Roller Coaster Externality

From CBS News:

"A dozen riders on a roller coaster spent half an hour hanging upside down — 150 feet above the ground — after a power outage shut down the attraction. "


I feel sorry for the riders, but there is a social benefit to what happened to them (what economists call a positive externality.) Knowing that things can occasionally go wrong with roller coasters makes riding on them more scary. Consequently, all the people who read about this event will be more entertained by their next roller coaster ride.