Credit Whoring?

[Spike]

I've always been puzzled by this "craze" of credit whoring. It's not that apparent on this forum as much, but on many other mixed coaster sites it's almost like an obsessive need.

You get people who will strive to beat others in how many coasters they have ridden, I have to question their reasoning behind this behavior sometimes. Is it the love of going to parks or some kind of status symbol to make people feel special having ridden more?

I understand it's like any collection or hobby people take up these days but I find that people somehow miss the point of coasters. A coaster for me should leave an impression, whether it be ascetically, mentally, or physically.

When people go out of their way to ride the most mundane of children's coasters and use words like "Well at least it's a credit" where has the love for everything else about a truly great coaster gone? Also why does this obsession not transcend into flat rides? or water rides?

[Blaze]

I see a lot of this on Coaster Force (wow it's ages since I was on there) and I just think, why? I find it incredibly sad to go out of your way just to go on a coaster with no regards for safety, conveniance, dignity or care of a better ride there because you have already been on it once.

I understand why you would mayb ego on a kiddie coaster to kill time if you have done everything else and you are near (I did this with Beastie at Scarefest), but I would never travel anywhere for the purpose of adding one coaster to the list of coasters I have been on and then leaving again. I don't see the point. The point of coasters is to enjoy them, to get a thrill. How can you get a thrill going out of your way to ride a coaster simply to say you have. "Because it's a credit" is not a justification to me. "I've been on this and you havn't hahaha I'm better than you!" Is really silly and a bit sad, if you ask me. I understand why you would go somewhere for a big ride, but credit whoring a baby ride is just sad and probably marks you out as a bit of a wierdo to the public when they see a grown adult running towards a ride full of children and then running off again...

[Sam]

I don't think most people take it as seriously as you suggest Spike.

I keep count, but I don't brag about it. I don't see the problem with going on kiddy coasters at parks, "just for the credit" (as anyone who came to Camelot knows - 5 laps woohoo!), it can be quite a laugh to go on those rides obviously meant for small kids.

I'd never go to a park JUST to get a kiddy credit, but have been known to slink off to do kiddy coasters in parks. I'm only really interested in it at the moment because I've been trying to line them up so Th13teen is my 100th ever coaster, I'm currently on 99 thanks to the Caterpillar crap at Lightwater.

[Spike]

[quote=""Sam!""]
I'd never go to a park JUST to get a kiddy credit, [/quote]

That's the people I'm aiming at really with this topic

[Kaz]

If Im honest these type of coaster fans are more of the 'geeky' RCCGB variety, whereby they practically orgasm over the prospect of riding a new coaster. Something TTF lacks, which is my main reason for visiting.

[Chris W]

[quote=""Kaz""]If Im honest these type of coaster fans are more of the 'geeky' RCCGB variety, whereby they practically orgasm over the prospect of riding a new coaster. Something TTF lacks, which is my main reason for visiting.[/quote]

^ Spot on.

----

I only go to parks to enjoy the rides, I couldn't care less about how many credits I have, particularly as most credits are awful rides.
I guess it could be a status thing that certain ethusiasts are "better" cos they have been on more coasters than others.

For example, would I want to go all the way to M&Ds to go on their Big Apple? Nope, I'd rather save my money and ride some vastly superior attractions at another park.

[bradpeet]

[quote=""Kaz""]If Im honest these type of coaster fans are more of the 'geeky' RCCGB variety, whereby they practically orgasm over the prospect of riding a new coaster. Something TTF lacks, which is my main reason for visiting.[/quote]

You mean more geeky than people on a forum dedicated to Alton Towers? Or any other forum related to theme parks or amusement parks?

Joe public think we are all geeky! And I've got friends who think that I'm mad for going anywhere near a ride.

(I don't know why fans always seem to want to have a go at other fans who actually share the same interest. But I see it a lot - and I don't just mean on this site.)

[AdamJ]

I find credit whores annoying, I mean, they travel all round the world JUST to ride a coaster?! It's stupid, they go to parks and whore the rides, and give no care about the atmosphere, that to me is selfish, and just says "Look at me, fook the atmosphere, I WANT COASTERS"...

[ShadowTD]

I dunno. The furthest I've travelled to go on a ride was Belgium, and that's because I *really* wanted to go on Turbine because my love of rollercoasters started after the demise of Thunder Looper. I mean yes, I've been to Florida and the like but the Walibi trip was purely for the ride.

I think the credit think is a way for some enthusiasts to make it competitive. After all, riding coasters requires no skill, just the ability to not bottle it before the ride leaves the station and to go on it again in the future. Some people are naturally massively competitive and once they realise that there's no accolade to just riding the rides use credit snobbery. You also get the impression from some people that you can't truly be an enthusiast until you've been to X, where X is Florida, or Germany or Ohio. That just boils down to the same thing.

[DiogoJ42]

If I go to a new park, I will try to ride every coaster they have, be it a Hypercoaster or a Kiddy ride.

It's not like I go out of my way to find a kiddy coaster, but a credit is a credit.

When I took on My 100 Coaster Quest two years ago, I had to learn to love kiddy rides. I actually found myself upset that I was too big to ride a Go Gator :no:

The reason behind that quest was the realization that I kept going on the same Merlin coasters over and over again. I felt that giving myself a target to work towards would be a good incentive. It worked, too!
Of course, once you start counting, it's very hard to stop... For proof just look at this guy :!:

Kiddy coasters are a good way to bump up your count, but only a fool would travel half way round the world to ride one.

For the record, I swore I would never go on another Big Apple / Wacky Worm again!

[Mankey]

[quote=""Adzy""]I find credit whores annoying, I mean, they travel all round the world JUST to ride a coaster?! It's stupid, they go to parks and whore the rides, and give no care about the atmosphere, that to me is selfish, and just says "Look at me, fook the atmosphere, I WANT COASTERS"...[/quote]

See the thing is, I would happily travel miles and spend a lot of money just to ride a few rides. At the moment I REALLY want to go to Efteling to ride "Die Fliegende Hollander" and I REALLY want to go to DLP to ride "Space Mountain: Mission 2". That's not because I want a coaster count though. I want to go there to ride it because I want to ride it. I want to feel the experience for real! It's nice to have a coaster count though to look back on but I don't feel like I get a "Status" for having a coaster count, that's just part of my enthusiasm coming out.

P.S: Yes... I do love my heavily themed coasters with dark sections!

[Kaz]

You mean more geeky than people on a forum dedicated to Alton Towers? Or any other forum related to theme parks or amusement parks?

Joe public think we are all geeky! And I've got friends who think that I'm mad for going anywhere near a ride.

Yes, much. Because TTF despite being based around the Towers has much more to offer. I mean the majority of the topics are about stuff other than theme parks.

My friends don't think im geeky for using TTF. I don't babble on about coasters to them, Ill often take them to parks yes, yet thats more for the enjoyment factor than the OMGZ a new coaster I must ride!
I would say theme parks are more of an interest to me than a hobby, much in the same way I often read the TotalMini forums, simply because I have a car and thus im interested to know more about it.

[maguire245]

I go on something and thoroughly enjoy my experiance. I'm not the type who gets to go to a themepark every other month and I know at least one member on this forum who gets to do just that when he decides to :mrgreen: 8-[

If I get a chance to go to a themepark I will try and enjoy my day as much I can, but as I'm a funfair man, I visit many rides & attractions throughout the year anyway. By all means if I can get to ride a different coaster it's good, but keeping a tally of it? I'm alright thanks

[Blaze]

[quote=""Diogoj42""]For proof just look at this guy :!:[/quote]

Jesus!

I really hate that. Why do it? How do you get pleasure from spending non-inconsiderable amounts of money to travel the world to every park you can find to ride any coaster you can find, no matter what it is, ride it and the others in the park, then bugger off? It surely just takes all the joy out of coasters and turns it into a chore?

Every ride has bene riden once. He clearly is not interested in the coasters, just the count of how many he has been on, why? Does it make him feel warm and fuzzy inside because he has been on more coasters than anyone else?

[furie]

Diogo I think has the right attitude (along with a few others).

It's not really about going to a park just to ride a kiddy credit. It's about going to a park with an excuse to try somewhere different and to expand your experience.

I went to Greenwood Park in Wales, because it had a kiddy coaster (okay okay, it's easier for me, I have kids ). However, I only rode the coaster once all day. The rest of the day I spent have a really, REALLY great time enjoying the park.

If you want a really great day out - I recommend Greenwood Park if you're in the area. I will recommend it to ANYONE - if they have kids or not, if they like coasters or not.

Billing Aquadrome? I would tell people not to touch it with a barge pole. Not even to go out for a picnic by the lake.

I hope people can see what I mean? Credit whoring is simply a way of discovering new places, but using a focus of a hobby to do it. I used to go to medieval re-enactments simply to get to see castle and battlefields (and to hit people with big bits of metal actually, erm)... I've been to a huge number around the country, and I've found some great towns and villages to visit now (and some dire ones I know to avoid like the plague).

So anyway, it's all just an excuse to get out and go somewhere different, have some fun - why not?

I think the biggest issue are people who would use their massive "coaster count" to try and prove a point or opinion. People who will arrive, do the coaster, leave. However, this is something I don't see very much of any more. It was those people who made me change the way I count anyway (yes I do keep track of the coasters I've been on, why not? Some people collect buttons or coins, or cars - I collect coasters :P ).

I only count one ride type. So I've been on 13 Big Apples, but just have 1 in my count. So all the kiddy coasters I go on, don't actually mean anything. For me, if you're "an enthusiast" and wish to make a point based on experience, then it has to be pure experience, not just a list of 200 coasters, all bar 10 of them under 20 feet tall.

So like with all things, there are good eggs and bad eggs, but the good eggs - doing it for a decent reason (usually the quiet majority) far outweigh the bad