SEMO FAIR'S KIDDIE RIDES AREN'T RESTRICTED TO CHILDREN

More than a dozen of the 26 rides on the midway of the SEMO District Fair are designated solely for the enjoyment of people under 48 inches tall.

But any adult who is game enough -- and perhaps just a bit childish at heart -- can find some enjoyment on even the most simple rides along the midway."They're family rides," said Tom Thebault, president of Astro Amusements, which operates the midway. "We always try to provide a mix so that everybody has something to do."There were plenty of parents and children at the fair Friday afternoon, the last of the "One Price Ride" days. For $6, children could receive a special hand stamp that allowed them to ride any of 14 rides as often as they wanted between 1 and 5 p.m.

Thebault said he gets a lot of business from the kiddie rides each year. Miniature versions of adult rides are popular because children delight in the same thrills and excitement adults enjoy, he said."It's the same as it's been for hundreds of years, I guess," said Thebault. "It's something they don't get to do in their own back yards."Thebault said the rides are made especially for children, but some are built so adults can get on if their children don't meet height restrictions.

This reporter's children were with day-care and preschool providers Friday afternoon, but that didn't stop me from seeking a few thrills on the junior midway rides. I tucked away my notebook, gamely handed my tickets to curious attendants, and folded my 71-inch frame into rides that included the Speedway, Orient Express and the carousel.

I soon discovered why some parents were smiling and others grimacing as they exited the rides with their children.

Some attendants denied me entrance because I simply wouldn't fit. Although others did accommodate me, I think the engineers had people with smaller bodies in mind.

The Speedway is an individual car ride that mimics a race track. I had to settle for the Kodak car since everybody else wanted the Jeff Gordon car. After I got settled, my knees and shoulders were almost level."Aren't you a little old for this?" asked the attendant. Maybe so, but I must admit the zippy start and barely-made corners left me feeling like a kid again.

I also tried out the carousel, a ride which I have never enjoyed because ... well, nothing happens. The ride hasn't changed at all, and I had to settle for watching 3-year old Alysha Randle's excitement on the "up-and-down horses."Probably the most popular kiddie ride of the day was the Orient Express, a small roller coaster that does exactly what it is supposed to do: Bump you, twirl you and leave you a little shaky as you get off.

This ride was definitely built for kids, and the lap belt was a tight squeeze. The snug fit was well worth it, however, because I and the other riders had a wonderful time. Attendant John Sherman tailored the ride to fit our enjoyment, allowing us to go around just a couple of times more than I suspect most people get to ride."All the kids come over here," Sherman said with a laugh. "If they start crying I let them off. When they enjoy riding, I let them ride longer sometimes, and they keep coming back."After leaving Sherman with a promise that I would be back, I decided to use my last ticket to try out the Fun Slide. One size fits all in the burlap bags used on this super-sized sliding board, and I found it to be exactly what its name implies.

However, being a reporter didn't give me any special treatment, and since I was out of tickets I was out of luck.

Besides, the kids were starting to get a little antsy because I was slowing up their fun.

The fair runs through tonight.