9/26/12
Coaster Pressure
Hershey Park is an amusement park where people of all ages can let their inner child out and be encompassed in a chocolate wonderland. Waterslides, games, and, of course, rollercoasters are all located at Hershey Park. My most memorable rollercoaster rides have been when it was my first time on each one because then they have an element of uncertainty and trepidation to them. This statement was never truer than about a year ago when I went on my first loop rollercoaster. Last summer, in July, a bunch of my friends and I decided to go to Hershey Park. The day we went was a beautiful, sunny day. As I sat shotgun in my friend, Alexis’s, Volkswagen, I proceeded to tell her how I have never been on a rollercoaster that had loops on it. In astonishment she looked over at me and said, “Are you kidding me, Mike?!” She then proceeded to inform me that today was the day that I could mark loop rollercoasters off my bucket list. Peer pressure was to be in full affect that day at Hershey. Once we arrived at Hershey, this amusement park that I once thought was full of fun and excitement now seemed like a manufacturing plant for terror and screams. The difference being that I knew I was going to be forced onto one of these “death” coasters that I had tried to avoid all my life. I wanted to get it over with as quickly as possible, so after the waterpark, we went right to a loop rollercoaster, called “Storm Runner.” I felt pretty confident when I first got in line for the ride. However, with each passing moment, my confidence grew smaller and smaller until it culminated in me chickening out and not riding it. Although my stomach felt better after jumping out of line, my ears were ringing with Alexis calling me all sorts of names, including but not limited to baby, chicken, and wimp.
I had to redeem myself after this so I found the one rollercoaster in Hershey Park that had only one loop in its entire track. Because there was no line, I wasn’t able to psych myself out again. As I saw the train of coaster cars pull into the station, my heart sank. Alexis said, “I’m riding with you and, if you chicken out, I’m going to kick your ass.” This was all the determination I needed to hop into that car because I was not going to leave the park without riding a loop coaster and getting beat up by a girl. Sitting down in the rollercoaster, I made sure my seatbelt was on correctly and as tight as possible. I also made sure the lap bar was down and locked until it was completely pressed down against my thighs because I was not going to be the kid who fell out of a rollercoaster. Hearing the brakes of the coaster turn off and feeling the cars start to