Mr. Trend is not a big risk taker

Last week, I visited Cliff's amusement park in Albuquerque. I'm not a "ride" kind of guy - I have a fear of heights, and that whole simulated falling-from-high-points-at-rapid-speeds thing violates my principle. Yet I managed to let my girlfriend convince me to get on the "Sea Dragon." You know the routine - a giant vessel that swings back and forth, higher and higher, until you're looking straight down at the ground, and then falling towards it, only to swing up at the last moment...

To paraphrase Erik: What the fuck is wrong with you people who enjoy those rides? I thought i was going to die. The only thing keeping me from going on an ungodly swearing binge was the fact that there was an 11-ish year old girl behind me (much braver). 2 of the longest minutes in my life...

So can ANYBODY explain why rides like that, as well as roller coasters, are fun? Because where I'm sitting, simulating a death you fear is NOT hip.