"check" - CoasterBuzz

I know Knotts does this, when theycheck the restrains, they will say "check". I want to know do any other Cedar Fair parks, or any other park do this, or is this just a Knotts thing? Thanks :-)

When workers do checks, they first of all check to see if everything is good, then they usually put a thumbs up to signal to the ride operator that everything is checked and ready to go!

Oh God, Knotts was going crazy with the checks before, beginning a few weeks after the perilous plunge accident, as a result of some emergency safety meeting. Check this, check that. Even on rides like Kingdom of the Dinsosaurs and the camp snoopy rides. I think they stopped though, as I only heard a few checks in the past few visits. Knotts really pulls hard to check the restraints anyways (or really pushes them down), so whats the purpose of saying check. I think they stopped doing check since Xcelerator opened back up. I think the only rides I have heard them say check on now are Monte and Hammehead.

Europeans tend to press a button after the check is completed. When operating in a European Six Flags park you must first clear the train by pressing the button, and than giving the thumbs up. When you lower your thumbs before the train has left the station, the operator must immediately hit the e-brake.

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Dutch Coastin' :: European coasters, thrills and theming!

What he means is that after checking each restraint, the operator yells "check." I don't remember them doing this at CP, but then again I probably just don't remember.

Montu001 said:
When workers do checks, they first of all check to see if everything is good, then they usually put a thumbs up to signal to the ride operator that everything is checked and ready to go!

At knotts, as the ride attendents went around the train checking restraints, after each pull/push they would declare a check. Then they would all go to their spots, put up their thumbs, and on some rides (particularly Xcelerator and Perilous Plunge), they go clear 1, 2, 3, etc, there are so many clearing positions (on Xcelerator theres a clear from each position a group of ride attendents/op would stand in, 5 total: purple control booth, yellow contol booth, front right e-stop panel, left back e-stop panel, and then the few ride attendents who stould behind the cubbies). Ghostrider now does the clear 1,2,3 etc. deal, which on some rides is new. Knotts really checks the restraints now.

I suppose you were talking about another CF park?

CoasterFanMatt said:
What he means is that after checking each restraint, the operator yells "check." I don't remember them doing this at CP, but then again I probably just don't remember.

It wasn't a shout, more of a security statement (often a mumble for tired ride attendents) to the rider, "okay, your restraints are all clear".

CP doesn't have any "individual verbal signal" of this type as of last year and 2001. But there are visual signals and verbal signals oh plenty.

A lot of people might not realize that there's a little more to the signaling system on coasters than just checking your section of restraints and then throwing your thumb in the air. There's actually a method to it all that hustle and bustle you see on a busy ride platform.

For example, on a ride such as Magnum or Raptor there are two types of clears - the one that is probably more familiar to people - with arm extended out toward the train and thumb up, and also the "high clear." The "standard" thumbs up must go from front to back. That is to say, if you're checking the back of the train, you're thumb isn't to be up until the people in front of you have their thumb up. When the people on opposite side of the train in the back have thier thumbs up, the dispatch enable button is pressed, and the person on the side closest to controls gives a "high clear" - a thumb high up in the air to the person in controls signaling, "this train is ready to roll."

There are also other signals, both verbal and visual, such as saying, "clear" before the train is dispatched, "HOLD" with a fist in the air, grabbing it with your other hand to hold a train on the way out, and arms crossed in an X to cross the train.

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-Matt
2001 Magnum Crew

It gets pretty confusing. At SFDL its pretty basic. Well on Predator they check the seat belts by going from the back of the station to the front. Then when they make their way to the front. If all seat belts are set each person lifts boths arms and both arms are paralel with the thumbs pointing outward.They check the restraints, run to the back of the station. Thumbs up! "Clear"

Yet at Cedar Point its a bit more confusing. First of all the people on the mic are OUTSIDE of the control room. They check restraints as well. If my memory serves me right, she does the whole spiel checks the trains, thumbs up from everyone and if its ready to go the dude inside the controls says "all clear" and the person on the mic outside of the control room says something like "you got your clear so your going out of here!" or "3,2,1 clear! You are outta here!"

Magnums knocking ceremony is wholenother story.....

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If you want to be happy for a day go to Cedar Point.

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Magnum doesn't use the knocks anymore except one knock signal the control op to lock the lapbars. :( Kind of sad, but with the installation of the co-dispatch button, they went to more of a Raptor style "high-clear" system. I loved the knocks and it made Magnum a unique ride to work, but the new system is okay too once it is learned.

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-Matt
2001 Magnum Crew

Sometimes Knotts doesn't care about the order. It can be clear 3, clear 1, clear 6, clear 4, clear 2, clear 5, "dispatch. please remain seated with you head....". On Perilous Plunge one of the ride attendents gets to ring the bell instead of saying clear.

I was just going to say...Magnum didn't use high clears until they installed a co-dispatch at a position where the operator can't see the whole train. I still don't understand why they didn't put the co-dispatch/gate console on the front wall of the doghouse.

I've seen "Magnum knocks" used on other CP coasters as well, but I don't think it was quite as formal.

What gets me is that the sign now used in many parks for "cross track" is the same signal that traditionally means "STOP, DAMMIT!!!!!"...traditionally if you wanted to cross the track you point across the track and wait for the control op to acknowledge...

Merry Christmas!
--Dave Althoff, Jr.

What was hilarious at KBF was the person working the Hammerhead (seats are in a Topspin-ish gondola) was going down each of the 3 rows saying "check" TO HIMSELF as he checked each harness. Overkill, anyone?

How do you know he was saying it to himself?

On Mantis they go "Ready." "Ready ready." "Ready ready ready." etc

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Säubern Sie mit Milch? ;)

Oh the good old days Dave. Back at old Geauga Lake we would just jump over the track, even on the monorail where the third rail could kill you. We were stupid and I am sure OSHA would have died if they knew the crazy, stupid things we did.

Yeah but on mantis, they have to check two things, the restraint and the seat. There is always someone who doesnt know how to do the seat, so the ride operator always ends up unlocking rows of seats to adjust them properly. They go ready ready for each row, and then the ones with problems they say stuff like "Rows 3, 5, and 7" then they unlock those rows and then re-lock them, etc. until the train is good.

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"Launching in 1,2,3..2..1"
-Wicked Twister Ride Op.

Funny thing about *crossing over*. We noticed last time at USF/IoA that both "kiddie coasters" use the last car as a walk-thru platform for the ops to SAFELY cross tracks. Sure it hurts capacity a little, but it IS much safer that way...(you can't possibly know how much I want to ride on that platform on Flying Unicorn, but that's a whole other topic, lol). Haven't noticed it on other kiddie coasters, perhaps I'm just not as *observant* as I thought...anyone notice these "platforms" on other rides?

Well, unless he was saying it to the guests, he was the only one working the ride. Who else would he be saying it to?

Spacecase8310 said:
What was hilarious at KBF was the person working the Hammerhead (seats are in a Topspin-ish gondola) was going down each of the 3 rows saying "check" TO HIMSELF as he checked each harness. Overkill, anyone?

Thats the whole "check system". As the ride attendent checks EACH rider, she/he says "check". So as they check the restraints its check, check, check, check.... Thats what they were required to say a while ago. They do still say it on Hammerhead sometimes, but even the kiddie rides had it before, as well as all the roller coasters.

Crossing through the last row of seats is much safer than crossing over the back of the train, almost over the tracks. I've seen this done on Montezummas Revenge, Bommerang, and I heard some ride op did it on Ghostrider.

Just in case anyone was wondering "what on Earth is 'gator talking about NOW", here is a pic that shows *the platform* I was referring to: http://www.rcdb.com/installationgallery703.htm?Picture=3