Enthusiasts on Notice
TekGuy said:
What I'd really love to see is seat belts that, when undone, report it to the station, and they know exactly which seat was undone, at what point on the ride, and if it simply came apart, or if the release button was pressed.
This exists - to a degree at least. Earlier this season we got stopped on the lift of Steel Force. A seatbelt had come undone and the train stopped about a 1/4 of the way up the lift. A ride-op came up and knew exactly which seat to check. It was rebuckled and we continued up the lift.
Not sure of the extent of the technology, but the ops in the station knew exactly which seatbelt had come undone before they even came up to check.
------------------
www.coasterimage.com
Dorney Park Visits in 2003: 16
*** This post was edited by Lord Gonchar 9/3/2003 4:41:13 PM ***
------------------
Jeff - Webmaster/Admin - CoasterBuzz.com - Sillynonsense.com
DELETED! What time does the water show start?
The reason they knew exactly what seat to check when they got on the lift is probably because they saw the seat belt was open on the way out of the station and knew right there. If you're suggesting there are any sensors, there aren't (not saying you were suggesting! :)).
As for the original topic, there's really not much else that can be said. I sure do hear a lot of echoes in here, though.
------------------
You suck big time.
We don't need better saftey standards. What we need is more responsibility. The reason we have strict saftey standards is due to a lack of responsibility not a lack of saftey.
------------------
Kevin Stone
NoLimits Roller Coaster Simulator
http://www.nolimitscoaster.de
*** This post was edited by Phyter 9/3/2003 4:56:02 PM ***
How do I know?
It was my seatbelt :) Purely accidental - I think I rested my elbow on the release when I went to hold my daughter's hand. The ride-op that came up to check the belt forgot which seat it was and the ops in the sation were telling him "2-1" over the speakers on the lift.
Again, I don't claim to understand the technology or even be relaying the info with 100% accuracy, but the belt popped open, I noticed and instantly we stopped. The ops in the station knew it was my seat without leaving the station.
Seems like there was something going down that let them know.
Anyone else know anything about this kind of safety feature and the possibilities?
------------------
www.coasterimage.com
Dorney Park Visits in 2003: 16
What year did this happen?
Joe, who is going to see if there's really somethign there when he visits DP shortly.
------------------
You suck big time.
Surprised the crap out of me to be quite honest. I would've thought (and still do to a degree) that something like that wouldn't be reasonable to impliment. Let me stress again that I might be missing a vital piece of info to explain it. I'm just telling you what happened as I saw it.
I've never felt like a bigger tool in my life, either - everyone just kind of looking at me like "why in the hell did you undo your belt?" - sigh.
------------------
www.coasterimage.com
Dorney Park Visits in 2003: 16
;)
------------------
"I go out at 3 o' clock for a quart of milk and come home to my son treating his body like an amusement park!" - Estelle Costanza
Thank you for having your "banned for life" position. The safety of the enthusiast as well as innocent riders are at stake if people disobey the rules. Just imagine if someone rode unsafely and caused an innocent person to be injured or killed as a result! Ride safe or don't ride at all!
Redman,
Thank you as well for your sympathy. It was more than just frustrating to hear constant questions about what was posted here on Coasterbuzz but worse it was painful to see the hobby and community that I love dearly trashed due to the actions and words of a few individuals who refused to think!
Have fun but ride safe!
Paul Drabek
*** This post was edited by Paul Drabek 9/3/2003 5:56:40 PM ***
There is a sensor on the coaster as it goes up the lift. It consists of a video camera, a monitor in the doghouse, and an alert operator.
Aside from generally adding to the noise, I don't think there is much I can add to this discussion.
I fear that it is going to be a long, long winter.
--Dave Althoff, Jr.
Baseball teams love baseball fans; they want them back over and over. Go to a car or hot rod show, and those being catered to there are the hardcore devotees. Golf show at the local expo mart? They want all the golf enthusiasts there.
Why is it that coaster enthusiasts are the only community generally looked upon with disdain by the field they claim to love?
It's not just one park. It's not just one chain. I've been in a good position in this industry for well over a decade, and don't remember one time that the term "ACE member" wasn't followed by a groan or roll of the eyes.
Many people here are being nice by saying that "it's a few rotten apples that spoil the whole bunch." No, it's not. It's a bunch of rotten apples. Everyone who looks the other way when someone sneaks a camera on board. Everyone who arches their backs to squeeze in extra room. Everyone who complains about not getting one last ride at 12:15 when the event ended at 12, and the park closed at 10. I am currently pointing my finger at you! You brought it to this. You'll be the first to complain when your privleges are removed. You'll be the last person we miss.
I applaud Jeff's no tolerance stance. If ACE were to do the same thing, I'm sure they'd gain a whole hell of a lot of respect in the industry really quickly.
Moan all you want about "it's not me, it's them." When the hatchet comes down, you'll both be cut off.
This is probably why I always hesitate to call myself an enthusiast. I think of myself more as a fan of amusement parks.
------------------
Rejection is one thing, but rejection from a fool is cruel!
-Morrissey
------------------
Jeff-Jeff
*** This post was edited by Jeff Finazzo 9/3/2003 7:07:10 PM ***
I guess if it is such a problem, why don't ride ops make sure the lap bars are at a proper level. I have respect for ops, and I think if they see something a little suspicious they should say ride right or the train doesn't leave the station. This might not be the best pr for friendlyness, but it's the rule.
Second, I wonder how much of media exposure has caused some of this. You see those tv shows with the people breaking the coaster record in one day by getting exclusive ride time and such, and wonder how many people think that they are entitled to that treatment.
This might not be the best day for enthusiasts, but if people just remember why they like coasters then things should be all right. It's not about being better than anyone else or entitlted to anything. It's about having fun. If people have other agends, then they just are truley sad, and are wasting their time. That is enough on this extensive subject out of me.
But, for this "cultural shift" within the community to happen, and for the repairing of the rift between coaster clubs and parks to take place, we need to do more than just pull down the lapbar and tighten the seatbelt (although that would be a great start). Looking at the big picture, we just need to get over ourselves! Fix the attitudes! Notice here I'm saying "we." Even if you think you're not part of the problem, watch your actions at parks and make sure you're not.
------------------
- Chris
I put the "D" in DDR.
However maybe that statement will wake some people up. I know I play by the rules. I read the signs, and keep all body parts in the train at all times. I never re-ride unless allowed to, and make sure all seat belts are fastened. Finally all restraints go down as far as they could without cutting off blood flow to my body. Parks go out of their way to provide us with special events to do what we love. I hope this has not spoiled any future events for our community.
MooreOn said:
...This is about more than unsafe riding practices--this is about the whole underlying attitude of many "enthusiasses" who think they are divinely privileged park patrons. Riding unsafely is just one, albeit the most alarming, symptom of this attitude... other symptoms, from [complaining] because ERT isn't "good" enough, to expecting undeserved perks from parks.
One of my "favorite" stories happened this summer:
This was at an enthusiast event, where the riders of a certain club were given morning and evening ERT, behind the scenes access, a private dining area (and food), among other things:
When the people were done eating, they were having some sort of raffle. They had a park employee call on the radio to the PR department to ask where their door prizes were. They were promised door prizes. The PR rep explained that they were tied up with another park issue, and would be down to greet the "enthusiasts" as soon as they were free. These people must have flagged down every park person they saw with a radio. Every 3 or 4 minutes literally there was someone calling on the radio. "These people are really getting angry down here. They fininshed eating and they want their door prizes now."
Imagine the pompousness of that. "Not only do we deserve a bunch of free stuff, but we want it on our own timetable, wether or not it inconveniences you or your business which we claim to love. We want more, and we want it now."
------------------
Rejection is one thing, but rejection from a fool is cruel!
-Morrissey
I really feel like this is just another expression of the theory of nobody and people feel like they will be validated by going to the park and showing how much better than the "average family" they are (by cutting, by quoting stats, etc.)
I will be the first to admit that at one point I really felt validated by going to a park and spewing stats off to people as if it made me cool, but then I realized that nobody cared except me and it just made me look even worse.
I find it sad, but not surprising that parks have negative feelings towards such patrons.
------------------
Be polite and ignore the idiots. - rollergator
"It's not a Toomer" - Arnold Schwartzenkoph
"Those who know don't talk and those who talk don't know." -Jeff
The only way that could have been accomplished *sans sensors* is if they saw the girl on the monitors...I guess that is a possibility, although it certainly SEEMS remote...
You must be logged in to post
