Hitting mayflies @ 120mph

Remembering how bad the bugs were during last coastermania, I sure hope the front car has a windshield. Might have to wear a clear face mask. Maybe they should move coastermania to after mayfly season.

I suspect that this could be one of the reasons for such a short ride. If there is rail, or bugs, or birds (ouch--but it's happened) that get in the way of the train, there is only very short points on the ride where is will travel this speed. The launch, and the beginning of the brakes. And as soon as it hits the brakes, it will start slowing down, so it won't feel that fast.

If it was a long ride at 120mph, I would think that they would have to shut down the ride during rain, or otherwise enclose the train, or something.

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Launch: Tophat: Twistage: Brakes...

...Denial is an ugly thing.

Hmmm.... enclosed trains. Very interesting. Are there any coasters with enclosed trains (not an indoor coaster but an enclosed train)? That would be VERY intersesting...
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My top 5 roller coasters:
5.)Mantis 4.)Raptor 3.)S:Ros @ SFDL 2.)Wicked Twister 1.) Millennium Force

CP_Bound, I dont think the shortness of the ride will do much...even if you go at that speed for a second, there is a chance of getting hit by a bug or watever. Enclosed trains would be sooo bad...and make the ride really bad. Maybe they should have some kind of goggles that slide down in front of your face.

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- Dennis

That's my point, though. If there was a longer ride time where the trains traveled that fast for a prolonged time, there would be a greater chance of getting tagged by sometime during the course, versus only the two points on the ride where it will travel that fast.

Comparing MF and "Dragster", if you get through the first two drops on MF without getting hit, the ride would be over if you were riding "Dragster," but on MF, you still have a chance of getting hit on the island, and turnarounds. The short ride time minimizes the chance of getting hit by something at high speeds because there are only two portions on the ride that this could happen. Do you get what I'm saying?

All of this isn't to say that people won't get hit, because I'm sure it will be a normal occurence as with MF.

The proposed 750 ft. fish-hook coaster that was to be mounted on the side of the Stratosphere in Las Vegas was slated to have enclosed trains. These plans fell through because they couldn't get it past the city council or something like that.

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Launch: Tophat: Twistage: Brakes...

...Denial is an ugly thing.

Hmmmmmm free snacks with every ride.

yummy:)

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I'm not an old fogey, I'm just an old coaster rider..

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MillenniumForce said:
Hmmm.... enclosed trains. Very interesting. Are there any coasters with enclosed trains (not an indoor coaster but an enclosed train)? That would be VERY intersesting...
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My top 5 roller coasters:
5.)Mantis 4.)Raptor 3.)S:Ros @ SFDL 2.)Wicked Twister 1.) Millennium Force

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Although it has nothing to do with anything, Stratosphere's proposed Arrow fishhook was designed to have encloded cars.

This isn't much of a surprise at the ride was going to be 740 feet tall (at first)

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--Dingo 65--
http://rct.ogresnet.com

I would risk getting hit by something to have a longer ride. I barely notice when bugs hit me on MF in the front seat. As for birds, has anyone ever been hit by a bird other than Fabio.

Yeah, someone that posts here got tagged by a bird in 2000, but I forget who. I think it hit their arm.

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Launch: Tophat: Twistage: Brakes...

...Denial is an ugly thing.

CP_bound said:
And as soon as it hits the brakes, it will start slowing down, so it won't feel that fast.

How true, how true...are you related to John Madden by any chance?

*** This post was edited by G-Money 11/16/2002 4:23:36 PM ***

I got hit by a bird in 2000. Not fun at all. I still have my hands up most of the time though.

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"Too weird to live, too rare to die."

When i ride the MF, even in the back seats....when the ride is over i have to wash my eyes out with some water, i usually get like a deposit of dust and stuff. i never been hit by a bug or anything big though. Especially in the eye.

but, It doesnt matter how long the ride is...if there is a chance of getting hit for one second or for 2 minutes, there is still a chance and somebody will get injured sometime.

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- Dennis

A coaster at Riverview (defunct park in chicago) had enclosed cars--I think it was a bit of a fad in the early 50's. I'm not sure, but the coaster may have been called the 'Silver Streak' or something like that. The cars were shiny silver things--they looked kinda like a string of VW minibus (minibi? what is the plural or minibus?).

As far as protecting your face, I think that if there is a windshield, a la Dodonpa or a convertible, that could certainly keep the faces and bodies of the riders safe. As far as putting your hands up, I think that most parks make it clear that you are doing so at your own risk.

-albert

**edited year of silver streak
*** This post was edited by alviolin 11/16/2002 6:49:58 PM ***

My worst single ride experience at CP this year was on MF, when a girl in the 2nd last seat got smacked in the face at the bottom of the first drop by a cigarette lighter let loose from some rider in the front of the train. I was sitting in the last seat :) behind her - if she hadn't been hit, I would have. Trying to regain a "sitting up straight" pose after ducking proved to be a real problem, esp in the 3 g's + during the pullup - could almost feel my spine give way; very painful.

It did make me think long and hard about the merits of sitting in the back of the train, although it is a superb ride. I would guess the back seat on #16 will be awesome, since there will be great airtime over the tophat - but getting hit by some idiot's unsecured junk is going to be a real risk, particularly with the twists on the way down.

Next time round, I got back into the same seat, though !

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Steve

"Will all those who expressed disappointment at the new ride please leave the park now"
*** This post was edited by Panman 11/17/2002 6:49:52 PM ***

1 out the 5 times I've ridden MF a cap flew off and the bill almost hit me face. Not fun. I'd say those are pretty high chances however, 1 to 5...

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If the roller coaster scared you...

RIDE IT AGAIN!!!

Drew, I'd say that was a case of the crew not doing it's job. Articles such as hats are supposed to be secured, put in lockers, or left with a non-rider. Those chances would be a light higher if the crew was doing it's job.
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--Seth

I've rode MF in the train a couple times. For me it's tolerable to keep my eyes open everywhere but the bottom of the first hill and before the first tunnel. Other than that, the only really noticeable thing was when a bird came almost withing reaching distance to me about halfway don't the first drop.

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House of Tomorrow: Only technology makes live worth living

My favorite "losing things" moment was not actually at CP, but on the Vortex at King's Island. As we went through one of the loops, my ride companion's hat flew off, and landed in the lap of a guy at the back of the car. He kept ahold of it during the ride and gave it back after the ride. hehe!

And to keep from getting crap in my eyes, I always wear my sunglasses when I ride (regardless of if the ride operators tell me I ought not). I've never lost a pair of sunglasses on any ride I've been on.
*** This post was edited by tremor 11/18/2002 10:21:58 AM ***

I've never had a problem with bugs on any CP coasters, birds on the other hand, i've seen a few close calls.

Maggie back by Sandcastle in June can give you a mouthful of goodies.