Roller coasters - Unsafe?

Yes I know, a very dumb topic to discuss but something my friend said to prove me wrong made me want to find this out.

My friend was saying how he went on Mantis at CP after being told not to by his mother. When she found out, she said that high intensity thrill rides have gangerous long term results. He looked it up just to prove her wrong and found a general hospital sight, and it said that riding those types of high intensity thrill rides could cause neck damage over time. I know some people here are experts, so I just wanted to know. I also happen to know some of you have been enthusiast for 30 or so years, and maybe you've had any problems. It really all started when he said he didn't want to ride the Mantis more than once again, because it could cause that neck damage. Even if thats true, how could it do that if you only rode it 3-4 times? Any help is greatly appreciated.

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If you like Wicked Twister in the back, does that mean you like to get screwed in the rear?

Well I'm sure just sitting on your ass and watching TV will cause some type of neck damage over time if that's all you think is safe to do.

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Titan Uranus 1976-2001

Is this the time of night when everyone is drunk and makes weird posts? Anyways, I'm glad thyat someone understands in a way. There are MANY more other activities that are more dangerous than coasters. Why are they picked on the most then?

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If you like Wicked Twister in the back, does that mean you like to get screwed in the rear?

Nothing is one hundred percent safe. There is no way to completely be safe from injury. Everyday most of us drive down a freeway at speeds in access if 60mph with no set course, cars all around you, tires that could blow out, drivers that could be drunk, and many other factors make driving dangerous. And yet, people still insist that coasters are un-safe while they do this everyday. I just don't comprehend. There are so many things that are more harmful to your health than coasters.

As for the neck issue, only if you ride a SLC all your life!

Intensity has no direct corolation to the forces of the ride.

Typically, an inverted coaster is more intense due to the presence of many footchopers and the enhanced feeling of speed due to the relatively exposed riders.

Neck and back injuries (in this case) are caused by forces, which isn't neccessarily intensity. No, I'm not going to deny that rides can cause injuries. If you sit on the couch with a bad posture, you'll end up with an injury. If you ride a coaster awkwardly (or the seats aren't well designed for your physique, such as on Vekoma Rollerskaters and people over about 10), then you've got a chance of getting an injury to a crutial and delicate area such as the neck or back.

Follow the rules and you'll all be fine, which is all it bubbles down to.

I took a fall (bouldering) over six months ago, it can't have been more than about a metre in total, but my right foot landed first and must have been just a few degrees to the right, and as my weight went into it, it kept going, and tore some ligaments.

The reason for this injury was basically a less than perfect landing. I'd be fine now if I landed it better. Similarly, if you ride a coaster in the correct way, as the park directs, you should be fine, because you are within the tested specifications of the ride.

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So what if the best coaster in Australia is a second hand Arrow?

I hate when this happens, my friend (who is an enthusiast!) says that he wont ride Drop Zone more than once a visit because we had a marathon on it (13 drops) and his mom said that each time you ride an intense ride you take a month off your life. So now he complains that were gonna die early because we ride so much. Its really annoying!!

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800,000 years in 7 seconds: Time Machine the movie or next S&S creation?
"So Quoth the Lemon Chill Guy" (TM) (C)

Gangerous sights aren't fun to see.

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Jeff - Webmaster/Admin - CoasterBuzz.com, Sillynonsense.com
"Let's stop saying 'don't quote me,' because if no one quotes you, you probably haven't said a thing worth saying." - Dogma, KMFDM

My dad has gotten some kind of degenerative disc condition but he has always had back problems. When a roller coaster causes a perfectly healthy person to start having back spasms and get disc failure, then there might be some correlation. However, I am sure that if you already have problems, intense rides might not be good for it. But, since most rides have warnings about those kinds of things, the only thing to blame is yourself for not taking the sign's suggestion.

*** This post was edited by Vipper on 7/31/2002. ***

I also have the degenerative disk (and I'm only 20). Mine came from having flat feet and playing hockey since I was 3. This condition as far as the doctor explained it to me comes from your back not getting enough support when you're on your feet a lot, something that could not be caused by coasters (unless your Dad rode all his time at Cedar Point, then the waiting in line might have caused it ;) )

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Steel - #1 Mantis, #2 Millie, #3 Wicked Twister ||| Wood - #1 Thunderbolt, #2 Villain, #3 Beast
"The key to a happy life is moderation" -- Jon Stewart

Righttttttt, I wonder if that site was funded by a certain other..cough cough Markeey...

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Jeff said:

Gangerous sights aren't fun to see.

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Especially when they begin to smell a little like almonds ... which is not good

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Steel - #1 Mantis, #2 Millie, #3 Wicked Twister ||| Wood - #1 Thunderbolt, #2 Villain, #3 Beast
"The key to a happy life is moderation" -- Jon Stewart

SpongeBob - here's an argument I use that seems to shut people up: if coasters were really that dangers, the injury rate would be MUCH higher in the coaster enthusiast community because we ride MUCH more than the average person. And there are a LOT of old coaster enthusiasts who have been riding for 30, 40, and 50 years.

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"Outside of a dog, a man's best friend is a book. Inside of a dog its too dark to read." - Groucho Marx

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RCmuzikGuY said:
I hate when this happens, my friend (who is an enthusiast!) says that he wont ride Drop Zone more than once a visit because we had a marathon on it (13 drops) and his mom said that each time you ride an intense ride you take a month off your life. So now he complains that were gonna die early because we ride so much. Its really annoying!!

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800,000 years in 7 seconds: Time Machine the movie or next S&S creation?
"So Quoth the Lemon Chill Guy" (TM) (C)

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Anyone who believes that is an idiot. She blew that out sooo much, one cigarrette would have to take like 50 years of your life. Most everyone living in the U.S. must've ridden a thrill ride, and it has no effect on how old you'll live to be unless you ride without restraints, then your life would be shortened greatly. Soooo many people have been brain washed by zombie-maker Markey, nobody looks at other recreation activities. Hey, mom, I'm going to hang out in the broken glass pit at the junkyard. Okay son, just watch out for those thrill rides. *rolleyes*

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What is it Lassie? Did Timmy fall down the well again? Rough. Did Mr. Wilson have a heart attack? Rough. Is the drug dealer here for his money? Rough Rough. RUN!

Lets see, if each time you ride an intense ride takes a month off your life:

I'm currently 52.

I've probably got at least 1000 rides on intense rides to my credit.

That would take 83.5 years off my life, so if I had never ridden any of these rides, I would have lived to be at least 135.

More seriously, the accident statistics show that amusement parks are much safer than most leisure activities, including softball, swimming, going for a car ride, gardening, etc.

Dangm Jim, your family must have that gene for long life!

;)

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Goodbye Whizzer, dear friend. You set me rolling many years ago into this fun hobby...

RIP Whizzer: 1976 - 2002

There are warning signs on rides that advise people with head, neck, shoulder, and back problems not to ride. While they may not cause back problems themselves there is no doubt 3g's pushing down on an already weak spine isn't good for someone.

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"This time I think ... I think it's ... it's going to work!" - Dr.Bruce Banner

Well that's common scence, if I had a back problem I probably wouldn't want to ride something, ok I would, but I wouldn't be able to ride as much.

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(Former Signature replaced due to bad joke with accident) The Beast at night-Two peas in a pod?

Rideing coasters dose'nt cause degenerative bone desease, which is the cause for ruptured disks in the sinal colum.. It is usually hereditary. Both my Mother and Grandmother have this desease. Mom rode coasters a lot before she had this condition and Granny has NEVER been on a coaster in her life.

auscoasterman, I think you are wrong about forces of a ride not haveing anything to do with intensity. Intensity is the g-forces a ride delivers, not what you see as you ride, such as foot choppers, head choppers, ground hugging turns, and tunnels. That would be called excitement. No offense dude, but have you ever played RCT?

Just my opinion.

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RCmuzikGuY said:
I hate when this happens, my friend (who is an enthusiast!) says that he wont ride Drop Zone more than once a visit because we had a marathon on it (13 drops) and his mom said that each time you ride an intense ride you take a month off your life. So now he complains that were gonna die early because we ride so much. Its really annoying!!

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800,000 years in 7 seconds: Time Machine the movie or next S&S creation?
"So Quoth the Lemon Chill Guy" (TM) (C)

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If that was the case I would have been dead about 3 years ago!

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He won't go on Mantis, but i'm assuming he goes on other rides such as...Wildcat...which pulls the most g's in the park. The only thing i can get from this is either this mother is an idiot who watches way too much Fox News, or just an idiot. I have a question though: Does he go on any other rides? If so which one(s)?