Coney Island’s ‘Human Pool Table’ Shows How Dangerous Theme Parks Used to Be

Up until about 40 years ago, most amusement park rides were about 50/50 fun versus murder machines. While safety features on modern coasters allow even the most cautious of riders to hop on with ease, attractions of yore were designed, for the most part, by dudes who “reckoned they could take a crack at it.”

This resulted in a lot of deaths, lost limbs and insanity such as Action Park’s looping waterslide. Over in Coney Island, such hubris gave us the “Human Pool Table,” where people of all shapes and sizes were battered around like billiard balls on a series of large rotating discs. It’s the most fun way to get kicked in the head!