Rollercoaster Danger! Beware of Exploding Birds

The Summer travel season is upon us, and many of us will visit theme and amusement parks this summer.  For some of us, that means the adrenaline of riding rollercoasters.

We are lucky here in Texas. Some of the tallest and fastest rollercoasters in the country are here in the state.

According to the website Coaster101, Titan at Six Flags Over Texas in Arlington has a top speed of 85 miles an hour and is over 245 feet high. The thrill of these rides can be amazing for those who crave this kind of excitement.

Usually, the biggest danger on these rides includes wetting your pants or losing your lunch.  There is another danger that happens all too frequently that is utterly disgusting. The most recent case happened last week in Canada.

Toronto man Hubert Hsu was riding in the front row of Canada's Wonderland's Leviathan rollercoaster when the unthinkable happened.  The coaster was right at the top of one of its loops when it collided with a bird.

According to Hsu, the bird, which must have been a pigeon, exploded on him. Hus told CTV, Canada's News Channel, "I looked down and saw blood on my hands and my face. There was a feather on my hand and feathers of the girl next to me's shirt." He went on to say, "It sort of exploded on us."

Hsu said the workers in the park had no idea what to do.

A quick survey of YouTube found several videos about bird-rollercoaster collisions. One video uploaded by chadilacs Robert from a few years ago is a compilation of bird-to-the-face rollercoaster collisions.

Even though there are many examples of bird-rollercoaster collisions and even videos, experts say such incidents are rare. Most birds are able to react quickly enough to avoid hitting a rollercoaster, and many top coasters are designed to minimize the possibility.
I can hardly imagine anything that would ruin a day at Six Flags like a bird exploding on your face.  It has to be an even worse day for the bird.

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