The Tagada: Craziest amusement park ride

Ever wonder what it would feel like to be thrown around in a giant metal bowl with only a few metal bars keeping you from literally flying out of the bowl or bumping face first into other people? If so, all you have to do is take a ride on a Tagada. The Tagada may not be as fast or as steep as a roller-coaster, but it is certainly more dangerous. The Tagada is total lack of restraints makes the danger of physical injury very real, but that’s exactly what makes it so popular with thrill seekers. The Tagada is made up of a large metallic bowl lined with cushioned seats and metal bars for the riders to try and hold to fight the G-force. When the music starts to play, the bowl starts to spin and a human operator begins to operate the hydraulic arms under the ride to bounce it up and down. There are no seat-belts, no harnesses, just some metal bars. In some countries – like the United States or Australia – the Tagada is considered so dangerous that operating one is banned by law. The version used these days is heavily tamed, compared to the one seen in Asian countries like South Korea or Myanmar.