Rollecoaster + Glasses

February 28, 2013 5:15 PM

Is there a way to tell whether one can wear glasses on a rollercoaster, so that the glasses will not fall off midway through the ride? Is it a simple case of upside-down means don't-wear-glasses? (No, I am not talking about Google Glasses.)
posted by applesurf to Sports, Hobbies, & Recreation (13 answers total)

I have worn glasses through many rollercoaster rides that go upside down, that have crazy death spirals and insane drops, etc and they have never fallen off.

However, ride at your own risk.
posted by joan_holloway at 5:18 PM on February 28, 2013 [1 favorite]

Best answer: There are elastic straps you can use: they connect the earpieces and run around the back of your head, holding snugly --- not long & loose like those chains some folks use.
posted by easily confused at 5:19 PM on February 28, 2013 [7 favorites]

It depends on your glasses, but as easily confused points out there are straps you can get to hold most kinds of glasses on when you're upside down (or even while being rolled in the surf because your kayak beached crooked, like me.)
posted by anadem at 5:31 PM on February 28, 2013

I believe you're more likely to experience negative G forces over hills than on inversions, so it would be hard to tell visually. You might go quite fast over the top of a hill to generate air time or "ejector air", but you would have to go relatively slowly through a loop to get the same effect, so I think for safety reasons that tends not to happen. I'm trying to find some actual stats, but anecdotally around -1G seems to be the maximum, so the test might actually be to just lean over upside down and see if you can dislodge your glasses yourself.

I'd be more concerned about them being gradually shaken loose then pulled off by hard braking, but my glasses don't have hooked arms so I get a bit paranoid.
posted by lucidium at 5:42 PM on February 28, 2013

I always wear a "nerd strap" (Flents Sports Band, available at fine drugstores everywhere) on loop coasters. I have seen other riders' sunglasses fly off, so glad I do. On the other hand, non-prescription sunglasses usually aren't as carefully fitted as prescription glasses, so I may be hypervigilant.
posted by Sidhedevil at 5:51 PM on February 28, 2013

(Here's an accident report [PDF] from an incident on Superman: Ride of Steel—a coaster without any inversions—which shows a maximum of a tiny bit over -1G on page 10.)
posted by lucidium at 6:00 PM on February 28, 2013

I've gone on a lot of roller coasters, including upside down ones, with glasses on and have never had a problem with glasses flying off.

That said, however, I have definitely heard stories in the media about people losing their glasses and park attendants having to stop the ride and go retrieve passengers' glasses.
posted by dfriedman at 6:26 PM on February 28, 2013

to go along with what easily confused said, if the amusement park also has a waterpark, chances are you can buy those snug straps there, as many waterparks require glasses-wearing folks to waer them.
posted by Lucinda at 6:56 PM on February 28, 2013

Check the park's website--certain roller coasters may require a glasses strap. And in general, upside-down-ness does not appear to be predictive of glasses loss, judging by Cedar Point's list (see loose article policy).
posted by gueneverey at 6:57 PM on February 28, 2013

If you and the car don't fall out, chances are your glasses won't either.
posted by gjc at 8:17 PM on February 28, 2013

The straps help. I also sometimes put my glasses in a bum bag during the ride. I don't need to see things.
posted by kendrak at 9:40 PM on February 28, 2013

Before my back surgery, I was coaster freak. I always secured my glasses with an eyeglass rope of one sort of another, with absolutely no problems. Just cinch them up tight before the train leaves the staion. I preferred the ropes to the elastic bands simply for aesthetic reasons.
posted by Thorzdad at 5:56 AM on March 1, 2013

Best answer: As others have mentioned it really comes down to the type and fit of your glasses and the motion of the ride. As a lifelong glasses wearer and coaster fanatic, I've never had a problem with your typical inversions (loops, corkscrews, barrel rows, Immelmanns). I'd also agree that rides that are rough and shakey can have a way of vibrating your glasses off of your face. Also rides with high amounts of negative g-forces (the sense of you floating out of your seat as you crest a hill at speed) can cause your glasses to leave your face. The other case that should concern you is rides that go backwards at speed. In that case, the wind resistant hitting the inside of your lenses can have a way of ripping them off of your face. An example of this might be Superman: Escape from Krypton which features a lengthy, high speed backwards section.
posted by mmascolino at 7:15 AM on March 1, 2013