• Help Support Hardline Crawlers :

CARNIE

Without being completely biased, there seems to be some sort of media witch hunt in the southeast right now against the amusement industry. It is a popular news story.
Does stuff happen? Sure.
Is the equipment safe? Ask your local inspectors. Ga has one of the best ride inspections in the country.
Hopefully a guy will use the women's restroom at target and the media moves on.
I would not hesatate to put my children on any of my equipment. That's all I will say about that.

This week 20,000+ people came to a fair that I'm providing rides games and food for. I've been inspected by two state officials and a third party.

If you go to a fair and don't feel that the equipment or operators are not to your satisfaction let the owner or fairboard know.
 
Wasn't trying to imply your operation is unsafe, I just happened to remember the discussion in this thread when I saw this article from my hometown.
 
We were at a fair up here on tuesday. While waiting for one of the rides some parents started yelling at the operator to stop the ride because their kid had just fallen over. Some kind of giant monkey things that you climb in and spin around. Anywho, the guy argued with the parents that there child would be fine even though nobody could see her. Eventually he stopped the ride and the kid got up. She was probably 2 years old, crying her eyes out. But what really blew my mind was the parents didn't take there kid off. Instead they insisted that one of them ride with her. The operator didn't have a problem with that so long as they paid their 3 tickets to get on. ::) We decided to find something else to ride.
 
I didn't take it as you implied that at all. Sorry it's hard to convey emotion in text.


The number of parents who try to put their own children at risk by trying to force them to ride something that the child is scared of is unreal.
They will also argue that the child is big enough to ride even if they are obviously not. When you asked the "adult" to purchase a ticket to ride with the child all hell breaks lose.
I will never understand this mentality. If a child had a dramatic experience and try's to get off the ride while it is in motion it could be catastrophic. I believe it comes down to that " I paid my kid can do whatever we want" mentality.

However at the end of the day, l roll into a town and everyone under the age of 13 life is changed for one weekend while I'm there. It's a good gig.
 
Eddyj said:
However at the end of the day, l roll into a town and everyone under the age of 13 life is changed for one weekend while I'm there. It's a good gig.
Click to expand...
Truth! This was my daughters first carnival that she was old enough to remember. She had the time of her life the entire time we were there. She even got to see mommy get swindled in a game of chance. :****:
 
I was up that way this spring to buy a piece of equipment from a carnival. I wouldn't be surprised if it was the same family.
 
Carnival rides are a lot like diesel pickup trucks. The older ones are simple and reliable they can be fixed up to look ok. They get the job done.
Newer rides are outrageously overpriced, complicated, and usually not built as well as an older one.

Used prices for a average piece of equipment is $50k - 200k

New prices are 100k for a small ride pulled with a pickup
250k for an average large ride that is moved with a semi.
Up to 800k for a spectacular ride.
 
Re: CARNIE

Most of my friends give me hell for it. But for a summer in high school I worked at Music Valley Amusement Park running rides. I had a blast with it. I ran an old cable drive Ferris wheel, Himalayas, etc.

I had a kid poop himself on the Himalayas on one of the hottest days of the year. So we rinsed it off with a hose, hid in the control booth and turned it on full blast in order to dry it off. About twenty or so people gathered at the gate to enjoy the nice cool mist off the ride. I think about that every time fair season rolls around.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
It's that time of year again.

I'm am currently open in Moody Al. Which is about 5 miles off of 20. At the Leeds exit, 144B exit.

If you are going to Morris mountain via Birmingham you will be close.
Stop on in grab a funnel cake, ride a ride on your way home.
 
Eddyj said:
It's that time of year again.

I'm am currently open in Moody Al. Which is about 5 miles off of 20. At the Leeds exit, 144B exit.

If you are going to Morris mountain via Birmingham you will be close.
Stop on in grab a funnel cake, ride a ride on your way home.
Click to expand...





Wow, I can't believe your season has already started. Hope you make piles of cash sir!
 
Eddyj said:
It's that time of year again.

I'm am currently open in Moody Al. Which is about 5 miles off of 20. At the Leeds exit, 144B exit.

If you are going to Morris mountain via Birmingham you will be close.
Stop on in grab a funnel cake, ride a ride on your way home.
Click to expand...

How often do you have weekends off?
 
Re: CARNIE

I used to run rides at Valley Amusement Park near opryland hotel back in high school. It was pretty fun. My favorite was the old cable drive Ferris wheel. I was a champ on that thing.

Good luck to ya man!
 
CARNIE

Yes sir. Man I was 15 yrs old when I ran that. They transferred me to the bumper cars next to it one day and let another guy run it. I looked over and he's got 4 cars on one side loaded, cable smoking and he's laying on the brake. I jumped the gate, took over and got it back under control and balanced. Feels like a 100 yrs ago.
 
Small world. When that park went out of business, I went down there and picked up a bunch of equipment on the cheap.
 
Re: CARNIE

This is the only pic I have of the park. You don't have any do you?

795b2f08d6830dfb08d646ad812a469f.jpg




Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

Latest posts

Random media

BO console after.JPG
20170319_205026.jpg
aaaDSC00535.jpg
psycho.jpg
IMG_45516349763459.jpeg
Matts jeep 004.jpg
image.jpg
100_1122.jpg
IMG_3228[1].JPG
Top