Why cherish the hundreds so much?

With Cedar Point being in such a rush to get this new coaster up and over the 400 foot mark, it has made me think about something. Please keep in mind I don't really know metric conversions that well, but here in the U.S., we seem to cherish the 200, 300, 400 foot heights. They mean something to us, like "WOW! That coaster is over 300 feet!" Well I checked it out and 300 ft is 92 meters. There's nothing special at all about that number. "Wow! That coaster is over 92 meters!!" It just doesn't have that same impact and wow factor. So what I'm wondering is if other countries who are not familiar with our ancient measuring system really care that Cedar Point was/will be the first to top all the 100s? Does anyone really care besides the enthusiasts?

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Brent Haley
Gemini Crew '02

If it's the tallest coaster in the world, I beleive that other countries will be interested. Although, I don't think they really care for our metric system, they will know how tall it is in theirs and be impressed. If you grew up on the metric system then I'm sure you would be like "WOW" that coaster is over 92 meters! Just my opinion.

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"Twisted Sister" is the name of the new rollercoaster at Cedar Point for 2003. Just watch!

Do you think most countries around the world even know or care what Cedar Point is? Now, there are some theme park operators who will stand up and take notice and some coaster enthusiasts will too but that is about it.

The owner of Blackpool heard about Maggie and came over and rode it before he gave the go ahead for the PepsiMax Big One. I guess he didn't care that is was FEET as opposed to METERS.

People like big round numbers. Same reason that turning 30, 40 or 50 years old is considered special. It's just an easy way to categorize a measurement.

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Bob M.

I'm from Canada, and we use the metric system.

Although I could really care less about milestones in metres. To be honest if you told me the new ride would top 100 metres, I would have no idea how tall that was.

But if you told me it was going to top 400 feet, I'd be blown away.

Do people care about the numbers?

Did you see the lines for Millennium Force the year it debuted?

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gravity: down to earth, without the sugar coating.

www.geocities.com/gravityjmb

Well Gravity, that wasn't my question at all, and yes I am aware of how Millennium Force's line was the first year. I am just wondering if building coasters that were the first to top each of the hundreds mark have the same impact on those who use meters instead of feet.

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Brent Haley
Gemini Crew '02

Just because it's not a round number to them doesn't mean it isn't impressive. Kids growing up in the metric system aren't bummed because in America, tall people get to be "6-5" and they only get to be "1.93 meters". Its all relative. I'm sure they're totally blown away by coasters that are even close to 100 meters tall, cause no matter where you are, tall things are well, tall! It doesn't matter if they're 400 feet, 92 meters, 6.45 Bobunits, or 1x10^6 Our-Systems-Better-Units, its still high!

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1. Kumba 2. Millie 3. Mantis 4. Lightning Racer 5. Wicked Twister (front seat)
"The key to a happy life is moderation" -- Jon Stewart

Hundreds of people around the world do know about Cedar Point, and are very aware of it's coasters.

Afterall, it is "the World's Greatest Amusement Park", is it not?

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BTS Cedar Point
http://www.btscedarpoint.tk

For the record, 300ft is actually 99.99999etc meters.... making Millennium Force the first coaster to top 100m... there's a nice round number ;)

Although I do completely agree with Brent02 that the imperial system is ancient and archaic, and eventhough the majority of the world uses the metric system, the vast majority of the world's roller coasters are in the US, and therefore imperial. It's pretty safe to say that the average American doesn't know, or even care how tall the rest of the world says the ride is ;)

As long as the USA continues to purchase the best coasters on Earth, I say they can measure them any way they want, I'll be first in line either way!

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Semi-current Cedar Point Webcam images...
http://jaysw0rld.tripod.com/hosting/cedarpoint/cpwebcam.html

Brent02 raises a really interesting question. Does anyone know (I don't), when the PepsiMax was built, was it billed in England as being so many meters high, or so many feet high? Are the Japanese coasters like Steel Dragon looking to meet rounded metric milestones just like we're looking to meet rounded imperial milestones? Has anyone out there ridden these coasters in UK or Japan (the two countries outside of the US that seem to have the most interest in coasters) that knows the anwer to this?

GOOD QUESTION, BRENT02!

Jay you may be right but I'm almost positive 300 feet is 92 meters, as that is what it says on the Intamin website. And coastr1, thank you for helping me get my point across.

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Brent Haley
Gemini Crew '02

310 Feet = 94.488 Meters

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- John
*I resign from the game of life if I have to play with stupidity.
*We're getting screwed in the rear two coasters in a row.
*** This post was edited by Michael Darling 11/20/2002 10:11:26 AM ***

300 feet is 100 Yards, not 100 meters.

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I fool so feelish...

However, 1 meter = about 39 inches, keeping in mind that 1 yard = 36 inches. You can approximate that 300 feet is 100 meters.

Now if you want to get truly metric, I think that MF is 3 deka-meters tall (forgive me if I got the prefix wrong!)

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Tommy Penner - Variable X @ starrynightmare.net/~vxtc
Cedar Point FanBoy since 2001

300 ft * (12 in /1 ft) = 3600 inches

3600 in * (2.54 cm / 1 in) = 9144 cm = 91.44 m

Using the same mathematical path, 310 ft = 94.488 m.

Aaron

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17 straight years of real thrills and counting...