I like the big creaky rides, but I'm certain that more intelligent people out there prefer not to risk their lives. What's your favorite reason for attending the state fair?

-- Mike Reed (mike@reed.org), September 13, 1999

Answers

The funky little prizes have been upgraded to a certain extent. Most of what you win now is crap available from the Oriental Trading Company catalogue.

I actually rode The Himilaya while at the fair. It was the ride in which I got injured. Well, I didn't get injured during the ride. I got injured while getting into the car.

Dollie got in first and pulled the restraining bar down and cracked my shin as I was stepping in.

It only hurts when I laugh.

-- Mike Reed (mike@reed.org), September 14, 1999.

Well, I must confess that my favorite thing about fairs is the little funky toys you used to get when you "Won" a game on the midway--It has been years since I've been to any sort of fair, but I loved the cheap little toys...the straw chinese handcuffs, plastic poodle keychains and, if you were lucky enough, the sawdust-stuffed cheap velour bears and white autograph weenie dogs...I guess I should probably attend a fair sometime soon and get updated...and sideshows, dude...do they still have those? The last time I attended a state fair was in 1971--I think I saw the same jumpssuit you did, Mike--maybe on another woman-- and the thing that sticks in my mind, aside from the fact that I was attending the aforementioned fair with my grandmother (Nanny, to all who know her and come to think of it, was probably the one wearing the jumpsuit) and my little brother (who would have been about 5 at the time), was paying 50 cents to view a human fetus in a gallon jar. Pretty gruesome stuff for an 8 year old.

-- Lori (bohemian@bellsouth.net), September 13, 1999.

Ancient history for me. Had to dig around the memory banks. Tilt-a-whirl and ferris wheel, and toss in the merry go round. Nothing at our Fair was really dangerous unless it was eating the Lions Club french fries with vineagar. I wish I had a nickle for every little duck I picked up, don't remember winning any thing though. Hubby won me a stuffed animal tossing darts at balloons, won't say how close I didn't come.

-- b.rabble :-) (rabble@express-news.net), September 13, 1999.

Does anyone remember one called the Himalayan? It, and the Tilt-A- Whirl, were the ultimate vomit-toreums. I remember having to be rather cagey in finding a private plase to upchuchk after such rides. It's bad form to hurl before one's date. Besides, it might be her turn.

-- Buck (Gadwalt@Mindspring.com), September 13, 1999.

Well, I'll add my voice to the Tilt-a-Whirl chorus. There's nothing in the world like filling yourself with Texas State Fair corn dogs and then challenging the Puke Gods. That hand rail on the ground is there for a reason, and not just to protect you from whirling ride machinery. They know how far back to put it. Watch where you step, please...

-- Rob Rummel-Hudson (rhudson@digitalism.com), September 13, 1999.

Nowadays I'm far too aware of my mortality to engage in the carnival ride roulette. But in my youth I was a fan of ferris wheels (the old fashioned kind, not the caged-in, spinning type), the Scrambler (faster, faster!) and anything that made me think I was actually controlling the speed of my car. Fast was good, hair-whipping, face-slapping speed was best (if you've ever had long hair twisting around your face while on one of these rides, you'll know what I mean).

These days I'll go for the cotton candy, stale popcorn, super sweet colas and con games, er, I mean games o' skill. Take my money, please!

-- Carol (francaise@geocities.com), September 14, 1999.

It USED to be the tilt-a-whirl, but my last experience at a fair pretty much ended that. My wife and I were at a fair in Hattiesburg, and thought "HEY! It's the tilt-a-whirl! What fun!" After riding for what seemed an eternity (the guy running the attraction seemed to get a real kick out of our begging to be let off, thus we got a REALLY long ride!) we both had to go home and lie down for the rest of the day, headache ridden and ready to vomit at any second! It was not pleasant. I guess now my favorite attractions are the funnell cakes.

-- Tim Xavier Davis (tim.davis@mgccc.cc.ms.us), September 14, 1999.

Watching my pookie's eyes light up at the sight of the biggest, scariest, ball-bouncingest ride on the midway. Oh yeah and smelling the testosterone come off him in waves! What a turn-on! I also like the games of er-a "skill" and have to restrain myself from plunking down hundreds of dollars for toys made in Asian sweat shops. I also enjoy the people watching; the dissafected youth, the trashy biker women with their sun-dried dudes and the little kids with eyes like saucers. Can't wait till Max is old enough to truly enjoy the experience!

-- Dollie Boyd (dkboyd@home.com), September 14, 1999.

Well, as a kid it was the Tilt-a-Whirl. The last time I attended the Tennessee State Fair though, it was in the company of a class of autistic kids....I had been wheedled into doing so by my wife, who had in turn been guilted into doing it by Jamie's teacher. Let's just say watching ten kids who literally could run any which way and do practically anything---even down to trying to pinch a mule--was an INTERESTING experience, but not one I'd like to repeat.

I used to haunt the Tennessee State FAir grounds, though, years ago, when they had the Flea Market there. But then, I was looking for rare books and comics.

-- Al Schroeder (al.schroeder@nashville.com), September 15, 1999.

I am a big fan of fair food... cotton candy, candy apples, caramel apples, dough boys (or elephant ears, depending on the fair)... french fries with vinegar...

-- KT Hicks (kt_hicks@sybercom.net), October 24, 1999.