Power Outage Makes Las Vegas Riders Pee Their Pants.

http://www.klas-tv.com/Global/story.asp?S=4124918

It seems that a power outage has caused Stratosphere's 'X-Scream' ride to stop in a most unfortunate position.

I'm somewhat surprised that they didn't have the foresight to plan for this.

They did! They stopped instead of falling off the edge. :)

Scarey though, I won't go on that thing.

I recorded it off the local LA news here. The video quality was pretty bad, but at least you can see how they were stuck. New motto they should try- "Crap happens at the Strat."

Here's the video (5MBs):
http://sfmwzone.com/temp/stratpowerout.wmv

Who manufactured this ride? God, even ski lifts have gas generators in the event of a power failure. What a PR nightmare.

I was kinda hoping they actually peed their pants...

The ride was mfgd. by Interactive Rides, I believe, who is an off shot of S&S. They also made Insanity, which I've yet to do.

X-Scream was the scariest THING I've ever done. Period. Scary. I still rode 3 times. Had the power went out and I got stuck (in the dark), I'd have peed my pants for sure.

It also made the NY News this morning.

*** Edited 11/16/2005 11:03:12 AM UTC by TeknoScorpion***

It's funny, on the "Vegas.com" website, they list the ride as having a "manual return mechanism in case of power failure".

http://www.vegas.com/attractions/on_the_strip/projectxsky.html?f=m0at&t=stripat

Sounds like a blast to me!

Hanging over the edge? In the dark?

HELL YEAH!

What would of been even more awesome is if the hydraulics got "stuck" in the final "thrust" cycle where they suddenly drop you a few feet before the ride ends.

SWEET!

XScream is only good in the front seat, and it's even more fun to "lean" over and wave your arms while hearing everyone else cry like little school girls, right Clint and Bill? :-P

Good times!

On the other hand it would SUCK if you had to go to the bathroom. Heh.

-Tina

Didn't the same thing happen to two girls riding Instanity when Insanity first opened? They were left dangling over the edge of the Stratosphere and it took them two hours to get them off?

Who's genius idea was it to roll the ride back? *** Edited 11/16/2005 2:27:19 PM UTC by Keith2005***

Im pretty sure you're right coasterguts. I remember reading the same thing.

Girls stuck on Insanity...

http://www.coasterbuzz.com/2005-117-562784.htm

On my last trip to Las Vegas in April, my buddies and I were were stuck on X-Scream for nearly 20, nothing close to the 90 mins by this group. We were stuck due to the fact that the operators didn't seem to know what they were doing even before we started. The girl in the booth kept signaling to the two guys on the platform with us to come to her for some reason. One guy went and the guy that was still on the platform stayed until the ride started. That didn't seem right but the ride continued until after the final surprise plunge and didn't return for a while. That truely is a scary position to be in if your in the front because the only thing you can focus on is that swimming pool right below you nearly a 1000 feet down.

I'm the kind of idiot that would enjoy that. Of course, I also enjoy turbulance when I'm on a plane. ;)

Easier than enjoying Turbulence at Hershey... ;)

^Me too, Rob. The more turbulence the better, especially during a thunderstorm in a commuter plane. :-P

-Tina

If power was lost to the whole tower I wonder if anyone was stuck in the elevators. Given a choice I would rather be dangling over the edge of the tower than stuck in the middle of it.

From one who still gets the heebiejeebies from riding Drop Zone, there was/is little chance I'm going to ride either X-Scream or Insanity. Now that both have stranded riders, the chances are down to zero. I just don't think this old heart could take it.

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coasterqueenTRN said:
^Me too, Rob. The more turbulence the better, especially during a thunderstorm in a commuter plane. :-P

-Tina

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I'm envious. I think that other that plummeting 36000 feet to my certain death, turbulence is the next scariest thing in life for me. Even though I know that it is no more unusual that hitting pot holes on the Interstate, it is still unnerving for me. And to think I wanted ot be a pilot. Heh.

I was in Vegas last April. X-Scream at the end seemed to be a "puker" for me, right at the end of the ride, they raise you up and BAM throw you down. I knew I was going to lose my IHOP breakfast if I did that ride.

Insanity looked insane! I didn't do that one. I wanted to do it at night, but high winds shut down the rides that night. I thought that ride would have been awesome at night. My favorite ride in Vegas has to be Speed, that was AWESOME!