State Fair of Texas Sky Cars

There was this Sky Bucket type ride at the State Fair of Texas. Sky Bucket was what they called it at Cedar Point. One of those ubiquitous rides that used to be at every amusement park and fairground in America. These were rather small little gondolas that seated four or so and the ride took you from one side of the park to the other. There was a kind of acrophobia thrill as the cars bounced and swayed on the thick metal cables that kept them up in the air. Every Dumbass Teenager in America knew that you could get the ride stuck for a little while if you swung the car back and forth while it was traveling over one of the many supports that held the cable in place. It was not at all uncommon to see one or two car backed up at one of these supports.
Now here is the odd bit of the State Fair of Texas Skycar story. My wife, myself, and everyone we know remembers that a couple of Dumbass Teenagers swung the car over a support and caused the car to crash into a crowd of people on the Midway bellow. This killed a couple of people and the ride was dismantled after the lawsuits were settled.
Ok, cue the music from the Twilight Zone-this apparently never happened. There was an ‘accident’ but there is no mention of Dumbass Teenagers tipping the car and causing the crash that killed one person and injured 17 others. Maybe part of the settlement was that the Dumbass Teenagers never be mentioned again and their names be stricken from all records like Pharaoh striking out the name of Moses.
The new Skycars are enclosed, hold up to eight people and can handle a wheel chair. This would mean these cars a lot larger than the old fashioned models where two was crowd. I am guessing having closed windows is an effort to keep Dumbass Teenagers from throwing crap onto the heads of those below them. I am also guessing that they have addressed the getting the cars stuck on the supports by swinging the car from side to side issue.
Maybe it’s just me, but I would rather have a Coke fall on my head than a Dumbass Teenager in a Skycar.


Jon Herrera
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