Any ride-ops out there able to explain....?

On Wed. 6/27/01 we had decided to ride Raging Bull final train of the night. We were forced by a ride-op to ride the 2nd to last train. I tried to post this topic last night but I don't think it sent out. I just wanted to again tap into the knowledge of some of you ride-ops that are out there that might be able to explain why this was the case. There was plenty of room for us to ride the final train, but we just HAD to go on the 2nd to last train or else we weren't going to be able to ride.

I’m not a ride-op but I think they do this at most parks. Recently I was at CP and wanted to ride in the front seat of the Magnum for my last ride of the night. The operators announced they where dispatching only two more trains and if there where more then two groups ahead of you, please move to a different line. Since I was forth inline, I had to move, which was no problem. I think they do this so that they are not running trains much past closing time.

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Bob M.

At SFGAm, and I assume other Six Flags parks...

At closing, they will close the line. The ride will continue to operate as normal until the line reaches the point where there are only enough people in the cue to fill one train. At that point, you lose your ability to wait for the seat of your choice, and they will ask you to choose an empty line so that the are not running the train totally empty for hours while everyone waits for the first and last seat. When it is getting close to this point, they will figure out how many trains they can fill and announce that there will only be 2 more trains, or 3 more, etc...

I must be lucky, because last time I was there I rode the last train of V2 in the front, and the time before that, I rode the back seat of raging Bull on the last train. These are the only 2 times I've been at the park during closing this year. :)

I have to add, that riding the front seat of V2 is a must ! There was some debate over which is better - Raging Bull or V2. After riding the front seat on V2, I can see why some people think it's better than bull. Wow it is amazing !
(Let's please not start that debate again - they are both wonderful rides).

I understand about the limited number of trains that dispatch totally but maybe I didn't explain well enough. Let me try again:
The second to last train was loading and the ride-op forced us to ride on this train. There was still 1 more train left to go with empty seats everywhere. We didn't care where we sat we just wanted the last train of the night and there were empty seats for it, but yet we HAD to ride on the train before. So its like this:
the ride-op said 2 more trains will leave the station, ride-op screams for us to get on this 2nd to last train or else we couldn't ride. Last train begins loading as we leave on the 2nd to last train. The last train leaves with many empty seats that we could have filled.

Its most likely a policy to fill all available seats on the last ride of the night to assure they don't run more trains than needed. True, you are only 2 people, and it wouldn't have hurt to let you wait. But if they allow 2 to wait, eventually too many would want to wait, and they would be running unnecessary trains.

What difference does it make which train you ride in? Is the last train better than the one before it? People want to go home, and they're not going to bother running any more trains than they have to. It isn't even a maintenance issue. If a crew of ten are on the clock for another 8 minutes into the quarter-hour, they get more money. Not a big deal for one night, but then multiply that for every ride times every night in the season.

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Jeff
Webmaster/Admin - CoasterBuzz.com

To me, the point of riding the last train of the night is that you know you've gotten the most out of your day. When you get off, that's it. There is nothing else you can ride, no matter what. Sure it's silly, and really isn't a big deal, but it's fun. And of course riding the last train, of your favorite ride, in your favorite seat is even better !

Its just a tradition for us to ride last train and again there was no inconvience for us to just hop on the last train there was hardly anyone in line after us to fill the final train no one would have had to stay longer and no more trains would have had to run. I understand Jeff that there is no difference between 2nd to last train and last train but it is just one of those things I guess that we like to do when we are at a park. I posted this topic because I wondered why we just couldn't wait with the other 20 people in the station for the last train. We were able to do this before on this ride. No big deal I didn't mean to start anything I just thought I would inquire. Its one of those questions that you just had to be there I guess.

If you get last train of the night, then they might let you stay on for a couple of more rides.

I think that if everybody saw an operator let you guys take the last train, nobody would have wanted to ride the second to last train. Then the operators would have had a problem. It's easier to lay down the rules for everyone, then to give someone preferential treatment.

They should have been nice about it though.

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Forget about it. It can't be THAT bad!

Six Flags policy is that everyone waiting in line at the end of the day gets to ride, unlike some other parks.

THey do this at all the parks...

So don't get to heart broken...

When I was a ride op we didn't send out empty trains because we wanted more weight. Of course,that was on some older, wooden coasters and I don't know if the steel coasters have that problem.

It must come down to the park not wanting to send out a dozen trains with two people in the front seat only. They would be there all night!

We weren't waiting for front car we were waiting for just any ole seat as long as it was on the last train. Everyone on the 2nd to last train was loaded and all of the sudden we were forced on to that train as well at the last second even after everyones restraints were down making everyone have to recheck. Sorry to keep re-telling this story and wasting bandwidth but I just want to keep clearing this up.

Umm, if it was for any ole seat, what does it matter? It's the same ride, just 60 seconds sooner. I doubt the track changes configuration for the last train every night.

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Cyclops. 1900 feet of CCI goodness.

Please read those that have posted before you TrBiggar specifically Joe Carroll's and you'll see why.

Quite honestly, and I do understand your story rollercoast01, I think it's more a case of an overzealous ride op than a park policy. I've worked I don't know how many closings on coasters and if the final train is going to be half-empty and there is one or two people that really want to wait, no big deal, wait. We have to send that last train anyway. We did have the policy of announcing that there would only be # more trains, so that we aren't running 10 trains with just the front car filled, but if you weren't worried about the seat it wouldn't be a problem.

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Po!nt of View: A different look at Roller Coasters.
http://www.crosswinds.net/~justmayntz/thrills/index.html

It still is the same ride even if it isn't the last train! That was my point, I understand yours too. I was just saying that I don't think it really matters if it's the last train or not, you get the exact same ride.

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Cyclops. 1900 feet of CCI goodness.