August 7, 2001
Adrenaline Junkie
I used to be an adrenaline junkie. I used to ride on any amusement concoction dreamed up by any strung-out traveling fair operator the world over. I would dangle from fraying cables and rocket around in rusty cars with missing bolts. These days, I stick with rides that stay upright and under 10 MPH. Even twirling teacups give me the heebie-jeebies. I don't know what brought about this gradual change of heart. Maybe it was the time I almost fell off of a poorly-designed park waterslide and 10 minutes later a child behind me did fall off. Maybe it was the time I was a teen and I went on a swinging pirate ship ride and my little
brother kept popping up off the seat next to me. I was sure he was going to fall out and get smushed on that huge spinning tire under the ride.
Well, it's stories like this that reinforce my decision to stay grounded. Two roller coasters collided at Six Flags New England; one was sitting at the boarding station when the other came crashing into it. This is one of several accidents or malfunctions at New England amusement parks this summer - and I learned from the article that "Massachusetts is one of 14 states without a state-administered
inspection program for parks." We go on these rides for the danger and excitement, but should we really keep going on them when there's real danger involved?