Sometimes we miss the obvious. I think I certainly did in this case. Ferris wheels. Now there's a quite large one on the bank of the Thames, across the river from Parliament and Big Ben. The London Eye. It is pretty hard not to notice. I've seen many, noted them, but have never been on one. Why? Well -- perhaps they are just a big, slow moving amusement ride -- for the weak kneed or enthralled romantics.The original Ferris wheel was built for the World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago, Illinois (1893), to rival the main attraction of the 1889 Paris Exposition -- the Eiffel Tower. I've seen the Riesenrad (1897), a first generation observation or big wheel in Vienna's Prater (an amusement park). It's old and traditional and if I was going to spend money for an amusement ride, there's got to be a little speed involved. Employ unexpected g-forces, positive and negative -- you know the routine. Drop, turn, spin. Hold on, scream, wince or squeal. After all, I am part of the original Disney generation -- I've stood long enough in line for this thing, paid my dues, now entertain me -- and more than just a little, please.
When it was built, the London Eye (also called the Millennium Wheel, since it was dedicated in December of 1999) was the tallest Ferris wheel in the world. It is now just the largest wheel in Europe, being surpassed by two newcomers in Asia. Because it is supported by a frame on a single side, it is also termed "the world's tallest cantilevered observation wheel." But what caught my attention -- and forced me to give this one a go -- was the fact that the wheel carries 32 sealed, air-conditioned passenger capsules attached to its external circumference -- pods, dangling, supported on the outside of the wheel, pods which can hold up to 24 people. That's upwards of nearly 800 podnaughts on board at any given time -- a communal habitat. Though seating is available, individuals are free to walk around inside the pod, socialize. One revolution takes about 30 minutes, slow enough that that riders easily can walk on and off without the Eye ever stopping. And the London Eye is the second most popular place in Europe for "popping the question." The Eiffel Tower is first. No surprise -- popping the question is often a weak kneed affair.
The fare for a standard ride on the Eye is just £15.50 for adults and £7.75 for children. Private capsules can be had from £299 to £1200 -- with champagne of course. I'm sure that cost also encouraged me to be even more disinterested. And since Eye rides are considered "flights," tickets must be booked via British Airways. I'm not quite sure I completely understand -- but that's okay. The Eye, as all big wheels, exists to fulfill a single function -- to lift people up from the ground, take them round a giant loop in the sky, then put them back down where they started. In self-supporting habitat-bubble-things. With spectacular views. So simple, so clean. I just may have to give this cantilevered Eye another dawdling whirl.