Ever feel like you had a near death experience on a coaster?

[djw44]

up until that moment. It was pretty terrifying for an 11-year-old. But at least now I'm fearless on other coasters

 

 

That is what I thought until I rode Conneaut Blue Streak. Wait until you ride a ride that is literally falling apart. When I rode Blue Streak the turn around the train literally felt like it was going to break off the track.

[viking86]

The two alpine coasters we rode in Austria during the ECC trip in 2005. The first one was very well-built and smooth, but because it started raining it became ridicilously fast, which resulted in some insane lateral G-forces through the turns. The fact that you only have a seatbelt and minimal lateral support, and there are nets on the outside of pretty much every turn, it became the scariest and at the same time one of the funniest ride experiences Ive ever had.

 

The second ride of the day was scary in a completely different way, as you sit in these tiny cars riding on a single pipe through a million Arrow- esque transitions.

 

Pictures:

http://www.coasterclub.org/trips/reports/2005/rhapsody/?d=4

[eddytheviper]

Mine would be the time that one of the first times I went on River Adventure at IOA, much like the story before, I was in a boat with some really big family and being the really thin guy I am, the lap bar was pretty darn far away.

 

I ended up freaking out and hugging it both sides for dear life to avoid 'flying out' (what I thought would happen at the time) parents thought it was a pretty amusing ride photo because my face was just white with fear eyes closed and everything haha.

 

(Do bear in mind that I would have been... 12 - 13 at the time?) Yeah, that was nerve wracking.

Edited December 4, 2011 by eddytheviper

[Noxegon]

The first time I rode Deja Vu at SFGAM; on the pull back up the first lift hill my restraint, with all my weight on it, opened one notch. That was pretty bloody scary...

[Chris Benvenuto]

Worst I've had - was I've blacked out on Raging Bull at Six Flags Great America. It was the third or fourth ride that day, I was sitting near the back I think 2nd to last row. I blacked out for a couple seconds between the last few hills and the turn before the brake run.

 

EDIT: Forgot to mention, this was 6-7 years ago. I think 2004-2005.

[dominoes]

^^^ Same thing happened to me on Tidal Wave at Thorpe Park! I was ten, and I was stuck next to some 'large' people. When it went down the drop, I found myself standing up! Scared the hell out of me...

[OrlandoPete]

The Wild Mouse at Dorney Park. 4 adults, easily a combined weight of 800+ lbs. We were hitting the corners so fast that the thing felt like it was going to rip off the tracks. We were all screaming for dear life!! Now, I am no wild mouse novice. I know that this coaster is supposed to feel like it is going over the edge, but this was ridiculous. I felt that perhaps we were over the weight limit because I have never had a wild mouse experience like it.

[Sir Clinksalot]

Didn't feel like a "near death" experience, but I can remember thinking "this isn't a good idea" on the coasters I rode in the Philippines.

[Kafka]

Near Death Experience- On our last trip to holiday world, we had the park almost to ourselves due to nasty weather. The park's policy on running rides seems to be more or less as long as its not storming the rides run. Ive noticed that wooden coasters seem to run faster and rougher when its rainy. The other factor that was concerning was that it seems that with less weight in the trains they run even rougher. On the Legend, when we got to the top of the first hill it started raining hard. Me and my two friends were the only people on the coaster and by the time we hit the upward banking hills I felt that the wheels on the train were comming off the track when we hit the turn. I know that its extremely unlikely that the train could come off the track, but these were rather extreme circumstances. This happened everytime we hit a banked turn and it scared the crap out of me every time we hit a turn.

 

Another story, its a fairly popular occurance, albiet how stupid it is to actually do, that people drop coins on the spike on Mr. Freeze. Usually this is dangerous, but not deadly. On one of our rides someone threw, not just dropped, a half dollar. By the time we got to the bottom of the hill, the coin was like a missile that was coming straight for our heads.

 

Not a good idea- Same day, on the third time on Voyage, the ride was bone shatteringly rough. By then it felt like i was going to crack a rib or pass out from the newly developed headache. Not a fun ride for sure.

[andybarnes84]

Pretty much every time I ride the wild mouse at Blackpool

[RollerCoasterSmi]

Pretty much every time I ride the wild mouse at Blackpool

 

Agreed! It is absolutely crazy,..

[STR8FXXXINEDGE]

The first time I rode Deja Vu at SFGAM; on the pull back up the first lift hill my restraint, with all my weight on it, opened one notch. That was pretty bloody scary...

The same exact thing happened to me at SFOG! I remember putting my hands out on the back of the seat in front of me to brace myself. My friend that was sitting next to me thought it was the funniest thing ever. He's like "Just let go and relax, dude!", but I was ready to sh!t my pants!

 

Another time, at a carnival when I was little, I was on the Super Loop/Ring of Fire when they held it upside down, and I literally almost fell out of the damn thing. The restraint that was supposed to be at your waist/stomach, was literally on my shins and I was basically hanging by my feet. That was the last time I ever rode one of those.

[better_by_design]

No, but I haven't been to China yet.

 

 

Speaking of that...the shuttle loop at Beijing Shijingshan Amusement Park is seriously terrifying. Not a good sound to hear the upstops crashing against the track to keep you in place.

 

YES. THIS.

 

Pretty much all the coasters at that place are near terrifying... the cake was taken when I (American-sized male) couldn't get the shoulder belts on for their flume ride (which does forwards AND backwards drops). I was yelling concernedly at the ride ops, who dispatched our boat anyways. Picture arms up to elbows in shoulder straps and bracing like crazy... not that I was in any real danger, but when it's your first time on a ride...

 

More "this would never happen in the US" park stories...

[Nozzy]

The Wild Mouse at Dorney Park. 4 adults, easily a combined weight of 800+ lbs. We were hitting the corners so fast that the thing felt like it was going to rip off the tracks. We were all screaming for dear life!! Now, I am no wild mouse novice. I know that this coaster is supposed to feel like it is going over the edge, but this was ridiculous. I felt that perhaps we were over the weight limit because I have never had a wild mouse experience like it.

 

You remember when this was?

 

I'm just curious since now it's braked a ton and they won't even let 4 adults ride in a car... wonder if they got stopped sometime

[talonec]

I had a recurring dream as a child: I was next in line for Montezooma's Revenge and the car right before me launched too fast, went through the loop, up the spike and off the end of the spike...then I would wake up. Every time I ride that thing I pray we don't go over.

 

Ed Note: We have never gone over...

[beatle11]

The Wild Mouse at Dorney Park. 4 adults, easily a combined weight of 800+ lbs. We were hitting the corners so fast that the thing felt like it was going to rip off the tracks. We were all screaming for dear life!! Now, I am no wild mouse novice. I know that this coaster is supposed to feel like it is going over the edge, but this was ridiculous. I felt that perhaps we were over the weight limit because I have never had a wild mouse experience like it.

 

You remember when this was?

 

I'm just curious since now it's braked a ton and they won't even let 4 adults ride in a car... wonder if they got stopped sometime

 

I can't remember if they were having us go one or two at a time on that Mouse back in August during the Road To CP trip. Definitely interesting to hear that story.

 

The first time I rode Deja Vu at SFGAM; on the pull back up the first lift hill my restraint, with all my weight on it, opened one notch. That was pretty bloody scary...

The same exact thing happened to me at SFOG! I remember putting my hands out on the back of the seat in front of me to brace myself. My friend that was sitting next to me thought it was the funniest thing ever. He's like "Just let go and relax, dude!", but I was ready to sh!t my pants!

 

Another time, at a carnival when I was little, I was on the Super Loop/Ring of Fire when they held it upside down, and I literally almost fell out of the damn thing. The restraint that was supposed to be at your waist/stomach, was literally on my shins and I was basically hanging by my feet. That was the last time I ever rode one of those.

 

I've never had anything like that happen to me but that would definitely scare the sh*t out of me.

[SoCalCoasters]

Not neccessarily near death but definitely an oh @#$% moment was at Knotts in the rain last year when Monte didn't brake us at all when we came backwards through the station. I was so used to hearing the brake hit, when I didn't hear it...

 

It didn't help that we were in the very back row. Needless to say, that was the best ride I have ever had on Monte.

[australianalex]

Pretty much every time I ride the wild mouse at Blackpool

Thats exactly like the one here in australia. I know these wooden wild mouses have historical value and there are only 3? in the world, but they are scary as hell.

[derek_lentz]

Not a coaster, but on Catapult at SFNE, I had the lapbar pulled down extremely tight (for obvious reasons), and while we were inverted, the bar popped up a notch. Fortunately it was still locked, but in that split second, I thought I was going to fall out.

I had this exact same experience on the same ride. That is the first and last time I will be on that one.

[eddytheviper]

Just remembered, the first time I ever went on Sheikra at Busch Gardens. It was my first dive coaster, the ascent to the top of the lift hill, the turn around and the journey to the break pads felt like it would go on forever.

I genuinely hadn't been so scared on a coaster before, the fear and apprehension was SO intense actually.

 

Genuinely thought if my restraint popped up a bit, that would be me gone... totally irrational I know but, wow, what an experience.

[australianalex]

I remember another. I was in no danger but I was scared out of my mind. I was on a skycoaster attraction and I have a fear of heights unless I'm in a large thing with many people, like a coaster or flat ride. But I was alone dangling on a cable 50m up and quite simply crapping myself. The drop and everything was exhilarating but the trip up was horrible.

[XYZ]

I had a recurring dream as a child: I was next in line for Montezooma's Revenge and the car right before me launched too fast, went through the loop, up the spike and off the end of the spike...then I would wake up. Every time I ride that thing I pray we don't go over.

 

Ed Note: We have never gone over...

 

I had the same dream that I was launched over the top spike.

 

Though, on topic, whenever I ride Roar @ SFDK, whenever I raise my hands I always fear it will hit one of the wooden supports.

[thrillrideseeker]

I remember another. I was in no danger but I was scared out of my mind. I was on a skycoaster attraction and I have a fear of heights unless I'm in a large thing with many people, like a coaster or flat ride. But I was alone dangling on a cable 50m up and quite simply crapping myself. The drop and everything was exhilarating but the trip up was horrible.

My story is pretty similar. I hate heights as well, unless I am on a coaster or flat right or such... However on the Kissimmee Skycoaster I seriously thought I was going to die. The journey to the top of the 300ft tower was the longest trip of my life. And the higher we went up our flight suits seemed to loosen around us. When we got to the top of the tower and I could see the cables go from behind us, the swoop down in front of us, and back up to the main arch I was terrified. Then they made the little announcement, the ripcord was pulled, and I swear my heart stopped for a few seconds. Other then that it was amazing.

 

Oh, and the first step off of the platform on Skyjump Las Vegas felt like I had just committed suicide. But once I could feel the harness tighten around me I knew I was safe.

 

Don't really know if either of those could be considered feeling as if I had a near death experience, but they were the two most terrifying experiences I have had on any theme park attraction.

~Matt

[B.A.B]

Well this year at Kings Island Halloween Haunt me and my friend went on a late night ride on Vortex. Well when we sat down in the car and pulled down our restraints until my just stop, and I swear I don't remeber a operator checking my restraint or anyone else's. When the car departed I flip out and started saying my restraint isn't lock good. This guy behind me told me to calm down and hold on for dear life, and after I got off I was shanking becuase that was the most craziest ride I have ever got on Vortex. I guess they check it and I didn't pay attention watching them, but I swear I seen no one check them.

[larrygator]

I don't know how I forgot about the Williams Grove Cyclone. For all the bad that is said about the state of Conneuat Lake's Blue Streak, it did not compare to the state of the Williams Grove Cyclone in its last two years of operation.