Views on people who are afraid of coasters.

I wondered. What do you think of people who either don't like coasters or are too afraid to ride them? I bring this up because a friend of mine's son who keeps trying to go to Cedar Point, but he cant seem to muscle up the courage to ride anything. He really seems he wants to, too, because he's extremely frustrated with himself. I wish I could say something but I have no idea what to say. Maybe your views can help me help him with his problem. :/ Would greatly appreciate your insight.

How old is your friend's son? That's the first thing you should consider. A really young person, say 6 or 7 will not really grasp nor appreciate what he is riding. If they are that age, I would suggest a kiddie roller coaster and make it a really mild ride. If the son is in his teens or older, I would suggest he ride Blue Streak first. His first coaster experience has to be a good one. Tell him to ride in the front seat or near the front of the train to avoid the whip you get in the back of the train. Tell him to never sit in the rear seat of a car because he will be sitting directly over the back wheels of the car and he will get pounded to death, so to speak. Tell him not to ride Mean Streak. After he rides Blue Streak tell him to go to Kings Island and ride the Racer which is slightly higher than Blue Streak. For his first big steel coaster, have him ride Diamondback at Kings Island, a smooth riding coaster with plenty of air time. Next, go back to Cedar Point and Ride Millennium Force. Next, try Magnum XL 200, then Maverick. Last, and only last, have him ride Top Thrill Dragster. Oh, did I mention to stay off Mean Streak. If he insists on riding Mean Streak, make sure he has his last will and testament in order, LOL. Just kidding. I've heard that Mean Streak is a little rough so if he insists on riding it, have him ride in the front seat only. I think if after he rides Blue Streak he will like roller coasters. If he doesn't like Blue Streak, tell him to stick to the Merry-Go-Round. They have some good band organ music.

[Coasterkidmwm]

Unless they make them sick they're usually a very boring person.

Just like lots of other irrational fears, I always figured the only reason to actually be afraid of a roller coaster is the fear of death. The reason I say this is irrational is, as we all know on here, dying on a roller coaster is extremely unlikely; this is especially true when compared to how dangerous it actually is driving to the park itself, anyway.

[mkingy]

Went with a friend of mine who queued up for Oblivion and just walked straight over to the exit when we got on the ride. Basically we ridiculed him and told him he would regret it and he manned up for the next time and loved it.

That's not really applicable for you seeing as you're older and its less accepted to see you bullying someone into riding something

I did go to Blackpool the other day with someone who didn't like rides and we generally just encouraged them by telling them why it was good and how much they would enjoy it. Only advice I can really give I guess.

I ask them why the lines are so long if they weren't fun/were dangerous.

Okay, well, Trackwalker, none of those suggestions work, because when he was 5, his parents tried retraining and forcing him onto the Cedar Creek Mine Ride. When he was 7, he rode the Blue Streak and fell sideways on the first drop, thinking he was going to fall out. His past few experiences were very traumatic. He did ride the Iron Dragon and said he disliked the free fall feeling, so I really don't know what to tell him.

Sorry for the double post, but as for his age, he's in his late teens.

I don't think anyone is actually scared of dying on a coaster: I got more scared when I went go-karting for the first time. As a kid, I thought, in simple terms, "I hate the drop feeling: Therefore, I am afraid of this ride." It's not very rational logic, but brains are just weird that way. That, or my brain is just weird that way.

[Oscar]

Get him drunk and tell him its time to go home. Then board him up on Millenium Force [:D]

Originally posted by Oscar

Get him drunk and tell him its time to go home. Then board him up on Millenium Force [:D]

+1 to that Oscar.

Just force him into line for a large coaster (I'd say Raptor would do well, not to much airtime) and just get him into the seat until the restraints lock and you're done.

I think his fear is that of falling hundreds of feet.

Nope you have to just force them. There is no such thing as people who hate roller coasters, they are just scared of them. Wow that's embarrassing though, people like that should not go to amusement parks.

my first roller coaster ride was when i was about 10, it was steel force, which was the biggest baddest coaster I had ever seen at that point, for my entire life up unto the top of the lift I was absolutely terrified by roller coaster, after that lift, well its obvious what happened, since I'm on sites like this. maybe somehow goad him into going on one of the bigger rides such as MF or TTD or even Magnum

I have found telling them to scare you was the idea, that is what the park, the designers, and the manufacturer intention. Then I work on ride it once, if you don't like it I won't ask again, it is usually them that wants to ride again.

The thing that most people are scared of is the lack of control... that once they sit down in that car, there is nothing they can do. They are going to go really high, they are going to go really fast, they are going to go upside-down, something might go wrong, it might hurt, and there is absolutely nothing they can do to stop any of it. It's just that fear of the unknown that gets to people, and eats away at them until they panic.

I hear a lot of guests in line whimpering with things along the lines of "what if we get stuck?" And they're freaking out imagining themselves trapped upside-down or trapped hundreds of feet in the air, not sure how they would get down. It's very often stupid things like that.

And you know, while I do chuckle and laugh at them, I often envy them too, because their experience with riding each roller coaster is much more memorable and enjoyable than mine. I pretty much have reached a point where I can hardly even enjoy roller coasters anymore because I know too damn much about them. I sometimes wish I was just a member of the GP who knew nothing about how safe they were, and couldn't tell exactly what g-forces were coming just by looking at the track ahead. I wish I could be one of those people who could be scared out of my wits and scream my head off again, like I did when I was a little kid. There just isn't that same adrenaline rush anymore. In fact, they barely even excite me now. I'd have to move on to things like white-water rafting, skydiving, or driving really fast around curvy roads to get that same kind of unpredictable out-of-control excitement nowadays.

Well then rides like i305 come along and you think you know what expect, but in my case i certainly lost that feeling of controll as i was being pulled over the crest already going 20mph.

Thats exactly how I felt about skyrush. even though I've followed the construction since before the official announcment. But since the opening there have been the mixed reports. When I was finaly strapped in, and I heard the words dispatch, I automatically lost the sense of control, and I honestly think that is why it is now one of my favorites.

Magnum was my first "big ride" when I was a kid. My dad told me I either have to ride it with him or we were going home that very moment. (He told me after words he was kidding, but I believed him at the time.) I had ridden Iron Dragon and such many times though. Due to the fact that I didn't want to leave I went on it, and as terrified going up the lift as I was, that is what ultimately led to my interest and love for these things. Later that day I rode everything in the park, (up to WT) the other two weren't installed yet. I do think you just have to force them on a big ride the first time. Then that will determine if they like it or not.

Coasterkidmwm's statement is completely accurate btw, this is NOT sarcasm.

But people who are afraid of stuff will be afraid of stuff. I have a friend who will go on ANY roller coaster that does NOT go upsidedown. She will go on TTD but she will not go on Corkscrew...

I am deathly, insufferably, afraid of heights. Ladders and planes, ugh. I go on roller coasters in spite of that fear. I would trust a coaster with my life, even the rough 1900's roller coasters. Sometimes human nature is very confusing, and the whole "nature vs. nurture" effect comes into question. Sometimes people are intrinsically loving of these scream machines, like us on this website, and sometimes others learn to fear devices and machines such as roller coasters.


People can be afraid of roller coasters and I'm fine with it. Shorter lines for us.

and just get him into the seat until the restraints lock and you're done.

Suspiciously ***ual...

Originally posted by cjd

I pretty much have reached a point where I can hardly even enjoy roller coasters anymore because I know too damn much about them.

my life

Originally posted by GerstlCrazy


I am deathly, insufferably, afraid of heights. Ladders and planes, ugh. I go on roller coasters in spite of that fear. I would trust a coaster with my life

my life

Related to the topic, my suggestion would be let him decide. My mom told me which rides I should go on, but ultimately she let me decide when I got in front of it. And look where that's gotten me today. Those rides were at Cedar Point, too; it's where I grew up and learned to love coasters.