Best Of: Seeking Thrills And Staying Safe On Roller Coasters

1A

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4.3 • 4.5K Ratings

🗓️ 28 August 2023

⏱️ 32 minutes

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Summary

While you may not be a fan of the heart pumping, adrenaline boosting feeling of a roller coaster's twists and turns, for others, it's the best part of the warmer months or even a core memory of their childhood.

But recently, two roller coasters hit the headlines for less than awesome reasons. Riders at a Wisconsin festival were stuck upside down for around three hours after a mechanical failure. And a North Carolina man spotted a massive crack in a coaster support beam after his family had been on the ride.

We discuss the safety of roller coasters and what's next for coaster engineering.

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Transcript

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0:00.0	For some, this is the quintessential sound of the summer.
0:11.6	While you may not be a fan of the heart pumping, adrenaline boosting feeling of a rollercoaster's
0:22.5	twists and turns, for others, it's the best part of the warmer months or even a core memory.
0:29.0	Hey there, this is Lester from Colorado. I remember my first greatest memories as a young boy
0:37.1	was riding on the vortex coaster. My hometown here in Penselton. We would ride the coaster and just
0:46.8	decided to ride. I'm sorry, I'm getting a little choked up here.
0:50.8	This is Ruth from Annapolis. My mother was a rollercoaster freak. She loved them so much.
0:58.7	And her biggest joy was when I turned seven, I am now 83. At seven, I was tall enough to go
1:07.6	on the rollercoaster with her. And that made her so happy because before my father wouldn't go
1:15.1	and she had to go by herself. So that's my comment about rollercoasters and they've been a lifetime
1:21.6	joy. Lester Ruth, thanks for those messages. Even though rollercoasters are a fond memory for
1:27.7	many of you, recently two rollercoaster incidents hit the headlines. Over the fourth of July
1:33.2	holiday, coaster riders at a Wisconsin festival were stuck upside down for about three hours after
1:38.9	a mechanical failure. And last weekend, a North Carolina man spotted a crack in a roller coaster
1:44.0	beam after his family had just been on the ride. So how safe are rollercoasters? What makes us love
1:49.6	them or hate them? And what's next for coaster engineering and innovation? Today we're discussing all
1:55.9	things rollercoasters and we'll hear about your favorite ones. I'm Jen White. You're listening
2:01.0	to the 1A podcast or we get to the heart of the story. Buckle in, you've got a lot to get to
2:05.6	after this break. Let's get into the conversation and welcome our first guests. I'm here with
2:15.2	Francine Gonzalez, the chair of ASTM International's Committee on Amusement Rides and Devices. ASTM
2:22.2	creates safety standards that are widely followed by amusement parks. She's also the chief
2:26.6	experience officer at Whitewater, a leading water park manufacturer. Francine, welcome to the program.
	...

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