Return to Transcripts main page
American Morning
Interview with Stephen Manter
Aired June 26, 2002 - 07:50 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: Still scary after all these years. Today in New York's borough of Brooklyn, Coney Island's world-famous Cyclone roller coaster turns 75. And someone who can walk the walk and talk the talk, Stephen Manter is paying homage to the mother of all coasters in his own way. He is riding the ride 75 times a day to be exact. He is doing that for six days straight.
He is taking just a bit of time out of his stomach-turning celebration to join us from Astroland on Coney Island -- Steve, good morning.
STEPHEN MANTER, CYCLONE RIDER: How are you doing, Daryn?
KAGAN: I am doing just fine. How many times have you gone so far this morning?
MANTER: That was my fourth time I just did.
KAGAN: That would explain the somewhat green pallor that we are picking up on your face this early in the morning.
MANTER: Yes.
KAGAN: Now, explain this to me, Steve. You are 23 years old. That means that the roller coaster that you are riding on is more than three times as old as you are. What is your emotional attachment to this ride?
MANTER: Well, I guess I'm just an old-school type of guy, and I have always liked going to the barber and getting an old straight- blade shave, and I have always liked old cars. And I like the old wooden roller coasters, and that's just me.
KAGAN: You're just an old-fashioned kind of guy. So you have been a few times already this morning, but you are three days into this venture. How would you say it's going?
MANTER: It's wonderful. I am having fun, and it's like a vacation. It's like being a kid all over again, and it's good.
KAGAN: Well, Steve, you talk about a vacation. In your other life, I understand you are a real estate broker, but one little detail, your boss doesn't know that you are doing this. MANTER: Yes. Well, I never actually told him. I don't know if he is going to find out. But like, you know, I just couldn't find a way to like say to my boss, yes, I want to take a week off so I can go ride a roller coaster...
(CROSSTALK)
KAGAN: Yes, that might be kind of a tough sell.
MANTER: So I just waited until the last day. And then it was Monday morning about 12:00, and I got on the F-Train and I came here. And when I get back to work, I'm going to tell him I had a family emergency.
KAGAN: Oh, you are. You might have an employment emergency if you try to pull that one off, Steve. We are watching pictures of you in the front car riding the Cyclone over and over again. For folks who are roller coaster aficionados who love that thrill of going on these kinds of rides, explain how this -- what this ride feels like and how it's different than some of the modern roller coasters you might ride on.
MANTER: On a modern roller coaster, the braking is like very precise, and it's just all computerized. It's very smooth. And like when you are on this thing, it's like you're in an old GTO or something. It's very, you know, it's just real. It's not computerized and smooth. It's just -- you know, it's just very -- you know.
KAGAN: Just you know.
MANTER: It's just too smooth.
KAGAN: My colleague, Jack Cafferty here, he has ridden that. And he actually has a question for you.
JACK CAFFERTY, CNN ANCHOR: Are you sitting on anything? That's a rough ride.
MANTER: Say again?
CAFFERTY: Are you sitting on anything? Do you have like a cushion or anything underneath?
MANTER: Yes, I've got the standard cushioning on the roller coaster.
CAFFERTY: Just...
MANTER: I don't have any special...
CAFFERTY: Yes, because I mean, you could do real damage to yourself.
KAGAN: Does he plan on having a family?
CAFFERTY: I mean, he could...
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Hey, Steve, one surefire way to blow your cover with your boss...
MANTER: Yes.
HEMMER: ... is to go live on television.
KAGAN: National television.
CAFFERTY: That will do it.
HEMMER: And tell them what you are doing.
CAFFERTY: Plus it depends on what show you appear on. He might be safe.
KAGAN: One other quick question. I understand it cost $5 per ride. Are they making you pay every time you go 75 times a day? That would be quite a costly celebration.
MANTER: No. I get free rides, and then once I complete my mission, I get like to ride the roller coaster for free the rest of the summer.
KAGAN: That's just what I want to do.
CAFFERTY: $5 a ride. How long does it take to go around?
MANTER: It's around like about one minute and 50 seconds.
CAFFERTY: Less than two minutes costs you five bucks. That's pretty expensive entertainment.
KAGAN: But not for Steve.
MANTER: Yes, it is.
KAGAN: Steve is going for free. Steve Manter riding 75 times a day...
HEMMER: And looking good in a tie too, by the way.
KAGAN: You've got to like a guy who dresses for his job, who might not soon have a job. Steve...
HEMMER: Yes.
KAGAN: Good luck to Steve, celebrating the Cyclone. And also perhaps if you are accepting resumes for Steve, he might just be looking for a job real soon...
HEMMER: He may need that.
KAGAN: ... just on the off-chance that his boss was watching.
HEMMER: You've got it. Thank you, Daryn.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.
