For Better or For Worse by Lynn Johnston for July 18, 2018

Phil’s still thrilled

It looks like Phil got his 3 dollars worth or he is having a nervous breakdown. I am not sure which.

We went to Disney World once when I was a kid. My mom, who has motion sickness, went on a backwards rollercoaster. She was woozy for the next two days – I’ve never seen anything like it.

He’s aging fast

@ least, he didn’t Hurl!

You’re not a young man anymore, Phil!

I usually close my eyes, but I was at Disney World on the Tower of Terror and was determined, after waiting 45 minutes, to keep my eyes open and I did. It was great.

Last time I was on a roller coaster was at the Pike in Long Beach, CA when I was a teenager. I had never been on a big coaster like the ancient creaky Cyclone Racer before and made the mistake of sitting in the front seat. That was also the only time I have ever been on a big coaster like that. Besides, the Cyclone Racer was torn down not too long after that and that is where the Queen Mary sits now.

HEY! They don’t have roller coasters at neighbourhood fairs! (We’re talking Canada, folks.) They are located in large established fairgrounds like the PNE (Vancouver).

Went to Kennywood Park in Pittsburgh with my college room mate and his girlfriend. Got to the “big” roller coaster and Dan had to get into the front. Two tweens were in the front seat so he and Nancy got in the number two slot. As the car went over the top of the first hill Dan white knuckles it and blurts out Jesus C*****! The tweens turn around and one goes “your aren’t scared are you mister”.

I have a fear of heights and that was me after my first ride on the Farris Wheel.

\\//_

You KNOW you’re old when roller coasters aren’t fun anymore and you worry about the bumper car ride because you might get whiplash!

Phil may have had a stroke.

That’s quite a roller coaster for a “midway at the park”.

Poor unca’ Phil!

I love roller coasters. The first year my now wife and were dating (1985) we went to every local amusement park within driving distance several times. Now, at age 61, I can’t really ride them due to serious spine problems but I watch POV videos and play RTC 3 on my laptop. ☺

Flashback!

Years (Decades) ago I went to a small amusement park with my girlfriend. It wasn’t crowded so we could sit anywhere we wanted on the roller coaster. She had always sat in the back, so we did. Interesting, you do go over the top faster making it feel like you’re about to be thrown out. I had always sat in the front, which she thought would be boring, but that’s where we sat for the next ride.

It nearly scared her to death. Her comment? “Never again.”

I prefer the front. Seeing where we are going helps, as well as avoiding the “snap the whip” action going over the top. Speed and turns are fun, but the drops bother me.

They’re braver than I. Never would ride a roller coaster. Of course when I went up in a glider I got so motion sick that I was in bed for the rest of the day, so it’s probably for the best.

The state fair where I live added a ride called the slingshot. Cost $50 to ride if there were two people going. Shot right up into the air, then dropped, then went up again, etc. I wouldn’t have gotten on that thing if they’d paid ME.

Surprised no one has posted Lynn’s caption:

When I was a teenager, The Pacific National Exhibition grounds were a short bike ride away. My friends and I would ride over the Second Narrows Bridge and around the bend to where we could see the big arc of the rollercoaster. We’d go to the park even when the fair wasn’t on, and without too much in the way of security, we could roam around quite freely. One time, there was an opening in the fence around the roller coaster, so we went under the huge track and looked up at what was, for its day, one of the scariest rides in Canada. We looked at the way the ride had been engineered and how the struts had been anchored to the ground. This was exciting. The best part of our adventure was finding stuff that people had lost while they were on the ride. I found a hat, glasses, some loose change and a toy or two…but the funniest find of all was a set of dentures. We could only imagine the anger and frustration of the person who got off the ride…without their teeth!

https://fborfw.com/strip_fix/wednesday-july-18-2018/

I rode all the rides possible when I was a kid, but now just looking at one literally makes me sick to my stomach, I’m sorry to say. My grandpa had never ridden the roller coaster, and finally was persuaded by the family to try it out. When he got off, he said “I’m sure my fingerprints will stay on that bar forever!” He never tried it again!

Something I will never do is go whitewater rafting. One of my husband’s nephews was a guide for whitewater rafting, so the whole family decided they simply must try it. I politely declined. I was then scolded, with people trying to tell me that since my husband’s aunt, who was 80 years old, had tried it, I should do so! I informed them that the aunt was 80, had lived a long life, and would probably have no reason to regret it if something happened to her. I was 35 and planned to continue staying alive and in one piece. They grumbled, but basically left me alone after that. I’m almost 64 now, and I still plan to continue my policy!

Last time I was on a roller coaster was at the worlds fair in Vancouver. It was called the great american scream machine.