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Looks like Solace is down one coaster for ERT. Too bad---Xcelerator is a favorite. Eric

A paint job for Xcelerator would be nice, being that the current one is the original one, now seven years old. But there are more important things for Cedar Fair to fix first. Eric

Coins, theme park maps/brochures, and dust. But not necessarily in that order... Eric

^ For real? Eric

I just filled up awhile ago at $2.25 for regular. Still less than half of what it was last summer, but 55 cents higher than it was a couple of months ago. Eric

^ Sometimes I just leave mine in the car. The way I see it, I have the phone for my convenience, not yours. I am available 24/7 in theory, but will only repsond when need be. Personally, I think most young people are too connected these days. There was a time when you could go on vacation with your family and *GASP* have to wait till you got back to see your friends! I think it's ridiculous that for whatever reason, constant communication is necessary. Personally, I enjoy the downtime when it's just me and...me. ^^ I don't know what to say, Natalie. You're old enough to look after yourself; you don't need an uncle following you around. My daughter is a friend of mine on both MySpace and Facebook, so, yeah, I read her surveys, look at her pictures, etc., but she's almost 19, so I don't hassle her about anything. Eric

^ According to you, so it seems, enforcing standards = oppression. I'm glad you had a 3.7 GPA (my own high school one was 3.4), but as Scott said, aside from perhaps an emergency, there is no reason to be using a cell phone for any reason during class time. For most people, it's a distraction. It's no different than sitting at your desk in an office and surfing the Internet instead of doing your work. Many people have gotten fired for that. And many offices enforce a dress and/or behavior code. It's about maintaining some kind of discipline. There's nothing wrong with that. Eric

For me, the sad thing about Knott's is that even though they have nine coasters, few of them are really any fun. Xcelerator is fine, as is Silver Bullet (well, I think so). Jaguar and Montezooma's Revenge are pretty good. Boomerang...eh. Sierra Sidewinder is fun, but too short. Timberline Twister, I don't even bother with it. Pony Express is fun but way too short. GhostRider has gotten far too rough to enjoy anymore. I'll say it again for the eleventeenth time: Knott's was more fun 30 years ago. Eric

^ Wants improved weather in Florida. < Wants improved legislators in California. V Wants improved shopping carts at the market!

^ I will echo your rant about cell phone rings. Especially if you're in school---SET THE PHONE ON VIBRATE!!! Or better yet, turn it off---you might accidentally learn something. I really wish there was a legal way for teachers to confiscate students' phones during class. Imagine how much texting (and cheating on exams) takes place because of that. Of course, not every student does it, but enough do to warrant some kind of action. Eric

You won't be able to hire...what? You didn't say, but I'm assuming you're talking about renting a car to get around. In my own experience, I rented my first car when I was 21 without any problems, but at that time, the only concern was whether I would be strong enough to use the hand crank to start the engine... To be serious, you can check websites for Enterprise, Hertz, Avis, etc. pretty easily. In most cases, age 25 is the magic number, but it can vary by area, too. Eric

"I wanted to resurrect this thread because middle/high school drama never dies" (Yankee cannonball) Let's see here... you're kissing someone who's already involved with someone that you don't approve of. Sounds like you're helping to create even more drama. Eric

There were problems with gangs at one time, but since Jay Thomas and Co. took over, that's really a thing of the past. SFMM is cleaner than it's been in ages, and I've enjoyed many visits in the past 18 months. It's not unusual to see sheriff's cars parked out in front. But that doesn't mean anything's wrong inside the park. Just that there is the presence of law enforcement. There's a sheriff's substation right there, too, if I'm correct. Eric

^ I question his "about to fall asleep" while in class. Eric

^ I second that. We went one time and were able to do everything as many times as we wanted with minimal waiting because the crowds cleared out. Eric

^^ Here's a tip for you. When you adjust the "seat," squat down just a bit till they lock the restraints. Then when you stand straight up, the "seat" is far enough below your jewels so as not to do any damage. I've ridden Riddler so many times and have not had any problem in that area. Eric

"The Insurance company of the Corolla-Driver, that crashed into our Q7, is obliged to pay for a rental car in the same Price Range. That´s law in Germany." (gerd.muller) I like that law. That would mean if someone hit my CR-V, I'd get to drive a CR-V or comparable car instead of some pansy Chevy Cavalier that can't even get out of its own way. Eric

Breakfast at McDonald's - $4.17. Eric

^ Page of... THE DEVIL ^^ It is indeed possible. If I recall, I was there on a Thursday, which would have been December 5 that year. Eric

My cousin works as a carpenter at Universal, and I should find out how much (if at all) he is involved in this restoration project. It's great to see it coming together. Eric

^ The reason Superman was open when I rode was because it was during a special passholder preview late in 1996---three months before the ride officially opened to the public. Superman was supposed to open May 30, 1996, but it wasn't ready to operate at that time. The ride was heavily promoted and SFMM sold a lot of season passes on the basis that it would be open. (Back then, they usually had a special passholder preview day for new rides.) Superman was finally running at 90% of its potential, so in early December 1996, SFMM decided to send out a special ticket to each passholder entitling them to come to the park for their one ride. The tickets were dated, so you could only come on "your" day, rain or shine. It happened to rain on "my" day. As a bonus, they had Ninja, Viper, and Revolution also running, and they allowed us to ride Superman as many times as we wanted, not just the "one" promised. I got four rides in and was impressed by it. But two of the four were in very painful rain. Eric EDIT: On the day Superman was supposed to open, we were invited out for a special event for it, only to have it cancelled because the ride wasn't ready. An interesting---but sad---coincidence was that May 30, 1996 was the very same day that ride attendant Cherie LaMotte was killed while crossing the tracks in the Revolution station (for those of you who remember).

^ You'll probably agree that X2 is the most intense ride at the park. Not so much for the g-forces, but the overall ride experience. If you're at all interested in the park's history, go up in the Sky Tower sometime during your visit. Not only is the view from there great, but they put together a "museum" with old models, photos, posters, and running videos of old TV commercials. That's definitely worth a visit. Hopefully it won't be too windy for your visit; otherwise, the tower will be closed. Eric

I've ridden most of SFMM's coasters in wet weather---including Superman. With more and more rides using magnetic brakes for slowing, rain is less of a problem since friction---or lack thereof---isn't much of a factor anymore. But of course it depends on the ride and how wet it is. Eric

One thing I found funny is how the sign welcomes you to IKEA in both English and Spanish---and then there's no more Spanish on any signs! But, like a couple of others, I'm surprised no one showed you guys the exit... Eric

^ Strange as it sounds, some things just aren't your business. I rarely share what I'm thinking because someone will usually give me their two cents' without my asking. And that's another rant of mine---people who meddle. Yeah, they might mean well, but all too often their actions make things worse. If you want to help someone, ASK THEM what you can do for them. Eric