Amusement Safety Org. Thoughts

The amusement safety folks do actually have educated people on staff. IIRC they have at least one mechanical engineer, one EMT, and a tech guy.

Why in the world are they critiquing the food at Knott's or the marketing strategies of SFMM. In all honesty, I don't understand what exactly they are aiming for with this site.

If they want to deal with safety, thats fine, but why would they post stuff like this on there?:

"*as consistent with many Six Flags parks - customer service and customer satisfaction seems to have taken a backseat to new shows, attractions, and marketing strategies aimed at taking advantage of patrons and their wallets."

In all honesty, I think that useless information and undeclared statistical methods make this site a joke.

I'm not saying it couldn't be useful, I just think their approach right now is laughable.

Some of the crappiest information on the internet can be found on their site. Strikes me as people who have no clue on how to gather statistics and who are totally inept in determining what is safe. The site was good for a few laughs and that is about it.

After speaking a few times with one of the guys behind the organization I've realized that calling it the "amusement safety orginazation" might be a little too specific. Their goal is not to just focus on safety but overall satisfaction of visitors to a "venue" (which includes parks, zoos, aquariums, etc).

They don't go out and poll people, the people with comments go to them. This may account for some of the statistical improbabilities that some folks are noticing.

Basically, this is what they do:
* One of their members makes a comment
* An observer takes a look
* The observer does their best to give a non-biased report based on what others have told them and their observations

Their hearts are in the right place, I assure you. They're not out to destroy parks, they're out to improve them.

*** Edited 4/23/2005 2:28:04 AM UTC by Michael Darling***

Sounds to me like they're attention whoring morons that represent themselves as experts in the areas of ride safety, medicine, and food safety.

If you're just a bunch of enthusiasses with opinions, then represent yourselves as that. That's what we do. :)

I think John ("Michael Darling") has mostly sussed it. Most of what is on the site isn't really safety information. But customer satisfaction? That's different. The problem with the information gathering strategy is that it's about as useful as watching the comment cards at the park GR office: the only data that comes through is from people who are either pissed off or incredibly happy...and you don't get anything in between.

Perhaps the most obvious way to look at it: It's people who are trying to take their detailed observations of amusement parks and turn it into something marketable. Thing is, they're not there yet. Not by a long shot.. My unsolicited advice for them is to shift their stated focus to the area where they can collect the most data, get the best results, and do the most good, which is specifically and obviously in the area of customer service, not necessarily ride safety.

--Dave Althoff, Jr.
(Hey, I don't even try to pass myself off as a ride safety expert...even though I have the credentials to back me up if I did!)

"ASO - Safety is at the heart of advanced research and development."

"Piecing all these bits of information provides an acute picture which assist immensely in the analysis process..." Acute picture?

"Inside Tracker is the only source of amusement venue news submitted by the patron." So all of you who THOUGHT you were submitting news to this site should be aware.

I still can't figure out how amusement park rides could induce diabetic coma or apnea. (Mr. Six CPAP machines, anybody?)

Did anyone else find anything beyond the "about us" page about the discounts and benefits available to patrons through this company?

We can all breathe easier-- those of us without apnea that is-- knowing that this organization will continue to follow many venues closely during the 2005 season.

I have acute photo of my wife, as well as one of my little cousin. I have acute photo of my cat too!

What a bunch of tools. It's almost as funny as Chris Godsey's imaginary consulting firm that was building an amusement park. I'd love to see the resumes of these guys!

So I sent this company an email awhile back and they responded with 'We are looking at possible internship interviews sometime in middle of April. I will retain your information for reference when we begin to make the calls out for interviews.' So I sent them my resume and they never responded back to my other emails. They could at least tell me if they are not interested!

I like the comment they have for SFEG: "Due to patron apathy, there will be no report on this venue."

Take a look at the "managers" of this site. Also take a look in the "About Us" section of the staff. This is all a bunch of teenagers trying to sound official. I'd honestly give their site and the "information" on it as much respect as I give the National Inquirer. *** Edited 5/3/2005 12:35:34 AM UTC by Coaster Lover***

I just wanted to add my two cents on this topic. I too was friends with Jason, who owns the site/company. I had so many questions for this guy, most of which went unanswered, but let me explain a few things from what he's said.

First of all, this isn't some college project, this is taken very seriously (by Jason at least) This is actually a registered company in Santa Barbara with an office and everything (I was told it's paid for by a previous project he did, hotel safety, but I assume that was simply a lie) The aim of the company, so I was told, was to track all this information and then later sell the info to people who need it, like lawyers, etc.

The important thing to know is this site is crap, the company is crap and Jason is full of crap. You can spend all day telling him things that are wrong with his site and he'll just pass it off as if your the one who is wrong. Trust me he reads this stuff too, he has a quote on his profile about one of the postings. He is not an enthusiast, he hates enthusiasts. He feels he's doing a service to the industry, which would be true if he knew how to do it correctly. Anyway, the point I'm trying to make is to not waste time on this topic. I've talked to him one on one so many times about improvements he needs to make and nothing ever changes. For the longest time I thought his idea was legit, but I finally wised up and realized he's a joke, I suggest you all do that right away.

I'm sorry... When you post quotes like:

"patron-base rather spend their money elsewhere. All of those polled indicated that this venues guest service was 'horrid' and 'mean'

"Due to patron apathy, there will be no report on this venue."

"85% of those polled indicated that the reduced price for a season pass cheapens the experience of visiting Magic Mountain. A number of those patrons stating, "you get what you pay for."

What do quotes like this have to do with Amusement park safety? Some of the stuff on this site, without proper facts to back it up, borders on lible.

If it smells like crap, it must be crap.

How do these morons expect anyone to take them seriously? I do a ton of consulting work, so I know all about B.S.-ing your way into work, but I still need to show the client credentials and demonstrate a record of success. What do these tools bring to the table? Any idiot can put up a Web site (I should know).

What idiots do you know that put up a web site? :-)

If it smells like a rat, if it looks like a rat, then by golly, it is a rat.

---

Dorney Park Now Officially Being Tracked By Amusement Safety Organization.

---

In other, totally unrelated news...I just signed another $45 million NBA contract to play for the Timberwolves and back up KG.

The point? Until they've acknowledged the same...I ain't said jack.

And what the hell are you gonna do? Publish and widely disseminate a story that amusement park A is unsafe?

Five PlayaBucks says the first, last and only acknowledgement will be a 'cease and desist' letter. If you're lucky and your season pass isn't revoked too.

For your own good...scoot yo' tiddlywinks off the corporate chess board. You WILL get crowned.

-CO

The sad part? Markey is going to fall in love with these guys and start funding it to make up more reports like his roller coaster brain damage report, that incorrectly listed tons of rides as roller coasters or the parks in it.

Make a website, sound official. Be a congressman, and no matter how much of a lie it is, if you can pass it off as the truth it is!

The problem isn't that their data is a bunch of crap. It's the people that will believe them.

Anyone want to count the spelling and grammar errors on their home page?

What a bunch of morons. I mean seriously. Put these freaks right between the kid who was taking up a collection to fund a new park on this site and that Godsey character and his imaginary consulting business (still waiting for that new park).

And today they're "tracking" PKD! What does that even mean? Who exactly are their "customers?"

Oh, and the Cavs need a coach, 'Playa. Interested?

Just as something to add like this, making a poll of patrons to determine if a park is "safer" than any other. Here is Cedar Point's data: "—there was an increase in safety related problems at this venue during the 2004 season" which they based on "patron reply."

Their patron reply seems to be them going to the park and reviewing it. This is no more accurate than a person on these boards stating that on Monday they went to Cedar Point and it was great because nothing broke down, but then on Tuesday they went to whatever Six Flags Ohio is now and it was the "worst park ever" because four rides broke down.

Their reasoning that a park will improve their saftey records with them only if they "properly and promptly address matters referred to it by the Amusement Safety Organization." Personally, I think that the companies who built these rides know MUCH more about these rides should be run than a bunch of people who go to the park for a few days and think they know what is going on.

"Due to patron apathy, there will be no report on this venue." Translation: I didn't do my homework because the kid I was going to copy from didn't do his either.