Happy In Bag

Friday, April 07, 2006

Old School Pain



















I’ll bet a few boys and girls over the age of 30 remember this forgotten playground classic. The childhood bone-breaker had escaped my consciousness until I stumbled into this relic at an abandoned playground in western Kansas last weekend. The idea is to run with the triangular handle until you build up enough momentum to lift yourself off the ground. I vaguely recall how fun it was to kick the kids on either side of you as you swung dizzily around the contraption.

posted by Happy In Bag @ 10:46 AM  

4 Comments:

  • At 1:23 PM, Blogger FletcherDodge said…

    Hell Yeah! Those were awesome!! Unfortunately, the McDonalds-fed pudgy kids of today probably wouldn't be able to build up the requisite momentum to get off the ground (then let go and go flying, matrix-style, at their best friend. Ah, good times!)

     

  • At 1:33 PM, Blogger Happy In Bag said…

    Let me tell you, Emaw, that it's not so easy to do when you're a Budweiser-fed adult, either, although I convinced myself that I only had trouble because I'm so tall.

    Anyone know the name for this thing?

     

  • At 3:46 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    I don't know the name.

    Are these less safe than say, these?

    http://www.unitedwaycg.com/photos/merry-go-round.jpg

     

  • At 4:02 PM, Blogger Happy In Bag said…

    Funny you mention that contraption, Panos. Those vomit-wheels are still on the playground of every small town in Kansas I've encountered. They're so fun that I stay on them until I nearly throw up.

    The big difference, I think, is that vomit-wheels give you a sporting chance to knock out your teeth, while the spinning metal chain thing can snap your arms in addition to crushing your eye socket if you're not extremely cautious.

    Ah, those were the days...

     

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