How to deal with someone who is afraid to ride a coaster

“No, I don’t like roller coasters,” your friend informs you. He’s that guy in your group of friends at Six Flags for a day of white-knuckle thrills who will be waiting at the ride’s exit. Until you entered the park, you figured everyone would be racing to the entrance of Superman: Ultimate Flight to be the on the first train of the day. However, he delayed revealing his “dislike” until he was already inside the park.

What do you do?

First, identify the root of the person’s dislike. Why does he or she not like riding rollercoasters? Was it a bad experience as a child? A fear of heights? A fear of vomitting? Once you can identify the reason, dealing with the problem will be a lot easier.

Before I list some techniques that can work, let me begin with the technique that won’t work:

Never, regardless of age, physically force someone to do something that they are not comfortable with. There is a great difference between encouragement and force. If someone doesn’t ride rollercoasters because they have bad back problems, don’t make them ride. With that being said, let’s look at a few things that might work:

Start Small

If the size or speed of the coaster is what’s turning your potential rider away, start with a ride that’s easier to warm up to. Nearly every park in the country features a small family coaster. Gently suggest the person to try the smaller coaster first. I always point out the small children riding – that sometimes helps.

Once you’ve gotten them on the smallest coaster in the park, attempt to work your way up to some of the larger offerings at the park. Hopefully before long they’ll be riding the biggest coasters at the park. If their ego is too large to get on one of the smaller coasters at the park, be sure the entire group rides so they don’t feel awkward.

Group Therapy

Occasionally all your timid coaster rider needs is a little encouragement from the group. If they realize that everyone else in the group is riding, they might be more apt to taking the first step.

“The worst part is getting on!”

Believe it or not, I was once terrified of larger coasters, especially ones that inverted. I found that getting myself in line was the hardest part. After you take that first step and actually get on the coaster, it’s all fun from there. If the line has a long wait, be sure to keep the first-time rider occupied so they do not have time second-guess themselves.

These are only a few methods to use when trying to break someone’s fear of rollercoasters. Remember, though, that some people have a true fear of these thrill rides. Never make someone do something that they are adamant about not doing. But if you can persuade your wishy-washy friend to conquer the big one, it’s unlikely that they won’t go back for seconds.

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