A pilgrimage into the past
All of these things of the past I’ve mentioned, save for the Key Bridge, have one thing in common. They are still in existence, and one of them I was able to revisit a few years ago; a reunion of sorts. About fifteen years ago my mom and I decided to take a trip down south, which would culminate in a visit to her friend who lived just north of Miami. That was one objective of the trip, but the other was for us to visit some of the amusement parks in the state. And, on the way we made a stop in Savannah for a couple of days. This was when we first came across that monster river spanning bridge that guards the city’s northern entrance. One of the parks we planned on stopping at was Disneyworld. And I had a specific reason for doing so. My purpose there was to return to the site of that infamous first coaster ride I took in January of 1976. And not only was the site still there, so was Space Mountain. There I was, back at the same spot, facing the coaster I had been deathly afraid of for so long. A coaster I had tried to forget about as the years went by, at least until that day when I was faced with that looping coaster. But I just had to go back there, as an adult, now enthralled with coasters, and ride it again for old time’s sake. And that is what I did. It was an interesting experience, as that ride had cast such a dark shadow over this small facet of my life for so long. And in essence, it was not unlike riding a simple wild mouse or small boardwalk coaster in the dark. It was very tame by my current standards and experiences. But I was just glad that I had gotten the chance to go back and revisit that part of my past, a chance to have a do-over, as it was.
Then there is the coaster at Six Flags America. It also is still there, albeit in a modified and repackaged form. It’s been many years since I’ve been to that park, despite the fact that is the closest large park in my area. My reasons for that have everything to do with the fact that the park has not received a new roller coaster in a very long time. That, and those that it has aren’t that great as compared to Hershey and Kings Dominion. The looping coaster used to be known as the Mind Eraser, though it has recently been renamed and re-themed. Not that it ever had much theme to begin with. I’ve not ridden it in years, and that is due to its extreme roughness. It wasn’t too bad when it was new, which was when I first rode it, but now it tries to shake and rattle riders half to death. The closest I’ve come to riding it again was this summer when I rode its identical twin, the Great Noreaster, at Morey’s Piers when I went to Wildwood, New Jersey. It’s basically the same ride, but in much better shape and in a different location with a nice ocean view. Riding that one did bring back some memories to be sure.
You have this obsession with coaster and large bridges. It’s quite fascinating, as you return angain and again to these subjects.
The bridge terrors I really don’t understand, but fear of coasters is more relatable, at least for those who never go on them. Honestly, I’ve never had any desire to except that one time I rode the Zephr at Pontchartrain Beach in the early 70s. And another thing, in an entire lifetime I have been to only one large amusement park, Carowinds near Charlotte, NC. And that was 42 years ago. Never been to The Disney Parks either. If I did it would only be for the purpose of doing personal documentary photography and seeing for myself what those iconic parks really feel like and why they dominate pop culture. I am sure entire dissertations have been, or could be written, on this topic.
People like to face their fears and test the limits of what they can tolerate. Super crazy-scary roller coasters and even more horrendous rides at parks and fairs satisfy many psychological needs.
ChatGPT said it better than I ever could!
*People are drawn to terrifying rides and roller coasters for a mix of psychological, physiological, and social reasons. Here are some key motivations:*
*1. Adrenaline Rush*
*Roller coasters and thrill rides trigger the body’s “fight or flight” response, releasing adrenaline and other stress hormones. This surge of adrenaline can create feelings of exhilaration and heighten awareness, producing a temporary “high” that feels exciting and satisfying.*
2. Endorphin Release and “Natural High”
*Along with adrenaline, intense rides also lead to a release of endorphins, the body’s natural “feel-good” chemicals, and dopamine, a neurotransmitter linked to pleasure and reward. The combined effect of these chemicals can result in a euphoric sensation, a natural “high” that leaves many riders feeling invigorated.*
3. Sense of Accomplishment
*Facing fear on a roller coaster can be empowering. By completing a scary ride, people often feel a sense of personal accomplishment and pride. For some, the act of braving such an intense experience is a form of challenge, boosting confidence and even providing a sense of resilience.*
4. Safe Exposure to Fear
*Thrill rides allow people to experience intense fear in a controlled environment. They offer the excitement of danger without any real risk, satisfying the thrill-seeking side of our nature. Psychologists refer to this as “benign masochism”—enjoying experiences that are unpleasant in some way because they are ultimately safe.*
(I would take issue with No. 4)
5. Social Bonding and Shared Experience
*Going on scary rides with friends or family can create strong social bonds. Shared thrills lead to feelings of connection, especially when people laugh or scream together. The memories and stories that come from a roller coaster experience can strengthen relationships and make the experience even more enjoyable.*
6. Psychological Escape and Mindfulness
*Thrill rides can provide a break from everyday concerns by immersing people fully in the moment. The intensity of a roller coaster ride can push aside anxieties, helping people experience a form of “mindfulness” where they’re entirely focused on the present.*
7. Personality Traits: Sensation-Seeking
*Some people are naturally more inclined toward high-intensity experiences, known as sensation-seekers. For these individuals, roller coasters and other thrilling rides fulfill a need for novelty, variety, and excitement that aligns with their personalities.* (Or the opposite)
*In short, terrifying rides provide a unique blend of excitement, challenge, and connection, offering people an intense yet controlled way to experience fear and fun. It’s a fascinating mix of biology, psychology, and social dynamics, making these experiences unforgettable for many.*
@oswego I think the difference between coasters and bridges in my mind is the former have no pretense whatsoever. Roller coasters are built but for one purpose, which is to thrill (and scare) those who are willing to ride them. Bridges, on the other hand, often end up filling other roles and purposes than to just facilitate the efficient crossing of a body of water, a gorge, a valley or other impediments. Some become symbolic of the areas in which they were built, like the Brooklyn Bridge in NYC. Others become associated with certain events, like the New River Gorge Bridge where thrill seekers parachute off of it during an annual festival. The Mackinac Bridge in Michigan has an annual walk that draws scores of people. Then there are those people who are deathly afraid of bridges, and will go many or even hundreds of miles out of the way to avoid them. I had a cousin who did just that. To visit Maryland’s eastern shore, she embarked on a five or six hour long trip up and around the bay and river so as to avoid the Delaware Memorial Bridge and the Bay Bridge. One can normally make the trip to Ocean City, Maryland, from the Baltimore area, in about two and a half hours or less. It is all these other aspects of bridges that have really stoked my curiosity, especially after the fall of Baltimore’s Key Bridge. I am fascinated by all of the very different ways that people react to them and regard them. Even the Key Bridge, which I wasn’t so fond of, has become sorely missed by the people of south Baltimore, and not just because its loss has snarled traffic. People even made effigies in memory of that bridge which were displayed on floats used in a 4th of July parade in a neighborhood that was closest to its site. Some people even admitted to shedding a tear when they heard the news of its collapse. The psychology behind all of that is something I find very interesting. A bridge can be just a simple crossing, a way from one side to the other, or, for many, it becomes so much more.
@schrecken13 I now have a better understanding of your interest in bridges.
Perhaps the most famous poem about bridges is this one by Hart Crane. Maybe you’ve heard of it. I find it too difficult and complex, but I always felt that way about Crane’s poetry. Maybe you can shed some light on this poem?
The Bridge: To Brooklyn Bridge
BY HART CRANE
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How many dawns, chill from his rippling rest
The seagull’s wings shall dip and pivot him,
Shedding white rings of tumult, building high
Over the chained bay waters Liberty—
Then, with inviolate curve, forsake our eyes
As apparitional as sails that cross
Some page of figures to be filed away;
—Till elevators drop us from our day …
I think of cinemas, panoramic sleights
With multitudes bent toward some flashing scene
Never disclosed, but hastened to again,
Foretold to other eyes on the same screen;
And Thee, across the harbor, silver paced
As though the sun took step of thee yet left
Some motion ever unspent in thy stride,—
Implicitly thy freedom staying thee!
Out of some subway scuttle, cell or loft
A bedlamite speeds to thy parapets,
Tilting there momently, shrill shirt ballooning,
A jest falls from the speechless caravan.
Down Wall, from girder into street noon leaks,
A rip-tooth of the sky’s acetylene;
All afternoon the cloud flown derricks turn …
Thy cables breathe the North Atlantic still.
And obscure as that heaven of the Jews,
Thy guerdon … Accolade thou dost bestow
Of anonymity time cannot raise:
Vibrant reprieve and pardon thou dost show.
O harp and altar, of the fury fused,
(How could mere toil align thy choiring strings!)
Terrific threshold of the prophet’s pledge,
Prayer of pariah, and the lover’s cry,
Again the traffic lights that skim thy swift
Unfractioned idiom, immaculate sigh of stars,
Beading thy path—condense eternity:
And we have seen night lifted in thine arms.
Under thy shadow by the piers I waited
Only in darkness is thy shadow clear.
The City’s fiery parcels all undone,
Already snow submerges an iron year …
O Sleepless as the river under thee,
Vaulting the sea, the prairies’ dreaming sod,
Unto us lowliest sometime sweep, descend
And of the curveship lend a myth to God.
@oswego I’ve not heard of that one before. I would agree that it has a high degree of complexity, but also there is the author’s admiration and awe of the bridge that is evident. The last line from this quatrain makes me wonder if it hints at jumpers…
O harp and altar, of the fury fused,
(How could mere toil align thy choiring strings!)
Terrific threshold of the prophet’s pledge,
Prayer of pariah, and the lover’s cry,
“Lover’s cry” = “Lover’s leap”?
This poem seems to touch on many of the aspects of the bridge, the city around it and the river it crosses. Not long after the Key Bridge collapsed, I was browsing a site dedicated to bridge photography and noticed that someone had left a comment containing a poem about that bridge. It was much simpler than this one, but it spoke of the author’s memories of crossing the Key Bridge and of their children noticing the shapes of certain letters formed by the truss members. I remember thinking, wow – someone actually wrote a poem about that bridge. That someone would react that strongly to what for others would be just another stretch of road really intrigues me. And then of course there are artists and photographers who make bridges the center piece of their works. Not long ago I read that the Golden Gate Bridge is one of the most photographed structures in the entire world. That would probably put it up there with the pyramids of Giza…
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