Debris Catchers

Is there any type catcher or protection device that keeps bugs and leaves from flying into peeps's faces?  I mean, there probably have been a couple of bugs at the bottom on MF's first drop right?  Well, wouldn't it be a bit painful if one of those bugs flew into your face?  Not to mention disgusting.

on Hypersonic, they have a "windshield", but it only goes up to your shoulders.
-----------------
Up Your Nose With a Rubber Hose!

That is why I personally recommend eye protection when riding high-speed coasters. Because no, there is nothing to keep airborne crap from colliding with the train. Don't believe me? Look for reports of Media Day for Apollo's Chariot at Busch Gardens Williamsburg. (Sorry, CoasterBuzz hasn't been around long enough to have that in the news section).

Crap catchers are frequently employed for places where rides cross over pedestrian walkways or other rides. Arrow suspended coasters have crap-catchers under the wheel assemblies so that grease, dirt, water, and broken parts don't land on the passengers. You'll frequently see netting, tunnels, grilles, and other crap-catchers used on coasters. A famous example is the boards covering the track-ties on the lower turnaround on the Phoenix at Knoebel's. A far more obvious example is all that netting around the track on the Legend where the track goes over the waterpark and over other sections of the ride.

--Dave Althoff, Jr.

The Legend also has solid flooring on the track where it passes over the queue....I assumed this was to catch grease.

PKI's Vortex has a large amount of netting on the first big curve that travels over LaRosa's Pizza.  I heard it was also to keep birds' nests off.

-----------------
You can't spell "dishonorable" without "honorable."

You'll also find these "crap catchers" (nice term, Dave) on Kumba where the ride passes over the Congo River Rapids.  I recommend glasses with croakies on EVERY ride...but then again, I'd see very little without 'em...;~)!
-----------------
the buzzer formerly known as gatorwoodie
Son of Drop Zone - PKI CoasterCamp I Champions!!!

I used to wear glasses on every ride 'til I got contacts.  The worry of losing my glasses was replaced with the worry of my contacts flying out AND the worry of getting a may fly in the retina.

Funny Story:  First time I wore my contacts to PKI, I rode the Plunge, a huge, steep waterslide.  When I got to the bottom, I had lost my contacts.  I wandered around blindly for 15 minutes or so, and then...with an audible .....SQUIP....simultaneously, they both slid down over my eyes from someplace deep within my head.  Ewww!

-----------------
You can't spell "dishonorable" without "honorable."

 Hmm...lessee

Viper at SFMM has a metal cover under the beginning section of the lift where the track dives under it.

Flashback has simply a cover over the queue to protect people from stuff. Riddler has this also.

I'm just sure glad that Cedar Point doesn't impliment these "crap catchers/debris catchers" under some of their coasters... namely Corkscrew. think that it would completely ruin the whole asthetics of that area

Admitted, also haven't heard of nor seen any injuries from falling debris from riders or the trains themselves. The nettings are always empty minus a stray hat here or plush toy here & there.

*** This post was edited by DawgByte II on 11/28/2001. ***

X-Flight NEEDS a crap catcher bigtime! I was walking into the empty line during Fright Fest. A train hit the bottom of the first hill and WHAM! A lighter flew out of someone's shirt pocket and hit the wall below the station. It went into the wall and broke. It could have seriously hurt someone. (X-flight goes how fast?)
-----------------
CP! Still the coaster capital of the world in 2002!
My fellow Americans; Let's Roll!
WoodenCoaster.com

I wouldn't want a shield in front of my face just because of bugs and leaves. There is nothing like the feel of the wind whipping past your face, and a bug shield would ruin that effect.

As a matter of fact, I bought one of my MF ride photos for the fact that I was totally covered in bugs, it's a very funny picture. The only crap catchers needed are the ones under the train, not in front of your face.

-----------------
Do you hear the Rumble at the Lake?......BoulderDash!

That's nothing. Once while waiting in the Batwing que someone lost a shoe which landed on the awning which covers the que line.That is strange though I always thought those things were used for emergency evacuations or something.Like on Mind Eraser you've got one at the base of the lift and another one under the brake run.Thanks for clearing up that little mystery for me.

Actually, at Cedar Point, there are enclosures or other 'crap catchers' to protect non-riders on Blue Streak, Mine Ride, Magnum XL-200, Mean Streak, Raptor, Mantis:TCFKAB, and Millennium Force. You just have to know where to look! :)

--Dave Althoff, Jr.

Hey Dave, you don't need to put a " with the word crap catchers anymore, it's now an official Coasterbuzz term :)
-----------------
CP! Still the coaster capital of the world in 2002!
My fellow Americans; Let's Roll!
WoodenCoaster.com

TrubleMaker said:
Is there any type catcher or protection device that keeps bugs and leaves from flying into peeps's faces?  I mean, there probably have been a couple of bugs at the bottom on MF's first drop right?  Well, wouldn't it be a bit painful if one of those bugs flew into your face?  Not to mention disgusting.

Actually, Cedar Point is well known for bugs on MF.  If all of you remember, there was a show on the Discovery Channel about Cedar Point.  There put a camera on MF during the morning test runs and three bugs hit it.  The ride op that was testing the ride also got hit and he said that bugs are common in the early morning hours during the test runs on MF.  He also said they are usually gone when the park opens for the day. 
-----------------
So...you can't handle a rollercoaster huh? Well...you ARE the Weakest Link! Goodbye!
Number 1 Batwing Fan!

*** This post was edited by scoaster on 11/28/2001. ***

It's MF not MM.

Funny you should mention Magnum.  There are two spots on that ride where you would expect a crapcatcher, but there aren't.   One being the midway near the station.  The other being the access road. 

-----------------
Scott W. Short
mailto:scott@midwestcoastercentral.com
http://www.midwestcoastercentral.com

Didn't Fabio once get hit in the face with a bird on a roller coaster?

Apollo's Chariot. It was a pretty funny picture. Someone posted it here a while ago.
-----------------
CP! Still the coaster capital of the world in 2002!
My fellow Americans; Let's Roll!
WoodenCoaster.com

CNN Story

There's the scoop on Apollo's Cariot's Media Day that Dave mentioned in case you happened to miss it wen it first happened.  Boy, I still can't get over the irony of that....  I mean, has it happened since?  And a whole train of people, and it slams rigt into Fabio's face.  In many ways, laugable.

*** This post was edited by FloridaCoasterRider on 11/28/2001. ***

"The condition of the bird is unknown". LOL!That's a good one.