The Abandoned Clown Train

When I first saw this picture of what the web has dubbed the "abandoned clown train," I was quite disturbed. Growing up, I was what you would call a scaredy-cat. Being alone in the dark scared me; large stuffed animals that were as tall as me scared me (especially a large stuffed animal placed ominously in a dark corner); abandoned buildings with broken out windows scared me (especially an abandoned building at nighttime); thoughts of discolored and dented vehicles being pulled from lakes and ponds (particularly ones that may have still contained people)--it goes on and on.

Seeing this rusted happy clown face, a shadow of its former glory, brought all of that back. Its current state in the middle of this overgrown field or pasture is definitely the kind of stuff that dominates my nightmares. I can see it now--as I await dreams of happiness and joy, my mind spitefully places me in this rusted clown ride on a dark night, which by some force is able to carry on like it once did. I'd be fastened of course, and unable to free myself. *shudders*

I tried to find out the location of this clown train. I read a few message board comments that say it's a ride that was abandoned in Pripyat, near the Chernobyl explosion; others speculate that it's an abandoned ride in a small town in Ohio. All I know is that if I stumbled onto this ride, day or night, it would take a team of rational-minded individuals to convince that it wasn't possible for this clown's little eyes to light back up, its train cars to realign themselves, and for the whole thing to squeak to a slow start--*cue squeaky, rusted sounds*--with a wicked yet cheerful declaration from the scary clown face confirming my worst fears: "Jennifer...I've been waiting for you....all aboard!" *squeak, squeak, squeak*