I commute on this every day, believe me it is more dangerous getting on or off since the regular vehicular drivers never stop for the cable cars (public transport). They zoom right past and woe for any passenger disembarking.

Of course, on the Powell or Hyde line, totally different kettle of fish, way more tourists. That would be a turkey shoot. Since the cars can't move sideways, it's the driver of a car who is at fault if they graze a passenger on the running boards, or the passenger has a really big ass. :-)

After two recent MUNI crashes, funny headline today, SF MUNI takes out insurance. Like they did not have it before??

When I was in elementary school, we used to have a carnival every year with dangerous rickety rides, toothless carnies and everything. The shopping center a few miles from us used to have the same type of carnival at least once a year. We thought it was the greatest thing ever!

Who cared if the track on the roller coaster collapsed? Who cared if the ferris wheel (which even then was evil, evil, evil) fell over? Who cared if the carnies were diseased and just took a crap right before they made your cotton candy?

Not us!

EWWW!! I remember those. Christianson Amusement I think was the name of the one around here? Always went. Loved the games.

I think I won't ever EVER buy cotton candy at a carnival ever again.

I have a feeling that some of you would die just looking at the so called "rickety" rides I've ridden through the years.

There are still a few good old fashioned fun house attractions left in the US, but most are in Europe.

Self operated shuttle coasters and zipline rides, anyone? :)

I broke my ankle after a failed attempt on the bars. I used to swing all over them in elementary school. I tried again when I was in 8th grade I think... and fell right off and broke it. I had ridden my bike down to the school.

The YMCA day care I went to (on school campus) was still there and drove me home.

I was embarrassed, for some reason, to say I had fallen off the bars and told my parents I'd fallen off my bike. (why that was better I have no idea - I wonder if I've ever told my parents the truth on that one.)

That was the first time I broke my ankle.

Second time was playing badmitton in college. Yes. I broke it playing badmitton.

I LOVED playing. You have no idea how intense the game can be with experienced competitive people. Sadly, I don't think I've played since. Guess I didn't want to tempt fate again. Although I don't sprain my ankle anymore like I used to as a kid. Wonder if I've got a bunch of scar tissue or something in there keeping it all together... or maybe I'm just not running around on playgrounds not paying attention. ;)

We did that when we went to SF last year. And had ourselves the full "Full House" [opening] experience. It was fun and a bit scary. What was freaky was watching people jump on randomly while it was moving.

We also loved to ride our bikes down the steepest sidewalk we could find with no hands (and, of course, no helmet).

Jumping our bicycles over pits using plywood sheets and rocks as ramps.

One kid once his the lip and actually broke his bike frame cleanly in two but somehow none of us ever got hurt doing it (and, of course, there probably wasn't a bike helmet or knee pad in the county let alone on any of us).

Last year my son was riding without a helmet, hit something like a rock or whatever it was and fell - bonking his unhelmeted head on the curb. He freaked out and did this weird thing where his body got all still and he couldn't move his hands. He's done this before when he had an asmtha attack and freaked out. I was able to calm him down then... but this time my husband saw him and he freaked out and called 911 and he ended up going by ambulance to the hospital.

Now he has to wear his helmet. I can't afford for him not too. (let alone the whole health part of it.)

p.s. If anyone knows what that reaction is called - I would love to know. The paramedic told me in the ambulence but I coudln't write it down and promptly forgot. I would be nice to be able to look it up though.

Hysterical paralysis or conversion disorder?

By no means would I suggest that kids shouldn't wear helmets when riding their bikes just because we never did and mostly survived (I knew two kids killed on their bikes, though I don't know either of them would have survived even with a helmet).