Correct way to request ride maintenence?

This past weekend at Carowinds, I noticed that once again the Hurler had not been greased sufficiently. It was creating the same horrible screaching sound as opening day and traveling at close to the same, boring speed. Normally, this ride can kick some major ass, but when it's not greased, your but does't even leave the seat. It was'nt temperature because it was later in the evening and obviously had sufficient time to warm up. I, as a park goer, feel that if we pay the price to attend the park, they can spend a little extra money to make the rides enjoyable. When GP complain about a ride lacking airtime, you know its time to fix something. Is there a way to contact someone about this problem? I know the customer service department takes comments but I doubt they are taken very seriously. Any way to talk to a mechanic?

Over the years I have seen people during the daytime ask how to find the Chief Engineer, and either phone him from one of the ride op shacks or actually walk over and go into the office. This has often achieved immediate results.
But Chief Engineers tend to go off duty around 5 pm, and if you have a problem after dark, I doubt you're going to get much done until the next day.

I would assume that any complaint/suggestions filled out at the guest relations office will be taken seriously. Since you mentioned Paramount`s Carowinds, Paramount Parks are trying out a new ffeback website, www.thrillresearch.com They currently have feedback surveys up for each of the five Paramount Parks, and Bonfante Gardens. You can take the survey after each visit to the park, and make suggestions to rides managers and food managers etc. (You are also enetered into a bi-weekly prize contest and can fill out the survey each time you visit the park). It is my understanding that park managers read these all of these customer feed back surveys, every week. Be advised though, that I have had trouble submitting the PKI survey. If you had a complaint and didn`t stop by guest relations, you could fill out the online survey.

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Coney Island (Cincinnati) ride operator
*** This post was edited by coastersrz 6/3/2003 11:07:41 PM ***

Doesn't do much good to grease the track if the heavy rains are going to wash it right back off

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-Vortex Crew 2003-

While I don't exactly know how serious the park is going to take a guest request to grease a coaster more, I do know that Carowinds has a huge guest response program going this year. One person I know made the suggestion that arrows be painted from Drop Zone's 4 queues to each seating section so people wouldn't get confused, and the park did it. Another person I know made a suggestion regarding the music, and now the park is playing movie soundtracks throughought the park instead of songs like Footloose and We Built This City over and over again. They have a great customer service campaign going this year, so keep in mind that when you fill out a form to complain or praise, higher-ups at the park will see it and hear your thoughts.

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/\ Jonathan Hawkins
Starcoasters.com | ThrillSpot
Howard Dean for President!

Thats probably true PCarowinds, but a little can never hurt. It was almost to the HIDEOUS condition that it was in on opening day. I filled out a survey on that thrillresearch site. It's nice to see a site like that, I hope they put it to good use.

Rule #1: Never assume you know more than people who have been running an amusement park for many more years than you have.

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Jeff - Webmaster/Admin - CoasterBuzz.com - Sillynonsense.com
"Pray that your country undergoes recovery!" - KMFDM

One of the reasons that many parks no longer oil or grease wooden coaster tracks is that they probably have run afoul of the EPA. Like what was mentioned above, the grease or oil winds up in the soil under the ride, eventually leaching into the local water table, a big No-No. This can lead to some serious fines, and costly site clean-ups.

I agree with Dutchman. We had to move entire $5 million dollar coaster last season because some grease managed to work its way over 100ft. down the lift hill and into the grass.

You are the reason we double check job applications. Really.

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"Step on the lap bar and make it nice and tight!"

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Jeff said:
Rule #1: Never assume you know more than people who have been running an amusement park for many more years than you have.

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I mean, damn, the day has come when I actually agree with you.

Parks generally know what they're doing. I don't know how Carowinds works, but at the SFOG, crew leaders generally had a good relationship with the maintenance people. If I noticed trains were running slow over at GASM (the panel has a cycle time readout) I would call up the mechs and they would put a touch of oil on the lift and, voila, trains would go faster.

I imagine it's probably a similar setup and Carowinds. The lead is probably going to be a better route to get the track oiled up than going to GR and writing a complaint. The GR folks probably would get a good chuckle out of it, though.

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Is that a Q-bot in your pocket or are you just happy to see me?

It all depends on what you see. If it's something big and obvious like the train squealing so loud that you can hear it on the far end of the park, you're not telling them anything they don't already know. If it's a chain dog that has lost its rub strip and is banging away at the brake calipers, or a hydraulic motor on a Pirat that is spraying into the air at the top of the swing, or a wobbly axle pivot shaft, or a bent wheel spindle, or something like that, it's something that can be identified from aboard the ride, not from the operator's station. So tell the ride operator, or better still the ride foreman. The foreman should check it out, and call the mechanic if necessary.

--Dave Althoff, Jr.

I agree to some extent, but exactly how many Huss Pirates blow hydraulic lines in the middle of a ride?

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"Step on that lapbar and make it nice and tight!"

It wasn't really a blown line; it was a fitting on one of the motors that wasn't correctly attached. From the back seat of the boat, I could see a little fountain coming off of the motor as the drive tire came up (this is a multiple-motor model, unlike the single motor model I rode Sunday). Apparently the motor had been replaced that morning. Anyway, from the back seat was the ONLY place where it could be seen with the ride in operation.

Since it really doesn't matter, I can reveal that this happened at Cedar Point about five or six years ago. Johnson, you should have known the comment was based on a true story! :)

--Dave Althoff, Jr.

Also, if you see any safety issues, you should immediately report them directly to the operators. Last year I had a defective seat belt on a coaster that popped loose half way through the ride. It would have been irresponsible not to report it immediately.

I haven't been on Ocean Motion since 2001, but when I worked there in my younger years, it was great ride to meet girls on, as it is 'community' seating. I am re-thinking what would happen if that fluid actually sprayed everywhere.

I experienced several Wave Swingers 'lose it', with a seal, and the center room is a bit oily.

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"Step on that lapbar and make it nice and tight!"

That's actually the reason the only place the leak was visible was on board the ride. On Ocean Motion, all the hydraulics for the ride mechanism is contained in the enclosed pit beneath the ride, and the pumps are housed in a building down by the beach. A leak can make a mess of the underside of the ride and all over the pit, but that's where it stays...it isn't going to spray all over the riders or the people waiting in line. And the nature of the ride is such that almost any mechanical (as opposed to structural...) failure is 'safe'.

A blown seal on a Wave Swinger? That would be messy. Even messier would be if it happens on a Yo-Yo where all the hydraulics are at the top of the ride in an unenclosed space...

--Dave Althoff, Jr.

I 'experienced' a Yo-Yo whereas the drive chain up top sort of disconnected and crashed down below. Not a pretty site.

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"Step on that lapbar and make it nice and tight!"

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RideMan said:

A blown seal on a Wave Swinger? That would be messy.

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It sure is! ;) And Agent, that center room gets more than "a bit" oily.

Anywho, parks grease rides according to a schedule based on many park, manufacturer and state guidelines. They have quite a bit of experience in doing so. I'm gonna go out on a limb and say if you tell Carowinds to grease the Hurler more because you didn't get enough airtime, that the only positive result will be that the maintenance guys will get a good laugh.

Trust us, we know what we're doing.

(Oh, and they do make environmentally friendly greases and oils by the way... we've used them for years.)

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Come on, fhqwgads!
*** This post was edited by kpjb 6/5/2003 5:06:45 PM ***

The easiest way to request maintenance is to click on each mechanic, and assign them a specific territory. They'll get to each problem quicker, and presumably remain familiar with the ones they are assigned to for the 17 years or so that you keep your park open. Not to mention all the happier peeps! By the way, does it hurt when you are suddenly yanked high into the air by a giant pair of tweezers? .....:)

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The Demon's so demanding, so have this understanding that you're gonna ride......PETRIFIED!
Arrowed!

Only if you're dropped in a nearby pond...

I recommend using the footprint path assignment as well. ;)

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I'm not an enthusiast. I just play one on message boards.