Dragon Challenge=duel less

Were you trying to copy/paste from word? If so, try pasting into notepad and then do a copy paste from there. I think word wrap needs to be off as well.

Thanks Jason, That is what i was trying to do, I will try your suggestions later.

Talonstruck said:
I just tried to post a trip report about central florida, keeps coming up blank. We were at IOA the day the last "accident" happened. There was security in the que area watching the coaster the entire week before this last "accident" happened. I dont think loose sunglasses caused the injury. I think it was adults tossing pennies at each other.

I hope this isn't true. I have always been a bit concerned while waiting in line for MF, and wondering about pennies being thrown by riders trying to hit those who are waiting along the fence. I feel this way about other rides as well, not just roller coasters.

It wasnt only on this ride it was happening. It was happening on the Hulk and Ripsaw Falls as well. I saw it happen on the Hulk and promptly told a ride op pointed the guy out and he was grabbed by security. We heard him yelling at them about spilling his beer and how rude he was being treated.

Well, he's right. Anytime someone spills your beer, you are absolutely justified in being angry with them.

It's kind of funny on how as kids we're told to not throw rocks (or anything else) at other kids... but then incidents like this happen.

People don't understand the repercussions of their actions; beer aside.

Corkscrew Follies said:
I have always been a bit concerned while waiting in line for MF, and wondering about pennies being thrown by riders trying to hit those who are waiting along the fence.

My concern has always gone the other way, people in line trying to throw things at the train as it goes by.

It absolutely sucks if this is the reason Dragons isn't dueling. I much prefer harsh penalties (like arresting the people doing this and charging them with assault) than to stop the ride from doing what it does so well.

I have never seen people chucking stuff at each other, but if it indeed has been an issue, I'm with CP Chris on this one. Why stop the dueling if it is not a mechanical issue? Why punish everyone else because a couple of people who are one fry short of a happy meal decided it would be a good idea to throw something from a flying train going 60+ miles an hour? I really hope that this is not permanent, that no one was seriously injured, and that those morons (if indeed it was a deliberate act of moronic stupidity) get what is coming to them. Like some fines and a permanent no-admission to the parks.

Fines? How about their community service is to fetch people's hats in the restricted zone.

I don't understand how discontinuing the dueling could possibly help IF indeed the problem is that certain idiots insist on throwing objects at passing trains. Does running one train at a time somehow confuse the moron? Makes no sense at all. We're clearly missing something here, some critical piece of the puzzle....or maybe *I* am the moron? ;)

From what I gathered, the person involved is throwing something from the front seat of the ride as the two trains are entering the vertical loops. Security at the park have been investigating, trying to find the culprit. Once he / she is found, the ride can go back to dueling.

My sources are just from internet chats though, and not from anyone that I personally know.

OhioStater said:
Fines? How about their community service is to fetch people's hats in the restricted zone.

I know I should say, "oh, that's so wrong" and shake my head in disgust, but I got a good chuckle out of it instead. :)

It was certainly meant to induce a chuckle.

Schadenfreude!

The thing is, if this is true, it is infuriating that someone would choose to behave in this way. Off with their head? Of course not. I'm not sure what action would be best, but I would bet someone would be investigating the possibility of criminal charges beyond a "park ban".

OhioStater said:
The thing is, if this is true, it is infuriating that someone would choose to behave in this way. Off with their head? Of course not. I'm not sure what action would be best, but I would bet someone would be investigating the possibility of criminal charges beyond a "park ban".

It should be the same as throwing an object out of or at a car, since the result is basically the same

The park should install camera's the entire ride and in the trains(ie. rip ride and rocket) anyone throwing things should be arrested for depraved indeference (similar to dropping rocks from overpass onto freeway)

Plus personal info turned over to anyone injured so they can sue the individual involved.

Plus they can sell the video's to riders.

bunky666 said:
I have never seen people chucking stuff at each other, but if it indeed has been an issue, I'm with CP Chris on this one. Why stop the dueling if it is not a mechanical issue? Why punish everyone else because a couple of people who are one fry short of a happy meal decided it would be a good idea to throw something from a flying train going 60+ miles an hour? I really hope that this is not permanent, that no one was seriously injured, and that those morons (if indeed it was a deliberate act of moronic stupidity) get what is coming to them. Like some fines and a permanent no-admission to the parks.

The problem is - if the park knows this is an issue, they let the ride run as normal and the same thing happens again, it's lawsuit time! As usual, the morons spoil it for the rest of us.

We have just returned to the UK after spending the last few days at Universal - the pacing of the two dragons was leaving nothing to chance - it looked like they were letting one side pretty much clear the track before releasing the other side from the station. This resulted in very slow operations - occasionally almost 15 minutes from the point where you make your choice. The rides were still great but certainly lost a good bit of their edge by running separately.

I am assuming the lap bars on Ripsaw falls are a response to a previous "issue". The only way I was able to ride (6'6" tall) was to get wedged in and ensure there was no - one in the space in front. Getting out was almost impossible, a quick lesson in contortionism was required. It must be easier to neuter the rides than to deal with the underlying problems.

If they're going to run it without dueling, I would think it would be just as efficient as before if they were just cycling each side on its own. I can't think of a reason it would be too incredibly slower unless they load both trains at the same time, and then don't send one side until the other clears the lift, and then load the same trains at the same time again. If that's how they're doing it, that makes very little sense. Just running them as two separate rides should result in no dueling and no real decrease in efficiency.

When I was there right after the incident happened, they appeared to be doing just that: running the different sides as independent rides. Maybe they were peeking over at the other side to make sure they weren't ready to release a train at the same time but that was it. I never saw them operate in dueling mode so I don't know if there was a change in efficiency. But from what I saw, it seemed like load and dispatch times were normal for any other coaster.

I agree it makes little sense, but at no point were both dragons out on the main track at the same time. They were being loaded as separate rides but there was a lot of waiting in the station, even if the train was ready to go it seemed to sit for a long time.

Then they have changed operations since I was there a couple days after the incident happened. Both trains were out on the course at the same time. Just staggered and not dueling.