Lemonentry's dodgems story brought back my earliest, very traumatic fairground memory, gee, thanks, Pal!
As a very small child I was taken onto the dodgems, or the Bumper Cars as they are uniquely known in my home town. Think I was accompanied by a much older sister.

There was a seatbelt to wear but as it was just a loop of webbing hanging over the seat and would have suspended me by my armpits we didn't use it.

We were immediately hit from behind and I flew forward and landed on my forehead on the metal front-wheel casing. Can't have been knocked out as I remember it all but it darned well hurt.
(Juan Quar is clinging to her front teeth on, Fri 10 Jun 2011, 0:08, 12 replies)

not sure where "home town" is
but we always called them "bumper cars" here in Manchester. I suspect, though, that it's well out of favour now
(greatoldone Ph'nglui mglw'nafh Cthulhu R'lyeh wgah'nagl f'tagn, Fri 10 Jun 2011, 6:51, closed)

When I was a kid they were always 'bumper cars' too.
I grew up thinking 'dodgems' was an Americanism.
( .Yeti. El amor en los tiempos del cólera, Fri 10 Jun 2011, 7:02, closed)

elf & safety name change
We always call them bumper cars, but as you're not allowed to hit each other any more for fear of death, injury and lawsuits, the dodgems name is more accurate.
( Snappyuk gets BIGGER with free sample., Fri 10 Jun 2011, 8:13, closed)

This was the early 60s, not far from Manchester.
I've always thought 'dodgems' sounded American, and a bit spoilsport too. The whole point was to smash into your mates and make them squeal!
(Juan Quar is clinging to her front teeth on, Fri 10 Jun 2011, 8:27, closed)

I done did a google to see what they call them in the trade
but now all I want to do is hire some bumper cars.

www.irvinleisure.co.uk/dodgems-for-hire
( Dr. Shambolic je suis charlie, Fri 10 Jun 2011, 9:02, closed)

Where I'm from they're called bumper cars,
and I too think that dodgems is an americanism.
(Sadarse works like Mist condensing mud flaps, Fri 10 Jun 2011, 10:26, closed)

Bumper cars.
....and where I live the local fair, whilst having the usual killjoy, health and whatsit signs saying "no bumping etc...", you can actually still bump.

They're not too keen on the head on bumping though.
(dchurch bah, Fri 10 Jun 2011, 12:17, closed)

I was just telling some friends
that we had gone to the fair last week and had been on the dodgems when my 3-year-old corrected me and said they were called bumper cars. So I think that settles it.
(salvadorevincent, Fri 10 Jun 2011, 12:21, closed)

good enough
for me
(greatoldone Ph'nglui mglw'nafh Cthulhu R'lyeh wgah'nagl f'tagn, Fri 10 Jun 2011, 12:42, closed)

Busch Gardens ..,.,
in Florida (Africa-themed theme park) had some called "U-Banga-Banga Cars".
A tad politically incorrect, yet somehow appropriate.
(greatoldone Ph'nglui mglw'nafh Cthulhu R'lyeh wgah'nagl f'tagn, Fri 10 Jun 2011, 12:45, closed)

U-Banga-Banga Cars
Spent a fair amount of time in them, in my youth...
(Juan Quar is clinging to her front teeth on, Sat 11 Jun 2011, 21:36, closed)

I was going to post the exact same thing, this happened to me.

(iLLmatic, Tue 14 Jun 2011, 15:55, closed)