Odd coaster riding habits?

Reading another thread made me start thinking: does anyone here have any unique or weird coasting habits? For instance, I emphatically prefer sitting in the center or right side of a four across coaster, or just on the right side if it is a two seater. I think it has something to do with me wanting to not have my dominant side out in the open, but it is just a theory. I also will ride Nitro at Great Adventure with my hands up but with my legs wrapped around the restraint bar. I don't even realize I'm doing it half the time. I have a pretty set rotation pattern of rides at both Hershey and Dorney as well. Perhaps I am OCD with coasters? (Laugh)

So, any other weirdos in this group? What are your strangest coasting habits?

What an awesome topic. I really enjoy talking about quirky things like this, even more than I care to admit.

With hyper or Giga coasters for some unanswered reason, I always seem to be drawn to the backseat. I have some weird obsession with being pulled around like a rag-doll for maximum airtime. lol!!

As far as inverted coasters go, I always want to sit in the front seat, so when I'm going through the cobra-roll, corkscrew or loop etc, I can see the track twisted and bent in front of me with maximum viewing.

Here is where it gets really strange. I pick the side of the train I'm going to sit on, based on which side of the train spends more time facing the ground. So if there is two right sided helixes, I pick the right side so I can see the grass and trees easier and more clearly when I'm flying by. Hits a really happy place in me. :)

Ok I need help.

I have many, I'm sure. But the people I ride with can probably detail them better, because they're not weird/odd to me. As far as seats go, certain ones do provide a better ride IMO. And, Bunky, I sometimes do the same thing with my legs/feet on Nitro as you described above. And on Toro, I pretty much refuse to ride the front seat...it;s a different ride, and does absolutely NOTHING for me.

I don't know if it is that odd or not but for PTC 3 bench trains, I always try to sit in the middle row so I get a non wheel seat. On most coasters that use those trains, it is a much smoother rides and on some other coasters it can make the difference between a tolerable ride and a brutal ride. Rolling Thunder isn't too bad in a non wheel seat (I want to say it's almost smooth) but if you ride in a wheel seat, you are likely to get a headache.

I more or less won't ride anywhere but the front or back unless there's extenuating circumstances. Shrug. If I'm going to wait 30 minutes for a ride, I might as well wait a couple more for the best seat.

I want to be outside seat in the 2nd row of any B&M coaster some times I go in the front but I love the first or last seat front row of a dive machine. On a GCI wood coaster it's first, 2nd or last row. On any other wood coaster I like the 2nd row(Non wheel row of the first car). On any Morgan coaster I like 4th row (1st row of the 2nd car). On MF type coasters it's the 1st row of the 2nd car. On any Arrow 1st row. On SV at VF it's the last row.

I like to try to bite my toenails when I ride looping coasters.

You're a sick man, Travis.

It's really difficult to do, too. I have to get my shoe off on the lift hill, and then manage to get my foot up to my mouth. I'm not always successful, depending on how restrictive the restraints are.

I don't know about me personally, but I'm convinced there's a bunch of people who make it a point to smell as horrible as possible before riding coasters. :)

That's why I keep a can of Axe Spray in my fanny pack, to spray those people when they are not looking. :D

I'm not sure a can of Axe would mask the odors of some, but it might help. Perhaps you could do us a favor and fumigate the Dragster area with Axe on a regular basis, particularly during the bonus ride nights.

Yoshi, no it's not odd, but it's good advice. Thunderhawk at Dorney is nearly an entirely different ride on a wheel seat versus a non-wheel seat.

Mike, I don't refuse a front seat ride on Toro (I don't refuse ANY seat on Toro), but why wait for the front when you can get right to the back with little to no extra wait? People just don't KNOW, I think.

D_vo said:
I don't know about me personally, but I'm convinced there's a bunch of people who make it a point to smell as horrible as possible before riding coasters. :)

Those are the ones who don't screw around with things like shelter and food and water during a hot day of coasting. I'm sorry to have offended your olfactory glands. Hehehe...

I do The Mummy.

I've never done the whole arms up thing. Not since I first took this up as a hobby when I was 13 in '99...

I find myself holding the lapbar up when the train is entering a valley so it doesn't lock more, usually on B&M hypercoasters.

For me, I wouldn't say I have coaster habits as I do park habits.

First, I've said this over and over in trip reports over the years, but on the way to a park, I try to listen to local radio stations instead of syndicated or satelite radio programs whenever possible. It sometimes adds a local flavor that makes me feel like I am actually going on vacation to somewhere special. (It's harder and harder to find special local stations, but they are worth finding.)

I like leaving the interstates and turnpikes for the scenic route.

I try to get there early so I can eat breakfast in front of a rope drop.

I try to go on at least one new attraction if possible. (Even if it is something I've been on before but at other parks. (Ie, Great Adventure's new scrambler this year).

I try to find time in the day to slow down, rest, relax, even snooze.

I like front seat service on the coasters, but I am not always willing to wait for that.

I also try to go out of my way to somehow thank employees who go above and beyond. I also try to give a away a few extra tix if I buy a book (Like at Knoebels or Keensburg)

Sadly, there hasn't been much time for this hobby this year. Too many other things tugging at the limited free time I have.

Great topic!

This IS a fun topic.
On a back seat ride I never go for the very back, I like the front seat of the last car. The ride in that seat is usually a little smoother, the view is better, the wait can be a shorter, and the 'rear of the train' effect is virtually the same. For years that seat has served me well on The Beast, it's amazing to see how the folks in the last seat of the car just ahead are getting tossed around. I like that seat on Magnum, too. It's a little roomier and you don't get someone's long hair coming too uncomfortably close to your hands or face!
On a ride that has an in-line or heart line roll I like the seat that "bottoms out" more so than the one that goes head first, if that makes any sense. The on ride pov rendering of Gatekeeper is shot from the left side, but I'm putting my money on the right. The first roll off the lift will be thrilling ridden on the right when it feels like the chair is getting pulled out from under you, and the rest of the ride favors the right side as well, IMO.
While I'm trying to think of additional riding quirks I might have, let me take the opportunity to wish a happy, safe, and blessed Christmas day to all my friends here at CoasterBuzz.

That's normally my favorite part of the train too. Less people in line for it and more room between me and the people riding in front of me makes it awesome!

On Raptor, by far my favorite seat is the very back, far left. The whip through the flatspins in that seat is like crack for me. Highlight of the ride.

On most hypers, B&M or Intamin, I tend to lean into the turns with my torso quite a bit. In overbank turns I generally lean very far out and look "under the train" if that makes sense.

On most wood coasters (mainly PTC trains) I tend to ride with my arm facing the outside of train behind me and wrap it around into the side cushion area... I then use my arm to push against the lateral forces and brace my body against turns. Very helpful on rides like Voyage. Did it on Villain as well, and tend to catch myself doing it on most. Except on those wonderful GCI rides, where they know how to make a wonderful train that is comfortable and does not require it.

Not really aware of any other habits I have... I only ever put my arms up on lapbar rides in parts that I would get airtime. Otherwise, always down on my lapbar, lap, whatever.