User:Acorntree144/Fun ride

An amusement ride (in Germany) is an amusement attraction on traveling carnivals or on Volksfesten. The most common amusement rides are carousels, bumper cars, swing boats, ferris wheels, roller coasters, as well as moveable tribunes, show booths and circus tents. While the amusement rides installed in amusement parks are normally stationary and permanent (i.e., they are planned and approved by officials), the amusement rides used on Volksfests are deconstructed at the end of the fair, transported to another location and are reconstructed there, which has to be considered during the desighning phase.

Safety
In Germany, amusement rides are subject to strict controlls by TÜV and need to be checked for damage and wear anually. After every setup the local building authorities have to check, if an amusement ride is set up according to TÜV-regulations. Only after an inspection and official approval, including a test run, the ride is allowed to launch. The German TÜV-standards are the most strict in the world and therefore highly regarded. It is a sign/argument to sell for producers worldwide.

There are similar strict regulations in many other countries. In addition to the German TÜV, other organizations are ordered to inspect the rides abroard, like Det Norske Veritas for example. Although, in some countries those inspections are not ordered or the regulations are less strict/demanding.

Other rides
The following rides are no amusement rides, strictly speaking, but they are used as such:


 * Park railways (or similar narrow-gauge railways that can carry passengers)
 * elevated monorail
 * Aerial lift/Chairlift

Records
The tallest 95 m high transportable amusement ride is Top of the World, whch is stationary by now.

Literature

 * Florian Dering: Volksbelustigungen. Eine bildreiche Kulturgeschichte von den Fahr-, Belustigungs- und Geschicklichkeitsgeschäften der Schausteller vom achtzehnten Jahrhundert bis zur Gegenwart. Greno, Nördlingen 1986, ISBN 3-89190-005-8.
 * Karl Ruisinger: Kirmes Special. Karussells 1950er und 1960er Jahre (= Kirmes Special 1). Gemi Verlag, Reichertshausen 2005, ISBN 3-9808913-3-X.
 * Sacha-Roger Szabo: Rausch und Rummel. Attraktionen auf Jahrmärkten und in Vergnügungsparks. Eine soziologische Kulturgeschichte. transcript-Verlag, Bielefeld 2006, ISBN 3-89942-566-9 (Zugleich: Freiburg, Univ., Diss., 2006).

Weblinks

 * http://www.ride-index.de − Datenbank der Reisenden Fahrgeschäfte in Deutschland (in German)
 * http://www.schaustellerbetriebe.de − Datenbank mit Fahrgeschäften und sonstigen Schaustellerbetrieben deutscher Schausteller (in German)
 * http://www.kirmesdatenbank.de -Deutsche Kirmesdatenbank (in German)