Malfunctioning ride gets stuck in reverse for 10 minutes leaving riders 'traumatised'

Terrified guests were left spinning out of control after a fairground ride got stuck running backwards.

You might think a ride like a carousel would be among the tamer available at a fun fair or theme park. Certainly compared to the sorts of rides you might get at Alton Towers or Thorpe Park with their loops and vertical drops, at least.

However, some people who boarded a 'music express' ride in Rye - just outside of New York City - got more than they bargained for when the ride malfunctioned and ended up stuck, leaving riders spinning for far longer than anticipated.

TikTok / @kinggee_654

Not only that, but the ride is designed to run backwards, meaning it was stuck in reverse - so not only were they going for much longer, but they were also going backwards. Lovely.

The ride has been a classic at Playland Park since it was first unveiled back in 1981, and usually lasts three to four minutes.

Giovanni Martinez-Roman was at the ride, and some of his family were unlucky enough to be stuck on it as it span out of control.

He posted a video of the incident to TikTok, showing helpless onlookers watching as it continued to spin backwards. Eventually, the ride did finally come to a halt, and furious visitors were able to get off.

Some were in tears as they got off, while others looked ready to give someone a piece of their mind after the incident.

TikTok / @kinggee_654

Fortunately, nobody was hurt in the incident, though one would imagine there were a few people feeling a bit giddy and sick.

However, others turned to joking about the thoroughly unpleasant experience on TikTok.

One joked: "At least no one got hurt and they got their money's worth."

Another wrote: "Did they try to charge them for the extra time on the ride?"

A third replied "I gave up on theme parks rides every since those rides malfunction. I’m not risking my life for 5 mins of that!"

Rye Playland's General Manager Jeff Davis said: "Safety is our number one priority and as such, the Music Express ride is currently closed as we work closely with the manufacturer."

Maintenance workers at the park were able to successfully shut off the ride allowing people to get off.