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As Cyclone Eyes New Cars, Trump Eyes The Cyclone
By
Garth Johnston
Published Apr 1, 2011
Modified Apr 1, 2011
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kerfuffle & zeitgeist's flickr
By
Garth Johnston
Published Apr 1, 2011
Modified Apr 1, 2011
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Today's Post brings not one but two terrifying prospects for the Cyclone, the beloved 84-year-old roller coaster in Coney Island. First off, when temp operator Zamperla gives up the coaster later this year the city is hoping that its three rickety 24-seat trains will be replaced by something safer. And second? Not content with his fake-presidential bid birther nonsense and attempts to take over the Tavern on the Green and the Mets, Donald Trump also wants to run the Cyclone.
It probably shouldn't be a surprise to anyone that the city is interested in replacing the Cyclones cars considering the ride's history of violence, but that doesn't make the idea any easier to swallow. So luckily it may never actually come to pass. Though the city's request for proposals says the winning bidder is “expected” to “supply” the ride with new coaster cars, at a tour of the site yesterday a Parks Dept official backtracked, saying the winning bidder would have the "option" to refurbish the roller coaster cars "if possible."
If only so we can continue to gleefully risk our lives each summer, we certainly hope it is possible to keep the cars! As one rider told the Post, “part of the thrill is it’s a rough, turbulent ride, and, if the cars were replaced with modern ones, it’s just not the same.”
Meanwhile a number of names big and small showed up to inspect the coaster yesterday, including a representative from Trump (“Donald is very interested in the Cyclone because it’s a New York icon just like Wollman Rink and the Carousel he runs at Central Park, and he and his father have strong ties to Brooklyn.”), the Zamperla folks who are currently running the ride, and a number of smaller outfits (including one guy who once rode the coaster 1,001 times consecutively!). We're hoping it'll go to a smaller group because that's how we like to think of Coney Island, but if it does go to Trump we can at least see one upside: This being The Donald he would have to ride the damn thing, and we'd love to know what happens to his hair on a roller coaster, wouldn't you?
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brooklyn
coney island
cyclone
donald trump
zamperla
Garth Johnston
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