry? You probably won't impress them, and they won't remember what you try to tell them most likely.
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Dude, you're getting an Intamin!

But do tell them if you enjoy talking about roller coasters, because roller coasters are all about having fun to me no matter what I'm doing. Sometimes its a great way to break the ice with someone because most people really like roller coasters alot and like talking about them sometimes, they are just not obsessed like we are. If you know what your talking about people will come to know you as a coaster afishianoto or whatever that word is.

Ummmmm, Isn't the GP a demographic for business strategies and not a class of citizenship. Most people aren't rabid fans of rollercoasters that know everything about them. I.E. "The Great America in texas" I usually just ignore it. For the "GP" ignorance is bliss.

*** This post was edited by Colonel Sanders on 11/5/2002. ***

Hate to tell ya but we are all the GP.

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My personal favorite GPism is when you hear someone say, "One time, the back car came off the track..."
Also when people ask why there's a long line for the back seat.
Then there's always, "Does this one go up-side down?"
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-Matt in Iowa
195 coasters ridden -- Faves: Shivering Timbers, Ghostrider, Twister, Hershey Wildcat, Lightning Racer

Exactly MagnumForce.

Try correcting somebody about coasters or amusement parks in general when not being asked? You know what you look like?

Answer: A Jackass.

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2 superheroes in Gurnee next season? Oh the humanity. :)

If I don't know them, I let it pass...

Not really............ oh well you look like a jackass. Big deal, whats new. Everyone acts like one sooner or later.

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Don't Fight It, Ride It, RAGING BULL!!!!!!- SFGAm