Cedar Point says Top Thrill Dragster is done, sort of

I would think that you wouldn't need the huge cranes to bring it down because the structure is already there. It's possible to rig off of the structure to bring down the pieces as it comes apart. The biggest problem is how to drop the last piece of the tower (at easch without it crashing to the ground, but I think it can be done.

BrettV:
What's the point of spending the money to remove it when it does no harm to stay up there?

You are assuming it does no harm staying up there. If the hardware is on the ride it needs to be maintained properly whether it is being used or not. That's the lesson to be learned from the Top Thrill Dragster incident as the best info I have (based on the State report) suggests that the damage to the flag plates on the trains was caused by abandoned equipment on the track which was improperly secured, possibly with incorrect or missing hardware. Something came loose, ended up in the path of the train, and hammered repeatedly on the flag plate until the bolts failed.

--Dave Althoff, Jr.

Speaking of Red Force, have you seen what this crazy asshole did?

Holy ****. I don’t think I’ve ever had that much anxiety while watching a YouTube video.

I’ve got such a case of anxiety going my breathing sounds like that guy’s, only louder.
And why would you climb the track for gods sake? Those cross ties look so thick and so slick that I can’t believe they make for a good hand hold. Isn’t there a ladder up the back that would be easier to access? I dunno, maybe it’s like a locked cage.
I have to go lie down now.

Right?! There's a perfectly good ladder right down the middle.

Edit: RCMAC beat me to it.

Yeah, when he got to the vertical track, I had to skip to the top. I couldn't deal with it.

Speaking of anxiety filled coaster videos

https://www.tiktok.com/@loe_lilmike/video/7139354228522323242?fbcli...ktmjeLM55Q

Well, if there was ever any question about getting out from under a PTC lapbar...

The ladder was probably locked off, to prevent unauthorized use.....

It's crazy that the track is so low, where people are. I assume though that this one doesn't have the same ridiculous control system with a million switches triggered by a plate prone to breaking off.

Surprises me somewhat that regular posters on this site would be anxious watching that video. Was it a stupid stunt? Absolutely. Illegal? Yep. Something I couldn't watch? Not at all. Given how much he was huffing and puffing when he first got on the track, I was surprised he made it to the top. Takes a lot of strength and stamina to do that. Maybe the anxiety difference explains some of the coasters people here really like that I find big time shoulder shrugs. LOL

Seems crazy to me that the track is that low to the ground with only a 2-3 foot fence to step over. Maybe they have fewer stupid people there or their liability laws are different than in the US (or both).

Looked like he put his chute on at the top? Would have thought he would have been wearing it the entire time in case he fell off. At that point, being closer to the ground would have probably made it worse in terms of not enough time for chute to open.

I would totally do that. Would need to be park sanctioned event though. And with a safety harness. :)

Fear of heights is more complicated than that. I'm good on airplanes or strapped into a roller coaster. But if you opened the airplane door? That totally changes the equation. This guy is free climbing a ride, with nothing keeping him alive other than his grip. It's not even in the same category of heights.

BrettV:

Speaking of anxiety filled coaster videos

I've always wondered what a park does with someone like that. It's funny, but the dude is also becoming a danger to himself.

Like, what's the protocol for how to handle someone who completely wigs out at the top of Millennium?

Guess my surprise resulted more from anxiety caused by watching the video moreso than distinctions between fear of heights as a general matter and fear of heights outside a controlled environment. Watching someone you do not know do something on a video isn't even in the same category as doing said thing yourself. At least to me.

Presumably one of the reasons why Cedar Point sends up the evacuation cart on Millennium in circumstances when no evacuation is expected is to see how people in the train stuck on the lift hill are doing. Can provide some reassurance of safety which may help someone freaking out. And if need be, you could evacuate someone who is still freaking out. Though get too many on a train (and some people who were initially calm may start to freak out themselves seeing someone else freak out) and it may become a big problem. Ultimately, there is much greater risk getting out of the train on the lift hill than there is waiting and completing the circuit inside the train when the issue is resolved. Tough time convincing some people of that though (but we have a tough time convincing a lot of people of a lot of truths ultimately).

I blame people like the guy in that second video for ruining good coaster restraints. Some coasters do not need the modern, totally stapled in, not getting out, etc. restraints. But pretty much every coaster (at least those with lift hills) has a chance of stopping on the lift hill for some period of time.

GoBucks89:

Watching someone you do not know do something on a video isn't even in the same category as doing said thing yourself.

Of course. But, as with POV videos of roller coasters, do you not attempt to imagine yourself experiencing what you're watching? That's what got me--the thought of scaling 370 feet of steel track that didn't look particularly easy to hold onto...then at one point he grabbed his phone to (I assume) take a picture while holding onto the track with one hand. I'm not ashamed to admit that my ass involuntarily puckered on multiple occasions.

Jeff:

Fear of heights is more complicated than that. I'm good on airplanes or strapped into a roller coaster.

I feel the same way. I don't know that I fear heights as much as falls. I am perfectly fine on roller coasters, planes, drop towers, etc. where I know the probability of disaster is extremely low. Now, put me on the edge of the Grand Canyon, or a bridge, or more than 3 feet off the ground on a ladder and all bets are off.

Alex Honnold (climbed El Capitan without a rope) has a two part VR series where he solos some big walls in Europe. I watched it seated and still got dizzy when I looked down.

Different people are different. But to me, the idea of comparing an experience of a POV of a coaster to that of actually riding said coaster isn't comparable (at all really). No matter how hard you may lean into the POV as it were. And its a long step further to compare a POV of a coaster to a video of a base jumper. Skill/experience in riding a coaster makes no difference in terms of safety. Could make a difference in terms of comfort or enjoyment (knowing which row/seat to pick, getting restraints "just right," etc). But not to safety.

Skill/experience makes a huge difference in terms of safety in base jumping. George King-Thompson (climber in that video from what I see online) is an experienced base jumper. Climbed multiple 300+ foot buildings without ropes (including the Shard in London which is 1000 ft tall). To extend my lack of base climbing/jumping skill/experience to watching a video of a base jumper (I expect I have watched more base jumper videos -- especially the wingsuit ones--than I have coaster POVs and at this point expect I have watched the video in question (all of 4-5 times at this point) more than I have coaster POVs in the past 6-12 months) to me would mean I would freak out watching a plane landing in a POV from the cockpit because I do not know how to fly/land a plane or an NFL football game from the QB's perspective in terror because I would get destroyed as an old, slow and unathletic guy in that position.

Probably helps explain why I have always preferred amusement parks to theme parks.

And again, I totally get actual fear of heights when outside a controlled situation. Just surprised (as I noted) that watching a video would bring on anxiety. Years ago, people in my group freaked out at how close the mule I was riding was to the edge of the Grand Canyon. It really bothered them (though I was the one on the mule in question). I got my camera out of my pocket and took pictures of the view. My daughter (who was with me on the trip and who I would like to think had a greater interest in my safety than anyone else in the group) thought my mule was definitely close to the edge but she wasn't freaking out about it (in part no doubt as she is an avid horse rider and was thus comfortable that absent suicidal tendencies in the animal, the animal that did the ride every day was comfortable where he was standing). Was an odd experience for me in that people in the group were still bothered about it after the trip was over when I never was.

I think the video itself is well done. Great mix of looking around (taking in the view), looking down (taking in the height) and focused on the climb itself. I am more likely to watch that again than I am a coaster POV.

This one takes awhile, but from my perspective it's 15 (or so) minutes well spent. It's not a POV, but it's real everyday people facing fear head-on. Only loosely connected to the train of thought here, but you all made me think of it.

I use POVs of coasters when doing the phobia therapy thing. For some it's such an intense experience they can only make it part-way through before having to take a break. And this is just sitting in a quiet dark room staring at a screen. This year's class just found out I got an Oculus (sorry, "Meta") to play with. I think I might have to record some of the reactions.

Not sure how many of you have played around with those, but the word "immersive" doesn't do it justice. I just wish CP had more VR POVs of their coasters; only Valravn on their official channel as of now available in 360 mode.

GoBucks89:

Lots of stuff

Cool. Experienced or not, dude can still slip off a track tie and become an asphalt flapjack. And even knowing he didn't before the video started, I was still unnerved watching it. Not sure I can explain why I can watch other crazy videos and not bat an eye, but this one wasn't one of those.