freakiest coaster moment.

[jayman]

in 1982 or 83 we got to go to santa cruz boardwalk as part of our vacation and i got my first ride on the giant dipper. i'd thought of collossus, and thought all wooden rollercoasters just went around corners kinda slow and had big a** drops. this ride freaked me out... to top it off halfway through my dad says"hey, look jay" and demonstrates how the safety bar had completley failed. it never locked. he's a hands up guy, but not that time, he held the bar down so i wouldnt fly out. that was back when they had wierd yellow fiberglass bubble car things, before the morgan trains. i still remember him causualy adressing the ride operator about the lap bar..

what's your freakiest coaster moment?

There really haven't been too many for me, but there are two of some significance. Number one would be being diverted into the track storage area on Space Mountain at Disneyland because my dad couldn't fit right into the cramped cars. Instead of making the typical right turn after the station and heading up the lift I went left and the train was unloaded.

The other moment is being stuck on the lift of the Zamperla Flyer at SFEG. I was up there for about 5 minutes before the lift began to operate again.

[jayman]

that's freakier.. you win

once i was on colossus (sfmm)and the lap bar wasnt on fully while i was on the backwards halloween train--that was scary--it hurt so much going over the hills backwards and i had at least 6 inches between me and the bar

My only two things where rides broke down and freaked me out really suck so I cant really use them. Mine was acctually on the skycoaster in reno because it was my first one which was 180 ft tall.

I havn't had many, but two do stand out in my mind.

The first one happened a few years ago while riding the Wild Beast at Pcw. I got the front seat, we were dispatched but as the train engaged the lift the entire front of my car jumped up into the air as it grabbed the chain. It really freaked me out as when it happened I didn't know much about how woodies worked and I thought my car was going to come flying off the track.

I also had a moment on Mind Eraser at Six Flags Darien Lake. While coming out of the rollover thing my restraint clicked open one or two notches. I also needed a diaper for that ride.

I also must mention the Zamperla Volare's, EVERY ride on those is a freaky experience.

Rattler was slamming on the brakes this past weekend, and it looked like the front of the train just popped up off the track. It was insane.

[Oscar]

mine on colossus as well rear seat white car left side, lap bar did not lock andd espite being a whack ride almost flew out

Xpress(S:TR) @WWO
The train stopped during the launch!! this happend in the time when it was still new...

When I rode Millennium Force for the first time in the front seat, around the Top of the last Over-Banked turn I almost flew out! It was a sudden massive lateral push, and if there was no Lap Bar I would been ejected!
That was messed up.

Originally posted by screamomatic

and if there was no Lap Bar I would been ejected!

Is that really saying much? lol, on EVERY coaster you would have been ejected without the lapbar.

I wonder how far I would have flown? I'd probably make the landing...

I've had some good out-of-control moments on woodies.

While riding Colossos@Heidepark (Backseat) I had my lap bar quite loose to fly high... I somewhat got pushed forwards a bit on the first drop which has incredible air, and as the positives (4.3) started to pull on the bottom, I was leaning forwards almost horizontally and couldn't get up because of the g's. That was quite painful for my back.

On Tonnerre de Zeus first drop (Backseat as well) the airtime was so sudden and strong that it was kinda hard to pull my arms back down before rushing into the tunnel. That was really scary as I was sure my arms would be knocked if I kept them up there... Well, I'm not so sure now, might be that the tunnel is tested even for people over 6'4", but I didn't have much time to think about that then...[;)]

Well, not so insane, I know. But fun. [:D]

[hyyyper]

I once pulled my knees up when the ride op was checking the lap bar on Tower of Terror (the aussie version of superman:the escape @ SFMM) and the airtime was a little to much and i really was a bit scared, but the scary-ness soon made place for joy!

On a wave swinger in the middle of a greek fair ground with my restraint un done and the ride op didnt speak english....

Also the ultimate at Lightwater valley back seat! The 2nd big drop hands up, when you get to the bottom your hands are forced down and so is your had. Then around the turn after that it decides to smash your camera a little, and then on the next turn you have your hands up to high and you get whipped by trees..... Not that freaky, just crazy and painful. [:)] But still a real good experience IMO. Even if it is rough as hell.

Canadmos, I had the exact same experience with Wilde Beast, scared the poop out of me!

My freakiest coaster moments really only happened while maintaining or working on the rides themselves. I worked at Playland Park in Rye, NY for a few summers - my first summer I was a ride mechanic, and the other summers I was assistant to the superintendents. As the assistant to the superintendents, I did alot of project work and surveying for ride upgrades, rennovations and installations. Playland's wooden coaster, the decently long and very mild Dragon Coaster, was undergoing some renovation in its tunnel, and I was assigned to survey the inside of the tunnel to determine its original structural makeup before it can be replaced. I went up there with a digital camera, some tape measures, and a level, and I walked up inside (the tunnel encloses an elevated turnaround). I also put the "DO NOT OPERATE" sign on the controls, but someone was probably too tired or busy to notice that, so when I heard the anti-rollbacks clacking on the lift hill, I knew I about a minute to get the hell out of that tunnel. I ran to the front of the tunnel and yelled and waved my arms until the guy who turned on the ride saw me and stopped the lift hill, just as the train was about to crest the top.

Other events were not as major. There were some near-collisions in the station during initial ride testing for the Crazy Mouse (problems with the PLC and the brakes - both of those systems were replaced). Nearly had a Dragon Coaster car wheel smash my fingers on the track while I was adding oil. That sort of thing.

[gouldy]

On the indiana jones ride at disney land paris, whenever there was any air mine and my brothers restraints started to click click click open, before we pulled them down again, which scared the crap out of us . Although we spoke to the ride op about it when we got off... I don't think he understood what we said or something, cus he just like shrugged at us and made like a grunting sound...

love french people

[yoshifreak]

I got stuck on Millenium force on lift about 150 feet up but thats about it.

[jayman]

another funny time was when we went to knott's when i was about 11, and we were gonna ride the corkscrew.. for some reason my freind was leaning foreward and they closed his ots BEHIND him. the train started to leave the station and we were screaming our asses off , they stopped the ride just before it left the station.

Ok, this sounds like I'm making this up, but....

I went to six flags New England for my birthday and the first ride I went on (superman, ride of steel) got stuck at least 100 feet up on the lift for like 5 minutes. That doesn't sound so bad, unless you consider the luck I had recently, including (the night before) seeing my neighbor fall 5 floors to his death. I literally though I was going to die. I remember wondering whatever possesed me to decide to go. I was also remembering an accident that happened a few years ago on this very same ride, involving a failed restraint. It turned out to only be that someone dropped something in the tracks at the station, but I must say the two people who were with me were freaked out as well, one of which also witnessed the accident with my neighbor.

Williams Grove Cyclone back seat

Originally posted by wersigobra

Ok, this sounds like I'm making this up, but....

I went to six flags New England for my birthday and the first ride I went on (superman, ride of steel) got stuck at least 100 feet up on the lift for like 5 minutes. That doesn't sound so bad, unless you consider the luck I had recently, including (the night before) seeing my neighbor fall 5 floors to his death. I literally though I was going to die. I remember wondering whatever possesed me to decide to go. I was also remembering an accident that happened a few years ago on this very same ride, involving a failed restraint. It turned out to only be that someone dropped something in the tracks at the station, but I must say the two people who were with me were freaked out as well, one of which also witnessed the accident with my neighbor.

What in the WORLD would make you decide to go to an amusement park the day after you just saw someone you knew fall to their death!!! Not the happiest and most fun times, huh?! haha

Originally posted by Canadmos

I havn't had many, but two do stand out in my mind.

The first one happened a few years ago while riding the Wild Beast at Pcw. I got the front seat, we were dispatched but as the train engaged the lift the entire front of my car jumped up into the air as it grabbed the chain.

that happens about half the time for me when i ride wild beast. On one of my first rides on it, i remember how the whole way up the chain the car was bumping all over the place. It was really wierd....

My freakiest moment was on my first ride of my first coaster over 200 ft... superman:ride of steel at sfdl. It was night, and i was pretty freaked out by the ride itself. when i was about 180-190 ft up the lift, the chain stopped. i was stuck at 190 ft. at night on my first ride over 200 feet tall. The ride operator had to climb all the way up the stairs to the train. I thought he was gonig to tell us to get out and walk down or something, but instead he told us that somebody had a camera and they couldnt bring it on the ride[:p]

Dont get me started on Gwazi. Lap bar clicked...once and thats it. Scared me half to death. Dont want to ride again because it would finish the job.