Can anybody explain this?
I also went to the Gowanus Pathmark this weekend (see abrooklynlife post), and encountered one of the most mysterious kiddie coin rides I’ve ever seen. Can anybody explain to me what this is supposed to be? I’m thinking it’s a flying-hippie-squating-monkey-solider-with feathers. But that can’t possibly be right? What is the green thing he is holding?
p.s:notice the gin advertisement right behind the ride? Good stuff.
May 4th, 2006 at 4:36 pm
It’s kinda creepy lookin’
May 4th, 2006 at 4:41 pm
Gah! That thing is pure nightmare fuel.
May 4th, 2006 at 8:54 pm
Over a few years, I pumped a year’s worth of college tuition into that thing. I am going to show my kids tonight, see if they remember riding on it.
May 4th, 2006 at 9:14 pm
Does it play “Yes, we have no bananas?”
The yellow objects look like a bunch of upturned bananas.
Is he a jockey? Carrying a riding crop?
May 5th, 2006 at 2:47 am
If he were a jockey would be be he riding a strange green ball? He is in such a weird squatting position - clutching the green shape to his lower belly. This defies explanation.
May 5th, 2006 at 3:12 am
I recall that that is a rope in his hand and it goes over his shoulder and down his back and is connected to the bananas. I think. The bananas make up the seat for the kiddies. I always thought he was a jai alai player, or something along those lines, but now I’m not so sure. I’d go check, but the next flight out of Denver doesn’t leave until morning.
May 11th, 2006 at 1:00 pm
it looks like a bunch of bananas and a green coconut.
June 11th, 2006 at 5:57 am
I used to live right around the corner from that Pathmark. That weird, japanese-monkey-looking machine always freaked me out when I walked by it.
It always seemed creepy and weird- and I never saw anyone using it.
But, now that I think about it: it never seemed out of place. At that store, something weird was always going on ( e.g. 25 dirty guys lined up to redeem their carts full of aluminum cans).
Just in case you haven’t been there:
THIS Pathmark sits almost directly below a weird, raised part of the BQE (big highway). It is right on the border between Carroll Gardens and Red Hook i.e. old italian neighborhood with lots of new, expensive condos/ nice restaurants vs. ghetto.
And the machine itself is not, technically, in the Pathmark.
It sits in front of the store- in the “lobby” area- between the asian-owned liquor store and the baskin robbins.
It is surrounded by NY lottery machine and a coin-star machine (turns you change into cash- for a small, 12% fee).
( http://www.chains-of-love.com/pathmark/index.html )