In the small town I grew up in, there was no permanent carnival facility.
There was a traveling carnival and it did not inspire me with trust.
As a kid my parents took me to the carnival. While waiting in line I was looking around and noticed the operator and the setup and how everything was done. I couldn’t help but notice that everything seemed haphazard and I wasn’t keen on risking my life based on what I saw.
It didn’t help that I was afraid of heights, claustrophobic and generally all the rides made me sick. This wasn’t fun it was torture for me. HSPs don’t need to be stimulated. The loud music and crowds were enough stimulation. I felt sick before I even got on a ride.
So when I got in the rides and I saw loose bolts and rusty metal I was not eager to ride them again. I had friends who loved to go on the rides who were thrill seekers and loved danger. I do not love danger. I love feeling that I am going to live to an old age when I do an activity. If there is a warning like “May cause death” I nope out of that into something safer like visiting a library.
Now you can’t judge a book by its cover, but the employees didn’t fill me with confidence. If they were coming to our small town, they couldn’t get a better job and that made me question their credentials. I would have rather traveled to visit my first carnival, but that wasn’t my choice.
I only attended this initial carnival and then accompanied friends to another one but didn’t go on any rides. I didn’t want any part of this as a kid or when I got older. Some things are just not right for you.