When I was a kid, I LOVED amusement parks and roller coasters.
Then I grew up and life happened.
There is nothing worse than being thrown up on in the Gravitron.
It just makes the whole experience a little less fun.
You know what I mean?
Redditor gakuowwanted to hear about the times people were left... unamused. They asked:
"What is your worst experience at an amusement park?"
I also have claustrophobic issues. And I once got trapped for too long at the end of one of those cyclone things. Never Again.
Son of a Wasp?
scared news anchor GIF by MashableGiphy"A wasp got stuck in my shirt while riding Son of Beast at Kings Island. We sat on the brake run for several minutes while it stung away with abandon."
DenL4242
Towering
"I got stuck at the top of one of those 'rise up high, then drop you down' tower rides because there was a technical malfunction. We were up there for five minutes, and they apparently didn't have a speaker installed in the ride at the time, so nobody had any idea what was going on."
PM_ME_YOUR_WORRIES
Small Pause
"Last year Tokyo Disney reopened the 'It’s A Small World' ride and I went on it the day of reopen. It got stuck. For half an hour I sat there with the song blaring away in not-english, which was occasionally interrupted by the vaguely threatening announcement:"
“LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, THE HAPPIEST CRUISE THAT EVER SAILED... HAS STOPPED.”
Cavalish
Over Texas
"I was at Six Flag Over Texas in 1999, on the Roaring Rapids Ride. It's a ride where you sit in a round boat thing and splash down a concrete lazy river. Our tube looked a little low, but nothing crazy. Towards the end if the ride, it started to sink. It eventually flipped over. My dad had to swim against pumping water to save my brother and I had to hold onto a side faux rock for dear life."
"It took the employees forever to turn off the pumps. 1 lady was unable to get her seatbelts off and died. It was horrific. I remember holding on to the side singing the Titanic song to myself watching my dad disappear and reappear in the water getting to my brother. However, we ended up getting a settlement (like $100k) out of it so that was nice. The family of the woman who died got millions. Will never ride that again."
Fastthrowaway0303
Whiplash
theme park disneyland GIFGiphy"Something happened on the teacups and they just stopped rapidly. Pretty good whiplash and a bruise on my hip. Not a fun one."
louispyb
I can't with these stories. I'm never going to Mickey's House again!
Too High
fear factor falling GIF by Endemol BeyondGiphy"Me, a lad afraid of heights got stuck at the top of the titan for 2 F**KING HOURS at 6 flags Arlington."
User Deleted
Love Gone Wrong
"The girl I was dating in high school and I got stuck in the amusement park's 'Tunnel of Love.' Apparently, the pump that kept the water moving to propel the 'love boat' quit - and there we were, about 1/3 of the way into a long, deep tunnel, barely moving. It was a little scary, but cozy, being the only ones in the dark space at the time."
Back2Bach
First Times
"I was on a wooden rollercoaster with my sister, and it was both of our first roller coasters. She was (and still is) a scrawny little thing, and she's pretty short, so she couldn’t hold onto the railing in front with ease. She decided to hold onto the harness thing that comes down, even after I told her not to multiple times."
"About halfway through the coaster, we reach a small flat area, and she’s pulling on that harness hard, and the f**ker popped up, like completely opened so she was sitting there with nothing holding her in. I had to hold onto her for the rest of the ride, but I wasn’t a strong kid, idk how she didn’t fly out. We both love roller coasters still though so ¯_(ツ)_/¯."
swaghunter24
"Pretend"
"Mark me down as stupid. I stood in the line for the submarine ride at Disneyland for at least an hour. When we got towards the front I realized that those damned things actually go under water. I'm extremely claustrophobic so I had to bow out. I guess I thought maybe you stayed above water and were in 'pretend' water."
RonSwansonsOldMan
Blood
Roller Coaster Drinking GIFGiphy"My dad and I went on a roller coaster a few weeks after he'd had stomach surgery."
"The attendant pushed down the safety bar a little too hard on my dad and when the ride was over, his shirt was soaked with blood. The push had ripped some of his stitches. He was fine. I was actually freaking out more, but bright side, the park gave him a free shirt."
totallyworkinghere
Those Days
"When I used to work at one. Every other customer had a death with. They didn’t want to follow safety rules which was really stressful. Also, if someone got hurt on a ride, they could sue the operator as well as the company. At minimum wage, it really wasn’t worth it."
"Guest: Why is the safety harnesses so tight?!!"
"Me: Because I’m whipping you into the air 120 miles per hour on a ride made by a company notorious for killing people! Why do you think?"
Just the two of us...
"Some place in Wisconsin, probably the dells. Couple years ago. One of those giant family slides, where you're inside a tube on a floaty with 4 people. The weight balance was off, as a teeny me was facing my grandpa. Just the two of us. He went down and I went up. Or should I say off."
"Didn't hurt, but terrifying when the next group on a floaty jam packed comes flying at you so you have to sprint through flowing water towards your 200 pond grandfather who is desperately trying to slow down. That was a fun experience. 10/10 recommend will do again."
FreezerburntLab
didn't even touch me...
"Oh, probably the time I almost got thrown out of a coaster. I had been wanting to go on it forever and had finally met the minimum height requirement- was still tiny though. Got in and the person who had been sitting before me was huge, so the belt was basically no existent, the lap bar didn't even touch me, and no one checked me before starting the ride."
"The adult next to me held on to me with both arms after I flew halfway out on the first turn. I also had my toes boiled once, but that was just painful, not nearly deadly."
Saltwaterblood
In the Rain
disney sneezing GIFGiphy"I was riding the Dumbo ride at Disney World that was still operating in the rain. So much water had accumulated that it was up to our knees in our seats."
SheZowRaisedByWolves
I Pity You
"Splash mountain, Or at least that really big one- may have the name wrong, was Disneyland some two decades ago or there about. Turns out that while I'm not good with heights I'm worse the higher it gets. It went from begging to be allowed to get off to trying to get my parents to preform a very late term abortion to spare me from it. I feel pity for the people riding with us, honestly."
That Day
My ex boyfriend was short tempered, stubborn, mean among other things. He thought it would be a good idea to take his autistic little brother (15 years old) to six flags. As expected it was a disaster my ex is not able to deal with his brother's behaviors. This was the first time I had met his brother. We ended up leaving early and ughhh it was awful. I felt so awkward and sad for his brother. I was scared of my ex so I kept my thoughts to myself. I hate thinking of that day."
"ileeny12
Wasped
"At Carowinds in NC when I was 9. Standing in line for rollercoaster (can't remember name) and wasp starts flying around my head. I swat at it, it stings me not once... not twice... three times in a row on my right hand. Extremely painful. By the time we got to the first aid kiosk my hand had swollen to the size of a grapefruit."
"Went to the doctor later that day and at this point my fingers were so swollen I could not pick anything up with my right hand or even wiggle my fingers. Actually got a doctor's note excusing me from completing homework until the swelling subsided. Still tried to do my homework left handed though but that SUCKED."
AudiTech226
The Witness
A Goofy Movie Reaction GIFGiphy"When I was 7, I was at Disney standing in line for the Goofy Airplane ride. The guy in front of us suddenly dropped into a full on seizure. To a 7 year old with no prior exposure to something like that, I was terrified."
torioreo824
Just GO!
"I was on a class trip to six flags and a whole bunch of us were on one of those circular rides where you stand against the outside edge and it spins around all over the place. Apparently it’s called a Round Up. THE RIDE GOT STUCK IN THE 'GO' POSITION. They were able to get the platform back level on the ground, but we just kept f**king spinning and spinning."
"It was probably only 5 minutes but it felt like FOREVER. We were just all staring at each other bewildered, people were turning pale/clearly disoriented. I puked and had to go sit on the coach bus for the rest of the day. I will never get on that ride again."
ladylabradorite
That's why you have to be careful with these rides!
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A mighty heart indeed
"Scars on my heart."
"I have about 30, I think."
"On my 4th heart procedure, I had 24 cardiac ablations."
"They use radio waves to kill tissue to create scarring so that effectively signals can't travel through that way."
"During one procedure, epicardial, meaning both inside and outside the heart. by the top electrophysiologist on the east coast."
"He said only one other patient of his had more done in one procedure."
"Took 10 hours."
"I could hear the nurses gossiping about me in the hallway."
"This was 7 years ago, and now my heart is working great!"- pearlie_girl·
Extremely comfortable in my skin
"Half of my body is a birthmark of tan skin, and the other half is pale white."
"It's right down the middle of my stomach and same with my back."
"I've only ever seen 1 person online with it saying 'chimerism' but idk if that's same with me."
"Idk but it's uncommon." - User Deleted
Still standing!
"Still living with stage IV lung cancer for 13 yrs."- Flashy-Cattle-8086
Big shoes to fill indeed...
"Shoe size."
"I wear a size 18."- wearegoodthings
Love your job!
"Don't know if it's less cool because I do it for work, but I 'photograph' atoms and crystalline atomic structures most days."
"I get to see the world in a way few ever do which is kinda neat."- RayseBraize
Animation Loop GIF by xponentialdesignGiphyAn exclusive club no one wants to be part of...
"I have this condition called Miyoshi Myopathy, which, thankfully, affects only my calves and hence my walking capabilities."
"My doctor told me it is rare, but tbh statistically rare does not really mean anything, everyone might have it but they either did not get out of their way to test it, via taking blood and had it examined in a lab, or they just never realized there was something wrong at all."
"If you are wondering why I said 'Thankfully it only affected the legs', it is because it is a muscle disorder, and some disorders affect Cardiac, heart, and Pulmonary, lungs, muscles that will obviously not be pretty."
"I have to get tested every year to make sure all my vital functions are normal and as of now nothing significant is noted and I should be living a long and healthy life."- 1123Icantthinkofname
Just one?
"Apparently only 0.1% of people become mechanical engineers in the US and an even smaller percentage are women, so maybe that?"
"I was also less than 2 lbs when I was born, and I think the percentage is probably similar."
"I somehow have no lasting physical issues from that, though my sister has cerebral palsy."- s_p_o_c_k
Plenty to go around!
"I have 3 functional kidneys."
"No it doesn't mean I pee more."
"No it doesn't mean I can drink more alcohol, thats the liver."
"No I won't sell it for under $71,241." - User Deleted
While some wouldn't necessarily consider some of these things an accomplishment, all of them certainly make for fascinating conversation starters.
Seriously, where would the third kidney even go...?
Normal isn't always normal. That is just... normal.
You're Caught
Stealing Mike D GIF by Beastie BoysGiphy"Walking through the stolen product alarms at store exits always makes me nervous even though I've never stolen anything in my life."
SchrodingersN**sack
Hello
“Introduce yourself.”
jill_roberts
"In college we had to do so many ice breakers that they lost meaning. I told people my fun fact was that I speak Spanish and then I realized that wasn't that exciting in a college setting since basically everyone there was bilingual. Then I said I can make coffee in eleven different ways."
"But I was always awkward. Once, we had to tell a partner our favorite movie and I said 'Pan's Labyrinth!' And he said, 'Oh I've never seen it!' And I said, 'You should see it, it's good!' And he responded, 'Yeah, I mean it's your favorite movie so I know you think it's good...' And at that moment I was like how is everyone but me so outgoing and why is talking so hard."
waitthissucks
Escape Fail
"Bumping into people I knew in high school."
Previous-Thing-7075
"I moved across an ocean from where I grew up. I was at a pub in London a few years ago, and at the bar someone yells 'OH MY GOD [real name]! Hey! It's John! Hey!' Guy I went to high school with a decade ago in a completely different country at a bar in one of the busiest cities in western Europe. There's no escape."
User Deleted
Tags
"People saying my name while I'm working because I'm wearing a name tag, a lot of people do it to feel more of a connection or whatever, it makes me unbelievably uncomfortable hearing strangers call me by my name without me introducing myself."
Squemishsquash
Hush
Silence Be Quiet GIF by IONGiphy"Having to talk to someone when there's silence. Sometimes I just wanna be around you and chill, or I just don't feel like talking. Doesn't make me sad or anything."
SlideLow
I love silence. Embrace the quiet.
Look Away
Staring The Rock GIF by WWEGiphy"Eye contact that lasts more than a second or two."
-_-Jupiter
Forced
"Interacting with extended family. I rarely see them, so the conversation feels forced. Plus I can't just say anything that's on my mind like I would around good friends, or else I'd risk becoming the topic of family gossip for all the wrong reasons."
DeathSpiral321
"My dad is mad I’m not going to the family reunion. I have completely opposite political, social, and well basically everything opposite of them except our lineage."
Rabies13
“Places I’ve Pooped”
"Pooping anywhere but home."
Spiiccy
"There’s a stupid app called 'Places I’ve Pooped' that let’s you drop a pin on a map everywhere that you take a poop. It helped me be a bit more 'adventurous' about it (if that’s the appropriate word) because it felt like a game I needed to complete. 'All four toilets at the office? Check.'"
Thin-Man
Shut up...
"Dominating the conversation and not letting me have a turn to talk where interrupting is the only way in."
SupremoZanne
"I have this problem in groups, where I have something relevant to add to the conversation and even try to start my sentence where there’s a small gap, but I always get talked over. Then by the time there is a chance for me to speak, they’re onto another subject. I hate it."
chocolate_nutty_cone
Louder
titus andromedon singing GIF by Unbreakable Kimmy SchmidtGiphy"People singing in front of me. Like sincerely, unironically singing. I have no idea how to react to it. If a partner ever tried to serenade me I would moonwalk off a bridge."
SliferTheExecProducr
So many of these things drive me crazy. Uncomfortable is an understatement.
Working in restaurants was a daily minefield. People slip, fall and fight all of the time. It's hazardous.
4 Inches
Season 5 Fainting GIF by Living SingleGiphy"I watched a woman get scalped by an assembly line. She was underneath it cleaning when someone started up the line, her hair got caught up in a roller and pulled off a 4” chunk of her scalp. So much blood."
GibberBabble
Ducked Up
"I wasn't there that day when it happened, but heard some of the details. I may be off but here goes. 2 maintenance guys were up in a scissor lift working on an overhead indoor crane. Someone on the floor grabbed the remote for the other crane and started to move it. One maintenance guy yelled 'duck' and ducked, the other turned to see what was happening and apparently was crushed between the 2 cranes and then fell out of the lift."
"I don't know how true this is, but apparently his insides were out and still alive for a short time. I got a call from my idiot team lead telling me work was shut down for at least the day, probably longer. He didn't mention the guy dying, just mentioned it was awesome to have a long weekend."
mat-tar
Severed
"I was the boss and some guy wasn’t paying attention and had his arm on the bar behind him on the forklift he was backing up. He backed up right into a container and all but severed his arm. Just a small flap of skin was holding it on. He ran in the building spurting blood all over and I ran over and stopped him, sat him down and got one of the guys to get me some stuff for an improvised tourniquet."
"I held his severed arm under mine and I squeezed the upper arm to slow the flow until I could get the tourniquet on and tight. All the while I was getting covered in his blood from head to toe. I finally got it stopped and sat there trying to keep him calm while the paramedics were on the way. After they took over, I asked the firemen that accompanied them if they could blast me off with the firehose."
"They blasted all the blood off but my clothes were ruined. I sat outside until I dried and then went home and showered well and threw the stained clothes away. I got dressed and went back to work to help the crew clean up the blood and toss the chair he was in in the trash."
"I could taste his blood the rest of the day. It even got up my nose! I didn’t notice until I went home again but my mustache and goatee were stained from the blood too. I had to shave clean. They were able to reattach his arm but it never worked right again. He went on permanent disability afterwards."
mrsmith2929
#NeverForget
"I worked in a manufacturing facility as a buyer. I was in my office one day when I saw two of the product line supervisors sprint by and head toward the production floor. Seems a mechanic had tried to get a machine unjammed and had failed to turn the machine off. He reached in and the machine indexed and caught his arm, then it indexed again and partially ripped it off."
"I was on the safety committee and trained in first aid so I was called on to assist the plant nurse and safety director. I thought I was going to pass out - the guy was lying on his back and what was left of his arm was shards of bone and tissue. I'll never forget it."
GreatMaria
Strap In
dennis quaid falling GIF by RETRO-FIENDGiphy"Superintendent of a construction project refused to tie himself in whenever he was on top of the building. On the very last day of the project, as the crew is cleaning up, he slips and falls 100 feet. The only fatality at our company and it sucks because it was really preventable too."
Old_Snow3086
Going to work does not seem safe. We should all be independently wealthy.
Crap
dog poo GIFGiphy"Not me but my office had a bring your dog to work day and I saw an intern slip right in dog poop. Half the office had to leave for the day the smell was so bad. Guess what day didn’t happen the next year. LOL."
Jasper_Beardly_
Death
"This was years ago, I worked at a small college. One day a woman in Financial Aid's estranged boyfriend came in and stabbed her to death in front of her co-workers and several students. Campus police were able to arrest him, but didn't get there in time to help her. We also had a healthy 40 year old professor drop dead of a heart attack while in a meeting with a student. Not as bad as the first one, but it shook the student up pretty badly."
Coconut-bird
click it click it....
"Was working a graveyard shift at a Comcast (May have been AT&T at the time) call center. There were TVs everywhere with movies on, as there weren’t many calls at midnight. Suddenly all of the TVs shift to a channel change, down to one of the paid porn channels. My coworkers and I spot this, and start chanting ‘click it click it.'"
"The click goes through, then the ‘do you accept the charges’ comes up. We chant again and wonder of wonders it goes through. Suddenly there’s a full spread on every television in the call center. We spot two managers running full tilt across the cubicles, and shortly after it got shut off. Apparently the security guard thought the TV at his station was just for him."
FoomFries
"reasons"
"We had someone electrocute themselves during their shift. Poor guy was only 18, went to plug in a floor buffer to an extension cord on the wall. The cord was faulty but due to 'reasons' was never replaced. When he plugged the buffer in the shock dropped him and away he passed, due to insurance and potential lawsuits from the family over the faulty equipment the security footage of that night is sealed and the company went crazy afterwords removing every single extension cord they used."
SleepingGunner3282
Inked
gross dumb and dumber GIFGiphy"One of the printers briefly stopped thinking for like 30 seconds, went to clean a roller while the machine was operating at a high speed, and half of his finger got tore off. After he went to hospital, my brother went over to run the machine through to get the blood out and the other half of the finger came out and fell in ink tray."
Soul_of_Miyazaki
This is why I work from home. Although that isn't the safest either.