Reinventing The Wheel

Apparently the land of the free stops short halfway down the Santa Monica Pier. While standing in line for the Pacific Wheel, also known as the Ferris Wheel, I noticed the above sign. Not shockingly, the first words that came to mind were, "What the fuck?" The second image that came to mind was that of the sign delineating between the water fountains for the "negroes" versus the water fountains for the "whites" during the 1950s and 60s. And the third thing that came to mind was the disturbing notion that apparently it's a problem to be a "single" in 2010.

Correct me if I'm wrong--and I'm pretty sure I'm right--but shouldn't the carnival and amusement fair habitat be the most indiscriminative area you could set foot in? After all, isn't having fun a universal, albeit elusive idea? An amusement park is supposed to provide guilt free, sickening amounts of sugar, tickets, stuffed animals, games, and rides. Those are nearly all pre-requisites of such places at this point. What should not be a pre-requisite for a spin on the Ferris Wheel is a note from management that single riders are prohibited.

Did it ever occur to management that someone might want to ride the Ferris Wheel alone? That that individual might prefer sitting in his or her car without the distraction of a stranger's 4 year old kid spilling Dippin' Dots all over the floor? That for the few times a single rider comes along, it isn't going to stifle the overall efficiency of the wheel?

I can think of only one reason they would prohibit single riding: for fear of suicide. They figure if two people are in there, one of them has got to have the sense to stop the other one. I have two things to say about this. One. If you're a jumper, you're a jumper. Nothing anyone else is going to say is going to stop that from happening. And in fact, I would count on the jumper taking the bystander down with them. Two. If they are so worried about loss of life, then they should lock the swing doors in the cars while in transit. They revolve back and forth just as easily at 50 feet up as they did when I opened them to get in the car in the first place. And that's frightening--to say the least.

The most interesting thing about this entire situation is the fact that my friend said to me minutes before we saw the sign, "I went out recently--by myself--and it was the funnest day of my life." And here we were, two people who enjoy each other's company but also at other times know the profound enjoyment that comes with solitude, standing face to face with a completely obnoxious and unnecessary mandate. There was nothing else to feel except frustration--disappointment at the utter misunderstanding that the Ferris Wheel, iconography of many world's fairs and exhibitions that embraced the forward progress of humanity--now being trumpeted with quite the opposite intention.

Apparently solitude is no longer frowned upon. It's now forbidden. Which leads me back to my initial thought: What the fuck?