Cyclops deserves a better review than I am currently able to write. I rode it several times, gathering impressions for the glowing essay that I planned to compose, but now that all is said and done, the only thing I can remember is a singular momement from my last ride. That would be the moment I landed in the lap of my riding companion and struggled to scramble back into my seat after being launched into space on Cyclopss last hill. It was the most dramatic moment of airtime I have experienced on any ride since the Jack Rabbit at Kennywood, and the exhilaration and adrenaline it provided rendered me thoroughly senseless.
When I had visited the park the previous day, the final car of Cylcopss train had been closed. The Bulgarian ride op, with her limited English, would only say that it was broken. The next day, however, when the crowds were heavier, seat No. 10 was back in business, albeit with a hand-lettered sign that said no one under 18 years could ride in it, per Wisconsin law. That seemed a bit suspect, and for the record, no one was checking IDs. The securing of restraints was also basically on the honor system, as the ride ops at most only pulled up on the single position lap bars to see if they were locked, and often even neglected to do that. Like any good ACEr, I dutifully fastened the single seatbelt that crossed both seats but only took up as much slack as was necessary to keep the belt buckle from rebounding from my chin to my groin. When my wife asked if I should tighten the belt, I told her not to worry.
Famous last words. Approximately 58 seconds later I was sitting in her lap as the ride sped through its final, signature, swooping dive. Whatever else happened during the brief, fast precedings was fun, but getting bounced out of my seat, over the seat divider, and nearly ejected from the car is what really sticks in my mind. I am a slim guy, and I tend to ride with my hands up. However, I have gained a new respect for the necessity of the proper use of restraints. With a properly adjusted seatbelt, any car on Cyclops is perfectly safe. Skip the seatbelt, however, and you risk the epitath of being the anchor whose death ruined a once great ride.
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