The San Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo carnival sets up Monday, Feb. 7, 2022. A viral TikTok shows a loose part on the rodeo's Ferris wheel in February.
William LutherWhen it comes to Ferris wheels, San Antonio's car elevator perhaps isn't the one to be most afraid of.
A viral TikTok, which amassed more than 13.3 million views and 1.6 million likes since Feb. 18, shows a loose bolt as it's screwed back in near the top of the Ferris wheel ride at the San Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo. The 8-second video gives an overlook of the fairgrounds at the massive event before panning to the side of the ride, showing a loose bolt, which the rider, Troy Poblano, quickly screws back in.
"Let me just uh, tighten that up there," Poblano says in the video. "Alright? Alright, we're good."
With more than 3,300 comments on the video, many questioned the integrity of carnival rides.
"The fear of death is half the fun of a carnival ride," TikTok user sockeyesah wrote in the comments.
Others questioned whether Poblano was supposed to do that, or they gave tips for next time.
"Do it the other way for expert difficulty," another TikTok user joked.
Others questioned the thinking of getting on a traveling carnival ride.
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"I never understand how people go to the fair and go on rides that came out of a suitcase," TikTok user Mari wrote.
Others said that it was a common engineering device that Poblano noticed.
"We are to the point where people don't know what a turnbuckle is," user Brook Dakai wrote.
"I know what a turnbuckle is, I watch wrestling," user Bobby Bane retorted.
Engineers in the comments wrote that the turnbuckle "really can't go anyplace" and that even if it did move, there's "like seven inches of thread" above it, which means it will stay connected where it's supposed to be. Others added that the bolt is likely "an extra safety nut" and would likely be useless if the part above it broke or turned anyway, while others said it just kept the attached part from loosening.
Still, better safe than sorry.
"Thank you for your service," the official San Antonio rodeo TikTok account wrote in response to Poblano's video.
shepard.price@express-news.net
