violakat03 Posted January 16, 2009 Share Posted January 16, 2009 What are some ride rumors you've heard? How do you think they got started? What's the real truth about it? Discussions about The Beast's original influence and talking to my mom has led me to wonder and post this question. For example, The Vortex/Magnum is sinking. Or, here's one from my husband that I'd love to know where it got started. My husband was convinced that Opryland was closed due to an accident on the Hangman. He said he remembered hearing on the news (he lived in Memphis at the time) that the coaster had gotten stuck upside down for several hours and that several people died, so Opryland closed up shop, sold all the rides, and used the money from the sale to pay the families' lawsuits. As anyone who's aware of coaster transfer history knows, the Hangman is now at Six Flags Discovery Kingdom as Kong. It has never killed anyone nor gotten stuck upside down. I'd also heard that during one of the first years of operation, The Beast killed a couple people when two trains crashed in the station. That's obviously not true, but I've heard it from multiple people, including my mom, who thought she'd heard it on the news. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thrill_Biscuit Posted January 16, 2009 Share Posted January 16, 2009 Rumors get started along the human-nature principle of the "grape vine". People, when excited by dramatic events, tend to inject heresay data into the thread of the message as they pass it along. They see an event and assume the possible consequences: "Someone must have been killed" turns into "Someone was killed", and the misinformation snowballs. It usually happens very soon after an event, but facts and truth eventually win out with time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skaterboy22101 Posted January 16, 2009 Share Posted January 16, 2009 I'd also heard that during one of the first years of operation, The Beast killed a couple people when two trains crashed in the station. That's obviously not true, but I've heard it from multiple people, including my mom, who thought she'd heard it on the news. Two trains did crash at the station but no one was killed and i think a couple people had wiplash. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beast1979 Posted January 16, 2009 Share Posted January 16, 2009 I'm still puzzled on how that silly "Coaster for 2009" rumor came along! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gigacoaster2k Posted January 16, 2009 Share Posted January 16, 2009 I was in line for my first ride on Slingshot, and the guys in front of me could tell I was nervous (I was next after them). One of them said "Four people die on this thing every day" (as if I was completely ignorant and stupid). I responded with "Yeah, THAT'S why the ride is still open.. " I was in line for Millennium Force when some kid walks by and loudly announces that 96 people died on it last year. I also heard that one time the train flew off the track and into Lake Erie. I was in line for Backlot Stunt Coaster when the people behind me started discussing Superman: Ride of Steel and how it is taller and faster than Millennium Force, and has a 90 degree drop.. and these people were old enough to be my parents.. I have also heard that Vortex got stuck upside down in one of the loops and they had to evacuate. I probably have more, but I can't think of them right now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Interpreter Posted January 16, 2009 Share Posted January 16, 2009 Uh, Superman: The Escape at Six Flags Magic Mountain is taller than Millennium Force and was, when it opened, faster than it as well. It probably hasn't been in years: 415 feet tall 100 mph Drop: 90 Degrees Wow...imagine that, everything they said was right, except the ride name, MAYBE. http://www.rcdb.com/id140.htm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
faeriewench Posted January 16, 2009 Share Posted January 16, 2009 Most common thing I hear is Vortex and Magnum are sinking and someone died on The Bat. No clue how those came about. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gigacoaster2k Posted January 17, 2009 Share Posted January 17, 2009 Uh, Superman: The Escape at Six Flags Magic Mountain is taller than Millennium Force and was, when it opened, faster than it as well. It probably hasn't been in years: 415 feet tall 100 mph Drop: 90 Degrees Wow...imagine that, everything they said was right, except the ride name, MAYBE. http://www.rcdb.com/id140.htm There is a possibility I stand corrected.. I am not sure which Superman ride they were discussing, but I know that S:ROS is dwarfed by MF. Thanks Terpy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tigellinus Posted January 17, 2009 Share Posted January 17, 2009 ^^My Patrick Jane hunch is they were talking about Ride of Steel...if not NE, either America or DL. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coaster_junky Posted January 17, 2009 Share Posted January 17, 2009 but facts and truth eventually win out with time. so how much longer will it be until people stop saying that Vortex is sinking. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Monroe Posted January 17, 2009 Share Posted January 17, 2009 Untill it is 6 feet under!!! Just had to...... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest rcfreak339 Posted January 17, 2009 Share Posted January 17, 2009 I'd also heard that during one of the first years of operation, The Beast killed a couple people when two trains crashed in the station. That's obviously not true, but I've heard it from multiple people, including my mom, who thought she'd heard it on the news. Two trains did crash at the station but no one was killed and i think a couple people had wiplash. No, The Beast in 2002? Collided in the station at 5mph in the rain with no people on board. Later PKI put in Fin Breaks replacing the old Friction Breaks causing the accident. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DropZone99 Posted January 17, 2009 Share Posted January 17, 2009 At School just today I had two coaster conversations. One with a girl named Briana, who said Paramount stole movie names from other studios and they got sewed to they had to sell the park to Cedar Point (She obviously doesn't know what Cedar Fair is!) And the second one today was with a guy named Paul in my English class. He was saying that one time he rode "The Son Of The Beast" and the train behind him was going up the lift hill the same time he was only it was going faster, then it slammed into the train he was in and the structure started to sway alot. Them half the lift hill collapsed and all the people in the train behind him died and that was how the loop got removed! Another old one that just came to my mind was about Drop Zone (At the time) getting stuck at the top for hours, and the ride op. lifted the restraints and they had to climb to the top (checkered box) and got on a helicopter. Only back then I believed my sister cause I was about eight, and I didn't ride Drop Zone til' about 2002 cause of that! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beast1979 Posted January 17, 2009 Share Posted January 17, 2009 http://www.KICentral.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=12811 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Interpreter Posted January 17, 2009 Share Posted January 17, 2009 ^^My Patrick Jane hunch is they were talking about Ride of Steel...if not NE, either America or DL. I doubt it. They had the faster part right. They had the taller part right. Most of all, they had the 90 degree angle right. They MAY have even had the ride name right, or only said Superman. It's almost impossible for anyone to be sure at this point. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
violakat03 Posted January 17, 2009 Author Share Posted January 17, 2009 http://www.KICentral.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=12811 Yeah, but that thread's about stupid things they say in general. I'm after ride rumors alone - and not just for KI either, I want to hear all the good ones, like Hangman at Opryland. I'd actually never heard the Magnum is sinking rumor until I started hanging around on PointBuzz. I'm guessing the rumors about people dying on things like The Bat, Hangman, and other rides that are closed and removed with seemingly no warning, is for exactly that reason - to the general public who doesn't understand why The Bat was really taken out, then it 'must' be because someone died on it, because why else would they remove a popular ride after only 2 years? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BavarianBeatle Posted January 18, 2009 Share Posted January 18, 2009 This article offers some limited insight into how rumors, myths and urban legends spread. http://www.psychologytoday.com/rss/pto-20020301-000011.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
violakat03 Posted January 18, 2009 Author Share Posted January 18, 2009 This article offers some limited insight into how rumors, myths and urban legends spread. http://www.psychologytoday.com/rss/pto-20020301-000011.html Good article. Looks like I was partially right - someone probably said "I wonder if.." and it turned it "OMG did you hear what happened" and the second half was what got repeated because it connected to people's emotion - especially one like fear. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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