DrachenfireOP Posted July 11, 2015 Share Posted July 11, 2015 You know that feeling when your hands are up and you wonder if the head chopper is too close? Or maybe where you are pretty sure if you stick your hand out it will end poorly? For me that's Gemini. I swear there are points that I could easily reach out and grab the steucture, even if it isn't true. Some parts of the Beast too! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Superbatboy Posted July 11, 2015 Share Posted July 11, 2015 The tunnel at the bottom of Goliath's (SFMM) first drop The drop after the hi-five on Twisted Colossus (blue track) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coasterkid124 Posted July 11, 2015 Share Posted July 11, 2015 Phoenix and Twister at Knoebels have beams extremely close to the track Viper at Darien Lake has corkscrews so close to the trees that it seems like your head will scrape on them Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coaster Hero Posted July 11, 2015 Share Posted July 11, 2015 EL Toro's many headchoppers. I always put my hands up, then put them down during those portions because the little GP voice in my head commands me to Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
viking86 Posted July 11, 2015 Share Posted July 11, 2015 Many old Vekoma/Arrow coasters have extremely tight clearances, for example in the entry/exit of the vertical loops, but on those it doesn't matter as it's impossible to reach out of the trains. I must also say that the supports on Space Mountain at Magic Kingdom seems to be very close. Well, those you can see anyway, most of them are hidden in the darkness. And talking about close encounter with trees, last year I was riding Kumba with my arms up and smacked my hand against some branches on the left side of the train climbing into the dive loop. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jodon Posted July 11, 2015 Share Posted July 11, 2015 I second Space Mountain at Magic Kingdom. I'm 6'3" and I actually hit my finger on a support and it wasn't a wonderful feeling. When I got off, I asked the ride op at the exit if it was normal and he acted like it happens frequently. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cfc Posted July 11, 2015 Share Posted July 11, 2015 ^Thus the rule about keeping your hands inside the train at all times. I've never put my hands up on Space Mountain for the same reason. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IrishCasual Posted July 11, 2015 Share Posted July 11, 2015 The two tunnels on Cú Chulainn, me and my friends didn't dare put our hands up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Samuel Posted July 11, 2015 Share Posted July 11, 2015 I think the Wild Mouse at Blackpool has a few of those "never in America" moments of tiny clearances and low-hanging supports. In fact, a lot of the footage I've seen of old wooden mice includes plenty of tight situations where I think people must have been much smaller back in the day! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nrthwnd Posted July 11, 2015 Share Posted July 11, 2015 I shall forever remember holding up my hands, on Grona Lund's Jetline, in the TPR 2009 Scandi Tour, as we dove into an obviously steel framed tunnel. That only my fingertips "touched" the pipe was enough to send my hands into swift painful shock! It lasted only a minute or so, and went away immediately. But I learned. On last year's Scandi Tour, I definitely kept my hands INSIDE the train, at least when that part comes up. And Twister was like that too, with firm rules to not put up your hands most of the circuit. The photo below actually shows me NOT raising my hands. Me and my co-rider on TWISTER at Grona Lund. And my arms are not UP. Just... out. TPR 2014 Scandi Tour. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LiftThrill Posted July 12, 2015 Share Posted July 12, 2015 Poltergeist and Titan's tunnel. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geauga Dog Posted July 12, 2015 Share Posted July 12, 2015 The mother of all close calls - coming out of the sidewinder on SFStL's Ninja. Looks like you will be decapitated by the chain return. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gerstlaueringvar Posted July 12, 2015 Share Posted July 12, 2015 Nagashima Spaland's Looping Star. I put my hands straight up the first time. There's one support at the bottom of the first drop that's like 2 inches away from my hands, if I put my right hand a bit to the right I would 100% touch it. From this thread seems like Anton didn't consider about people putting their arms up on a coaster much. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DoinItForTheFame Posted July 12, 2015 Share Posted July 12, 2015 I second the tunnel at the bottom of Titan's first drop. Sitting in the front row, at the top of the drop you swear that there is no way that train is going to fit in the tiny little tunnel. It still makes me duck every time I ride the ride. Another one that I LOVED was when Dueling Dragons/Dragon Challenge still dueled. The foot choppers in the near miss elements were amazing!! I'm sure I will think of more, these are just the first ones that came to mind! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DrachenfireOP Posted July 12, 2015 Author Share Posted July 12, 2015 ^ a little off topic, but it always bums me out to see coasters modified so their visually awesome elements go away (LNM no longer able to do double loopers, dragon challenge no longer dueling). Such a bummer! Anyhow, speaking of foot choppers, I thought of another one; on Alpengeist there's a bush out by the wingover and final helix I swear if I wanted to I could probably kick it. Also, not sure if this counts, but it's very clear Rougarous track was not designed for floor less trains. When you come off the lift, the cars get VERY close together as they go around the turn. I'm 6' 4" and I didn't even have my legs extended and my toes bumped the car in front of me because I had them slightly out. I know they have that sign up, but I could easily someone breaking a leg if they ignore that sign! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MayTheGForceBeWithYou Posted July 12, 2015 Share Posted July 12, 2015 Windstorm/Hurricane models. 6'3" me gets a little too close for comfort to some of those beams, with my head sometimes a few inches from getting whacked. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Canobie Coaster Posted July 12, 2015 Share Posted July 12, 2015 I second Space Mountain at Magic Kingdom. I'm 6'3" and I actually hit my finger on a support and it wasn't a wonderful feeling. When I got off, I asked the ride op at the exit if it was normal and he acted like it happens frequently. I'm 5'10" and I rode with my hands up and my fingers grazed the top of the re-entry tunnel. Needless to say I learned. I'm still shocked it can operate with clearances that tight. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
El Toro_Ryan Posted July 12, 2015 Share Posted July 12, 2015 Definitely Grizzly at Kings Dominion during the third turn around. I always felt like I could easily stretch my arm out and drag my hand along that solid wooden wall. And same for Phoenix. I know that during the last turn on the brake run, I can slap all the poles from the right side of the train. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
El Toro_Ryan Posted July 12, 2015 Share Posted July 12, 2015 Definitely Grizzly at Kings Dominion during the third turn around. I always felt like I could easily stretch my arm out and drag my hand along that solid wooden wall. And same for Phoenix. I know that during the last turn on the brake run, I can slap all the poles from the right side of the train. Oh and Thunderhawk at Dorney for sure. Some of the clearances on the turns freak me out. haha Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IdahoKat Posted July 12, 2015 Share Posted July 12, 2015 Back in the late 80's/early 90's I was at SFMM on Goldrusher. There was a guy near the front of the train, me near the back. To this day, I still remember seeing and hearing one of his hands SLAP onto the metal support above. His hand was quite a bit swollen when getting back into the station. That's about all I remember of it before off to the next ride, but this could be the subconscious thinking that made me think twice of ever reaching too high (and at a mere 5'0" not like it's as big of a risk as someone taller with longer arms). On Gatekeeper (CP) I swear my hands are going to smack the keyholes. Does anyone have any actual specs.. like how many inches or feet actual distance from the train and what not? Some of the turns on Millenium XL also seem very close and make me almost certain I might smack my hands. Mean Streak, and nearly any woodie, the hands just stay down... not holding on, but not extended up high since I like my fingers working properly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anac0nda Posted July 12, 2015 Share Posted July 12, 2015 I second Jetline and Twister at Gröna Lund! They are crazy close, and in fact at the beginning of Twister's lift you can easily touch the track that crosses above (I dared to touch it because the trains travels slowly). Other ones I remember are Matterhorn Blitz at Europa Park (one of the little dips in the end) and Linnunrata at Linnanmäki (although you can't see how close to the concrete pillars it goes because of darkness). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robbalvey Posted July 12, 2015 Share Posted July 12, 2015 I second Space Mountain at Magic Kingdom. I'm 6'3" and I actually hit my finger on a support and it wasn't a wonderful feeling. When I got off, I asked the ride op at the exit if it was normal and he acted like it happens frequently. I think if I were the ride op I would have reacted the same way. "Didn't we tell you to keep your hands inside the ride???" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JRice92 Posted July 12, 2015 Share Posted July 12, 2015 SLC's, through the break run and turning into the station I'm able to touch the supports. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mike541x Posted July 12, 2015 Share Posted July 12, 2015 Trailblazer at Hersheypark, if you're tall enough you can touch the wooden beams at the end of the ride. Almost every ride I took on it, at least one or two people would reach up and slap them. Good thing it's not a fast ride! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paradox Posted July 12, 2015 Share Posted July 12, 2015 Pretty much the first half of Boulder Dash. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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