The Pike

 The Pike

     This is not a Greg memory per se but an overall experience that kids had before more civilized amusement parks existed like Disneyland. The Pike was a grimy carny scene that was mostly patronized by sailors on leave looking for drunken fun. Despite the shady tint to the streets our fathers took us down to Long Beach for the few rides that might be appropriate for children. Overall, there was a stench of rancid frying oil mixed with the petroleum perfumed sea air. There were bars everywhere outside the Pike and certain areas like"the Jungle" where delinquents and jailbirds hung out, smoking and sneaking drinks from beers covered by paper sacks. The Pike was the first place I ever saw women wearing men's clothes with slacks, white shirts rolled up above the elbow and penny loafers. The brush cut hairdos completed the butch lesbian ensemble worn by brave gals who strolled with some confidence that they would not be hassled as they were almost everywhere else. Punks with taps on the shoes, levis and leather jackets menaced passers by with cigarettes dangling from the lips, trying to emulate Marlon Brando in "The Wild Ones." I was always fascinated by the tattoo parlors where you could smell the ink and B.O. of sailors getting works of art placed indelibly on bodies that are now dust somewhere. There was a great roller coaster, one of three that once existed at the Pike but the great Cyclone had replaced the legendary "Jackrabbit Racer" in 1930 and was the cause of an urban legend concerning a decapitated sailor who stood up at the top of the ride and lost his head. Little did we know that dozens of careless or drunken riders did die on the Cyclone, one in 1956, just before we started to experience the Pike thrills. The sounds were deafening with carnival grifts and arcade pin-ball machines pinging and blaring circus music. The Rotor was popular with sailors who hoped to see girls dresses rise up to their underwear as you stuck to the wall. There was the dreaded Tilt o Whirl and the High Ride that was out of the question for me.  There was lots of terrible deep fried foods, saltwater taffy and the fountain soda pop that was a rare treat for we kids. However, my favorite ride because of the terror it contained was "Laugh in the Dark" which was a much more frightening experience than anything Disney created like Mr. Toads Wild Ride or Snow White. You started Laugh in the Dark in a little wagon, passing through a door into total darkness, a bulldog jumped out and barked loudly, scaring the crap out of kids to begin.  There were many other threats to our safety but toward the end there was a dead man in a coffin who rocked forward like he would fall on you. We screamed and had no idea the guy was an actual corpse the company bought, thinking he was a dummy.