Yesterday, I read my worst nightmare about fairgrounds. The BBC reported that seven people were taken to hospital in Skegness after a mechanical failure of a fairground ride. The 360 degree turning ride, stopped halfway leaving twenty two people trapped.
Fairground rides have always been a no no for me. I am happy to spectate the grimacing ordeal people put themselves through to get that adrenaline rush / buzz that you get from a roller coaster, helter skelter or whatever else they may be called. I do not like them and moreover, I do not trust them. Especially at local parks where they are somehow assembled by the operator who often looks no older than 18 years of age. I even find myself praying for people’s safety when they are on these rides.
I am aware that my anxieties are irrational and that fairground rides are safer today than they have ever been, but the thought of being stuck upside down in the air, just does not appeal to me. I recall going on the Mary Rose once when I was seven and thought I was going to die. I realised then that my fairground days were limited.
Today, I will happy venture on a teacup and at a push the Waltz, but that’s my limit.
Bunty
