Risky Rides

Actual Conversation - June 2006 - After entering gates at Lagoon:

Nixon and Easton: "Mom, are these rides like at Disneyland so we can ride them, or are they UNSAFE like carnival rides?"

Sara: "Look around, they're scary!"

Since we covered rat phobias in the last post, I thought I'd move onto phobia #2 - CARNIVAL RIDES. Come on, anything that gets set up and taken down in a few hours and moves around cannot be safe. My kids don't even ask to go on these things anymore, and despite my assurances (even if I didn't really think so) that Lagoon was perfectly safe, they spent most of the time in line examining all the things that could be wrong with the ride they were about to go on! (Come on Lagoon, if you don't want us to look at you like a carnival, then don't be dirty like a carnival!)

I never felt like my kids were deprived not getting to ride things. For goodness sakes, we went to Disneyland 2 times a week, they experienced plenty of ride joy! But now, 1 1 /2 years removed from regular Disney fixes, we will be attending the Summit County Fair. Should I let my kids ride things? Part of me says "Yes! Live a little! They are just kids!" Most of me says "No Way - Check out this website"

(Here are highlights from JUST THE LAST 5 WEEKS):
Two dead in carnival ride crash(Saturday, August 4, 2007)
Boy, 3, injured in 25-foot-fall from Ferris wheel(Saturday, August 4, 2007)
Girl, 15, injured in fall from Coney Island ride(Friday, August 3, 2007)
Girl, 6, injured in fall from Octopus ride(Friday, August 3, 2007)
Two children ejected from Sizzler(Wednesday, July 25, 2007)
Log flume malfunction injures 5(Sunday, July 22, 2007)
Park worker dead after fall from roller coaster(Tuesday, July 17, 2007)
Girl, 16, falls to her death from freefall-type ride(Saturday, July 14, 2007)
Boy, 4, drowns in wave pool at Great America(Thursday, July 12, 2007)
Ride operator killed in path of swinging pendulum ride(Sunday, July 8, 2007)
Ride operator killed in Scrambler accident at Rye Playland(Friday, June 29, 2007)

I have roughly 24 hours to decide before we embark on our fair adventure that will include looking at the HOME ARTS displays (I'm particularly looking forward to the categories of What-not shelves and homemade ONE piece ski clothing); checking out the kids artwork, and attending our first ever RODEO.

Maybe next post, I'll enlighten you all as to how I feel about water parks and GERMS.