As promised…. since my DH traumatized me on a roller coaster – I am telling on him……

People who have connections to the Wichita, KS area are very familiar with Joyland, a local Amusement Park.  The park was a long time favorites of the locals.  When our kids started school some 20 years, it was still open – and kids got free passes for good grades at the end of the school year.  Our oldest was able to participate in this reward system.  Shortly after that, the park fell on hard times.  There are folks who worked to save this Kansas icon, that has provided so many memories to locals, but to no avail.  Ultimately, the park is being demolished.

There are many stories that folks tell about their experiences at this park.  Many revolve around the creepy clown and lots around the wooden roller coaster.  It is this coaster, that my “squealing” will be centered on in this story….

You may remember, from my previous post, that my DH loves roller coasters.  I guess, in the lives of those who love them, the old wooden kind are pretty special.  The creaks and groans make the ride all that much more exciting ….. I mean who wouldn’t want to be that high up on old wood in the Kansas wind and HOPE to make it to the ground in one piece??? Not me… but I am getting “off track”… see what I did there?

 

So, what else is there to do in the Kansas summer with your church youth group?  Of course – go to Joyland – at least once.

 

Most people who know my DH know him to be kind, caring and well… just priceless… maybe not so much after reading this.

There are a couple of stories about this roller coaster, and for the sake of storytelling and time -I will combine the two that he has told me several times. Maybe it all happened on the same day….maybe not…

On this summer day, back in the ‘70’s, the church youth group gathered for an outing to Joyland.  He had a couple gals that he hung around with and they all made it their goal of this trip was to see how many times they could ride that rickety old roller coaster.  So – on they got – then off and back in line – over and over again.  And again. And again. For a total of something like 75 times.  Yes – 75! Maybe it was a de-sensitizing exercise?

As you can well imagine, he and his friends, were pretty bored as time went on… so they devised ways to make the ride more exciting.  Unfortunately, these ways may not have been as pleasurable for the other guests… that they decided to involve in their fun.  I am sure that the folks who decided to sit in the seat in front of them wished that they had chosen someplace else to sit.

 

In fact,at least three adults were not pleased with the behavior of these “crazy kids”.

I am not sure how they were able to remain in the park – as I am sure there were complaints made about their actions. Of course, they could run faster in those days.

Adult number one – lost his cowboy hat.  Flicked off by the “innocent” teenage boy and girl behind him.  Who of course, acted as if they had no idea what happened.  Now a hat – that is one thing, and the guy was not happy.  BUT- the next guy and his wife were more than “not happy”.

Let’s up the ante… after all the hat trick worked pretty well. Brought a good giggle to a now boring ride.

So he and his seatmate conspired to help the lady in front of them remember this as the worst ride of her life – whether she liked roller coasters or not.

Remember this was the ‘70’s and one of the popular female items of clothing was the halter top.

Ties at the neck and around the back.  Allows for optimal tanning…. most of us gals wore them at one time or another.  So did this guy’s wife…

 

That is she wore it on the ride – and then she sort of didn’t wear it anymore.

 

My DH and his friend decided that as the lady in front of them rose up in her seat, as most do in a roller coaster, that it would be hilarious to untie her top around the back…. not at the neck… and the wind of the ride took that halter top up with it!  Let your mind just think about that mental picture for a moment… and then what must have been the frantic moments that passed on that ladies part as to whether to hold on to the bar in the seat to keep herself safe OR to let go and grab the halter top and save her dignity.  For me – it would have been dignity to the Kansas wind….

Needless to say, exiting that roller coaster and the wrath of that husband, was all that mattered in the next few minutes – and I have no idea how they ran at all, based on how hard they must have been laughing.

I know many people are sad that Joyland is closed and most recently, the roller coaster was demolished.  Memories of days gone by, and fun had by kids at a local attraction.  I have often wondered how the story is told by the couple who sat in the precarious seat in front of the kids from the local youth group?  And that is usually the rub in life, the story always has more than one viewpoint/perspective.

Sometimes people are not exactly who you think they are…there can always be that “devilish” part of them, that only a few people get to know.  At least this adventure in my DH’s young life did not warrant the police being called.

 

Now about the car wash…my lips are sealed…..