July 12, 2004: Coney Island Wonder Wheel
I have recently made it a point to try to get out of Manhattan for at least one day a week during the summer, as I realize that there is life outside of here (all 23 square miles). I love living in New York, but sometimes you have to get out of this concrete jungle, even if for a few hours, to remain sane.
With that in mind, I spent the day at Coney Island and Brighton Beach. Coney Island has a very rich history - none of which I will divulge into. However, for an in depth look at it, go here or ask Jonathan, who gave me a great walking tour of the area last summer.
This photograph is of the world famous Wonder Wheel, which has been open since 1920, and has never had an accident (much to the delight of people who have a fear of heights). The Wheel is unique in that it has eight stationery cars and sixteen that roll along tracks within the wheel's structure. When the wheel is in motion, the tracks incline, causing the cars to roll back and forth. As the wheel revolves, the swinging cars stay stationery until they are a little above the wheel's axis and then quickly fly down about twenty feet of track until they swing to an abrupt stop.
Of course, we took the revolving car... and I kept telling myself that while an accident must inevitably occur on a ride almost 100 years old (from a purely statistical standpoint), it wouldn't happen while I rode.
[Unrelated: Thank you CPD for introducing me to Photoshop]
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