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Operating Trolleys at Fairyland
"The very worst part is when you derail it."
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By Ursula Mehl
I never thought that a small, five-car trolley could be the bane of my existence. I was wrong.
About five months ago I began working at Children’s Fairyland in Oakland. I was hired as a “part-time park ride operator,” which in laymen’s terms means that every weekend I’m out there running one of four possible rides - two carousels, one Ferris wheel and one Jolly Trolley. Now as far as I can tell, there isn’t anything jolly about the trolley. The name is somewhat of a misnomer. When I tell people that I drive the trolley they get this big grin on their face and say something like “that is so cool.” Actually it’s harder than you might think.
Over the course of working at Fairyland I’ve learned that driving the trolley is a special art. At one point the track that the trolley runs on goes down into a little dip and curves uphill I call this the danger spot. You have to make sure you’ve given the trolley enough power to make it up the hill. If you don’t give it enough power the trolley will stall, then roll slowly back down the hill. On the other hand if you give it too much power to soon, the same thing will happen. Children usually assume it’s part of the ride, but the parents seem to know that the trolley is only supposed to go up the hill, not back down.
Ah, parents. Nothing like them. One time, after loading everybody onto the train I heard crying. Turning around, I saw a little girl sitting in the last car all by herself, very upset. Walking over to her I asked where her parent’s were. She pointed and an older woman came running over. Before I could say anything the girl’s mother tells me “don’t worry. She wants to ride by herself.” I was dumbstruck. First of all, you can’t just stick your kid in the car and leave. It’s not allowed. Adults have to ride with kids. Second, the girl obviously didn’t want to ride the trolley at all, much less by herself. There were so many things wrong with the situation it was almost comical. I thought about laughing but decided against it.
The very worst part of driving the Jolly Trolley is when you derail it. I’ve done it. So have most of my co-workers. It’s almost like a right of passage for the employees at Fairyland.
When I’m lucky, I get a break from the trolley and end up inside the shoe, collecting admissions. You know, the giant shoe you have to go through in order to get into Fairyland. Either way, I’m still willing to go out there after everything I’ve been through. As the little engine that could once said, “I think I can, I think I can…”
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