Big Chief doesn't care about your safety / my trip

Sorry, Strijder, I wasn't trying to pick a fight. I'm just trying to point out that that aspect of operation is not a problematic one.

The other issue, though clearly wrong, still isn't going to injure anyone. Roller coasters are basically idiot-proof. I certainly do *not* think it was a smart thing to do (leave a 13-year-old to operate the ride) but it's really not going to hurt anyone.

Triton is far from finished. I believe there's a small picture on Screamscape if you're interested.

-Nate

Well, I don't know who to call or anything, but this is one case where we as a community can prevent injury. I strongly approve of Joe Caroll calling up the proper authorities and fixing this problem.

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I play in a really awful garage band, but it's still fun.

Well, if you want the run-down of Wisconsin's amusement ride regulations and an email contact, just go here.

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Arena football has arrived in the Windy City. Go "Chicago Rush"

You should have gone to Noah's Ark today, it was the best day I have had there: perfect weather and no crowds (<5min wait all day). The one time I went and rode Zeus (a couple of years ago) I remember then not checking the lap bars, suprized that hasnt been changed.

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Summer 03-CP, HP, Canobie, SFNE, SFWOA, and SFGAm.

yes use your common sense but thats jst fu*ken crap! nobody should jst look ortake a glance before u leave the station. and what I say " who ever said coasters were dangerous" well its true when somebody does anything to make it dangerous

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Who ever said coasters were dangerous?

When attending a park with huge signs saying "We have no insurance" and lining up for a coaster with signs forbidding riders under 18 from the back row, I think the 'watch your back' message is pretty loud and clear.

Toto, I don't think we're in a corporate park any morrrre....

-CO

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The CPlaya 100--6 days, 9 parks, 47 coasters, 2037 miles and a winner.....LoCoSuMo.

Hmmmmmmmm....

In planning an August trip I was thinking of travelling west after Indiana Beach and hitting Big Chief's and Valleyfair! before visiting SFGrAm. However, after reading these "horror stories", I think I will skip those two (hate to skip Valleyfair! since we are "in the area"... but it does take us a day out of our way), and instead head for up state NY after stopping at SFWoA on our way back to PA.

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Kind of hard to take a post as objective if a park or coaster name is part of the "user name"

Don't skip it. The park's ride are really great and you should be able to keep yourself safe.

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Two Points Amusement Park
http://games.coasterbuzz.com/filedetail.aspx?GameFileID=3433

Agreed Coasterphil, don't skip the park. Despite the high price for an unlimited pass, or for the individual rides, it's a great park. I visited Big Chief's last year on the way home from a Colorado Trip coming back to Ohio. You'll love Cyclops in the back seat.

Yeah, well...

It was only a late addition anyway.

The trip will either be:

PKI, Holiday World, Indiana Beach, Big Chiefs, Valleyfair!, SFGrAm, Michigan's adventure, SFWoA

-OR-

PKI, Holiday World, Indiana Beach, SFGrAm, Michigan's Adventure, SFWoA, Martin's Fantasy Island, Sea Breeze, Great Escape and Lake Compounce.

Skipping SFKK (we will be travelling past there during the KY state Fair and don't want to bother with the hassel) and CP (would want to spend three days there and would rather hit more parks instead of 3 days at one... that will be next year)

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Kind of hard to take a post as objective if a park or coaster name is part of the "user name"

I agree with the talk about common sense of riders - to a point. Not everyone is as logical as onesself. I don't think it's a stretch or over-precautious for ride-ops to go to each car and manually check to see that the restraints are in place. In fact, as a rider, it makes me happy. As a park patron, it makes me feel like someone is working for the money I've paid. It's also called covering your butt as a business. What if I thought my lapbar was clicked into a final position but once the ride started and I bumped it, the thing sprang open? This is something pulling on the bar can check, for one. Makes me wonder if Big Cheifs really has an interest in their own success.

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"The most wasted of all days is one without laughter." e.e.cummings

I sent a very tersly worded email to Big Chief's today regarding this situation. I pointed out to them what happened at Holiday World, including links to the inspection reports ect... By not checking restraints, it is only a matter of time before someone will fall from this ride to their deaths and repeat exactly what happened at Holiday World. This lack of concern for safety is unacceptable in my eyes. Leaving something up to the common sense of riders is ludicrous. There are many park goers, including enthusiasts who lack common sense. This park really needs to review it's policies or eventually they will have a fatality on their hands. It wont be a question of if it will happen, it will be when it will happen. The Cyclops has much more ejector air than Raven does...

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Bob Hansen
Resident Airtime Whore

I feel it obligatory to poke my head up here and say that I'm considering a trip to Big Chief in late August with my cousins. Having never been there, I'm eager to try out three new CCI woodies.

Having said that, I have an alternative of revisiting Holiday World (where I have been before, and which I love).

On balance, I think I prefer trying something new -- but I'd be interested in other people's perspectives.

Regards,
Richard

SLFAKE - Your trip that includes New York sounds like more fun, regardless of BCC&C operation policies.

Richard - Unless you love Go-Carts, go to HW. Cyclops and Zeus are good, but come nowhere *close* to the one-two combo of Raven and Legend. The go-carts and coasters are cool, but that's all there is. I personally like a total park experience.

Now if someone would only build a park like Holiday World near the Dells...

I do enjoy (decent) Go-Karts. I'm assuming the ones at BC are reasonably quick ones?

To summarise my dilemma:

- Go back to Holiday World, which I really like, and have visited before.

- Or, visit somewhere new, several new coasters, and Kart tracks.

Regards,
Richard

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http://www.bannister.org/coasters/

Chris:

The more I look at the schedule, the more I am leaning toward NY. Good thing about this... We are going to be "flying by the seat of our pants" (no set lodging reservations, just stopping places as we go), so if we find we are "running late" (we must be home by Saturday around 5pm to pick the dog up from the kennel), we can cut out some of our latter destinations and drop south back into Pennsylvania. Because we are going with out reservations, that is the main reason why we are giving CP a miss this time out. When we go there, we want to make sure we have reservations set.

But getting back to Big Chief's:

It reminds me of a stand up routine that Bill Cosby used to do called "Roland and the roller coaster". He was talking about Willow Grove Park....

"And the rides were thrilling because they would break down in the middle of a ride... WHAM!!!! 'And 18 people died' .... 'Oh good, can I ride it... but don't kill me... just wanna' be scared... but don't kill me'." (And later, when talking about the roller coaster) "Twenty three stories tall, painted grey, and the old people said termites were eatin' it up"

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Kind of hard to take a post as objective if a park or coaster name is part of the "user name"

Richard Bannister,

I have been to the Dells at least 5 times a season for the last 8 years (day trips), but after the last time I went to BC and saw a ride op checking the seat for money after every dispatch, I knew this was not the place for me. I hav'nt been back to BC in 3 years. However Noak Ark is well worth the trip if you like water parks. As for the rest of the Dells its all about the Money $$$.

Going back to the lapbars, at SFGAm the policy on wooden coasters is that they can stay open if both seats are empty. If one or both seats in a row are full, they should be closed. On steel coasters, all restraints must be locked.

I was just at Big Chiefs a little more than a month ago, and I can honestly say that I had the best time. The coasters weren't rough (my first time riding), Cyclops is my new #1 wooden coaster with that CRAZY ejector airtime, and the place looked pretty clean to me. I don't think they need to change much if anything. Sure, the no insurance sign is a laugh-riot (especially since I work in the insurance industry) and the ops aren't all that enthusiastic, but I didn't think it was that bad. Not checking lap bars isn't that great of a practice, but then again most people know to ride properly. It would be a shame if someone was to be injured, but there are signs posted everywhere. "Ride at your own risk". Basically, that's what it comes down to.

Justin "I miss Cyclops" Adams
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Don't put anyone on a pedestal, because then people will point and laugh at them.

I was thinking of stopping at BC in August but after reading this thread I'm leaning more towards heading straight for IB and HW. Who wants to visit a dumpy park with what sounds like sleazy, inattentive ride ops that don't care about our safety?