Why do some people get afraid of Roller Coasters?
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SFNE's Superman's the best! check out my new photo in my info page.
*** This post was edited by XFan on 5/1/2002. ***
That's not necessarily true. I don't have to be afraid of a coaster to get the adrenaline rush.
I think fear of heights is a part of it, but I think not really being in "control" when on a fast moving ride like a coaster plays a big part in the "fear" factor. My first ride was on an old woodie with no seatbelts, just the single lapbar. What scared me was flying above the seat...feeling like I was going to fall out. It took 8 more years and a boyfriend before I got talked into riding a coaster again, and the coaster was Blue Streak, very similar to the woodie I rode when I was 8. At the time, BS still had the bench seats and single lap bar.
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I'd rather die living than live like I'm dead
I have not been afraid of a coaster since my first few over 40 years ago. I do get occasional surprises that scare the cr*p out of me like the double down on KW's Jack Rabbit, but relish my first ride on a new coaster.
IMO, many people are afraid of coasters because of the lack of control. My wife would rather have open heart surgery without anesthesia than ride a coaster.
Mike
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Laugh your troubles away at Riverview, the world's largest amusement park.
SFGAMDie HARD said:
"Believe it or not, EVERYBODY is scared on coasters, every coaster if we enjoy it. If we didn't get scared, we wouldn't get an adrenaline rush and the point of the coaster would be lost."
I don't necessarily think that an adrenaline rush is derived solely from fear. I am not the least bit scared of most coasters. The last coaster I was nervous about riding was Millennium Force, and that was mostly because I had never experienced decending a 300' drop at 80 degrees while travelling 93 miles per hour (go figure). But other, less 'thrilling' coasters still provide a good adrenaline rush because I love riding coasters. I play drums, and I get the same rush from playing in a band in front of a crowd. Not because I'm scared, but because I love to do it.
As to why some people are scared to ride coasters--I've never been able to relate, but I do understand. It's a mental thing, above all. It's a fear of the unknown (i.e. - my nervousness before riding MF). We all have certain fears, but can we explain them all? You can tell a person that's afraid to ride a particular coaster that it's completely safe, but more often than not that person will still not want to ride, even if he/she knows you're right. It's being able to successfully place logic over emotion that will overcome that fear.
Then there are those who are afraid to ride because they have a weak stomach and know they will hurl. That I can completely understand, which is why I refuse to ride certain spin-and-spew rides.
I used to be afaid of coasters that had inversions because I though I would fall out. Also, I though I wouldn't like the feeling so I didn't ride them.
I think people are afraid because of heights but also the safty of the ride.
I also get nervous before rides like Power Tower because of the feeling you get while going down.
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"The opposite of war isn't peace, its creation," Rent.
Riverview Mike,
I can share your pain (about your wife not liking coasters)...My wife is the same way. However, I can -sometimes - convince her to go on them if I can convince her that is is one of the "smooth" ones. She readily admits that she likes Raging Bull, but MF was too intense. But her favorite ride is RB, closely followed by - yes - Iron Dragon her other "favorite" is the Whizzer. And if she's in a really adventurous mood, B:TR.....but that doesn't happen every trip.
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Posting, "Me too" like some brain dead AOLer. I ought to to the world a favor, and cap you like old yeller...
I think that you're probably asking the wrong group of people. This site is full of people who drop straight down from 200 ft head first and find it amusing.
The only coaster that still scares me is MF, and that's mainly because of the lift, not the drop.
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Doesn't it seem as though morons always have the caps lock on?
Also, many people who don't ride coasters are not scared.
For example, my wife doesn't ride because it makes her sick. And my best friend doesn't ride because he hates the feeling that big drops give his stomach. But neither one is scared, as they have both ridden really big, intense rides.
Why do people get scared? I really have no insight into that, as I love every aspect about coasters, including the perceived danger, the height, etc... everything that scares people.
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He let the contents of the bottle do the thinking; can't shake the devil's hand and say you're only kidding.
I have heard from a few people that drops hurt their stomachs. I am not talking the tickle in the belly feeling, but rather they describe a shooting pain or throb.
My Sister is one who complains of it. She blames it on having given birth to 5 kids... but then she was never a fan before she had them either.
But there must be some truth to it because she can ride a spin ride, or even Space Mountain and it does not bother her. But a large drop is out of the question.
Shaggy
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Shaggy
A.K.A. John K.
*** This post was edited by Shaggy on 5/1/2002. ***
I used to SCARED to DEATH of coasters. I used to think that you would die if you rode them, that is until I turned 10 and realized that you wouldn't die. I didn't start riding coaster until I was in high school... summer between Soph and Junior year. I can still say that I get scared of riding coasters that I have never rode before. What bothers me is when going down a big hill I used to get incredibly sick to my stomach to where I almost passed out. Now all I do is hold my breath when I get to the top of the hill and all the way down and also on loops. This is my my fear on dark indoor coasters....you cant see whats coming so I can't be prepared for it. It took many people to finally get me to ride DT at CP. They told me there were not hills but I was still nervous.
It is totally mind over matter. People are scared because of the unknown (and because they are afraid to be humiliated when they puke over the side of the train!). If someone has the mindset that they will not like a coaster....they wont like it no matter what anyone says.
I am going to WDW and want to ride Space Mountain but I am terribly afraid too because it is dark. Anyone please tell me if there are hills or anything in the like.
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There is NoLimit when it comes to Roller Coasters.
NoLimitChic's Coaster Page
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There is NoLimit when it comes to Roller Coasters.
NoLimitChic's Coaster Page
Probably because they don't stop to think that rollercoasters are very safe and they don't know that they are tested and inspected every morning every day for several hours.
Other than that i don't know.
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http://www.ineedtoridearollercoasterNOWbeforeigopsycho.com/
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There is an answer and I have found it
I used to be afraid of coasters. I would only go one one's that didnt go upside down because I was scared of what it would be like, feel like, look like -- basically it was all in my mind...I also do remember not liking the feeling of the "tickle" in my stomach on the big drops but now I crave that feeling!
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I can fix anything.....where is the duct tape?
Space Mountain has a couple sudden drops, but none that really would scare the hell out of you. By the time you realize you're falling, you're already at the bottom. The only reason they seem surprising is because you can't see them. The max speed on that is something like 30 MPH anyway.
Take that from someone who, prior to last year, was also a huge roller coaster fan who wasn't sure about indoor ones. (My first was last May, Space Mountain at WDL.)
I remember my first time staring at V2 at SFGAm, May 27, 2001. :) I was so damn freaked out. I don't even know why. I can't explain my fear anymore, because I have ridden it 20 some times now. I guess it was just that I didn't know what to expect. The weird thing was, when I was on the ride, I wasn't scared at all. Just looking at it. I guess imagination has a lot to do with it.
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Loopscrew.com
I get scaried on coaster because I can amagin my death in a split second. That happeneds when we are on our way up the lift.
Physcologically, People look at it and say, "Now why the &*$% would I do something like that?!?
Afterwards you say to yourself "Now why couldn't i go on that?"
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RESIDENT EVIL: BIOHAZARD! Scaring up some HELL only on the NINTENDO GAMECUBE!!!!!
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