by Shannon Bradford

Created on: August 03, 2007

Roller coasters are among the most terrifying things in the world. There's nothing that can bring a human being closer to death than zooming through the air at top speeds with nothing but a seatbelt over the legs. Even watching roller coasters at a distance feels somehow dangerous. It just doesn't seem right to complete eighteen loops in five minutes.

But its those eighteen loops that provide the thrill of a lifetime. And what most roller coaster scaredy-cats don't realize is that the rides are actually SAFE. Of course, overcoming the fear is easier in print than in practice, but a few simple rationalizations might be all that's needed to move that butt from the park bench and into the roller coaster seat.

Assessing the safety of the theme park is key. If the rides arrived on the back of a pick-up truck, it can be assumed that not much is being done for preserving lives. If the park consistently ranks in the top three theme parks in the world, you can bet on the fact that you'll be walking off that ride alive.

Another trick to calming the fear is to recognize the fact that every single person exiting the ride is wearing a huge grin and rushing back into line. All those people can't be wrong, can they? It's safe to assume that your happy face will be one of many once you try it out, too.

If heights is what really gets your heart racing, this is a little harder to overcome. The simple truth is that no matter how hard the wind blows up there, no matter how much you look down and nearly wet your pants, you aren't going to fall out. Your heart might burst in your chest, but that's a risk that might be worth taking. And besides, what goes up must come down. In only moments you'll be racing down the other side of that hill, and all thoughts of being so high in the air will be utterly consumed by speed and sheer fun.

Of course there's always the possibility that the time you decide to go on the ride will be the one time the coaster gets stuck inches away from the top. This doesn't happen often, but the reassuring fact is that coaster technology has improved to a point where walking down that huge, intimidating hill is almost never required. People with bad luck might want to avoid roller coasters in this case.

One of the tried and truest methods of overcoming fear of roller coasters is to throw up your hands and just do it. Don't rationalize, and especially don't think. If you do it without thinking about it, before long you'll be caught in the middle of the line and the only way out is by going on the ride. If your willpower isn't strong enough for this tactic, amassing a large group of friends to apply the right amount of peer pressure is a last-ditch effort.

What should be kept in mind, above everything else, is that roller coasters is a highly addictive activity. Once you start, you just might not stop. Overcoming the fear is worth it.

Learn more about this author, Shannon Bradford.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.