Ever almost fall out of a coaster?

When I was 14 years old (or so). I went to the fair in Memphis. This fair is HUGE! Libertyland is involved with it. So I ran over and jumped on one of my favorite woodies Zippen Pippen. I grabbed a front seat. I don't know what happened but somehow my lap bar did not lock. (The op sent the ride on). Going down the first hill, holding onto the lapbar, while standing up is an experience all in itself!

I remember the first time that I went on FOF, and the brake run brakes where turned up, so it was going throught some of the heavily banked turns extremely slow. And if you remember, the old FOF trains didn't really have anything covering the sides, so that they where very open. I was also on the left side, which made things even worse. I was holding my self up with my waste and trying to rest my legs on something. I was about to let my legs go and see what would happen, but then the ride picked up speed. I was also rather small at the time.

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If you like Wicked Twister in the back, does that mean you like to get screwed in the rear?

This is my first post and I'm sorry to have to begin on a downer, but I really must say that those individuals who deliberately do not properly fasten the saftey restraints on coasters should be ashamed of themselves.

Since such action seems to be motivated by a selfish quest for more airtime, let me put this question to advocates of "one click rides". How would you like it if you'd travelled a long way to ride a coaster only to find it was closed pending an investigation, owing to an accident resulting from a fellow "one click rider?" No coaster in existence provides any airtime when it's non-operational!

However, the more important point is this: taking your own life for granted is one thing, but jepodising the safety of others is just reckless. What if you were thrown from the ride into a crowd of spectators or others waiting in line. What about the emotional consequences for other riders and spectators should a serious accident occur. What about the implications for the future of that ride and indeed, as some contributors have noted, the future of rides in general.

Once again, apologies for starting off on a sour note!

I'll spare the preaching - if an adult chooses to do this, then suffering the consequences is part of the game. Plus, I think we all have ridden with loosened lap bars and belts - I know I have and I also know more than a few times I've stapled that bar as soon as I realized I was too loose.

I just hope all these people who try to slip their kids onto these rides before they meet requirements read this. Look what happened to a grown man who wasn't properly restrained on the ride. Imagine what would have happened to a small child (who also wouldn't be properly restrained if slipping in under requirements) - is it really worth it?

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www.coasterimage.com
Dorney Park visits in 2002: 15

I'm 27. Whether you consider that to be an adult is up to you. I'm a responsible human being who learned a lesson. Did a few of you gloss over that part in addition to the part about not preaching? I'm not glorifying that it happened. I just wanted to know if anything like that had happened to anyone else.

If I were to get flung into a crowd of spectators, the last thing I'd be worried about is the emotional wellbeing of spectators. Call me shallow. ;)

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Why do we fear Mack trucks, but not Mack Wild Mouse coasters?

I'm a little confused JoNoJ27 says he wouldn't sue if he fell out, my question is, would you even be alive? Chances are you wouldn't survive, thus leaving any sueing to be done by your family, and I would guarantee that your family would sue.

This topic brings up my hatred of the single lapbar, I'm 6'3" 250 lbs, and when I ride with my wife she has a lot of airtime room.

i actually did fall out of a coaster once. it was a kiddie coaster at one of those roadside carnival things, but still. i was flirting with the carny chick to get a free ride, and since there wasn't a line, she let me through. i didn't fit into the seat, though, so i sat on top of the lapbar. after about two rotations, i started laughing hysterically and fell out. it was funny watching people crowd around to see what had happened.

allright, i know that's really not what you're talking about here, but it's a fun story nonetheless. maybe it'll learn you a thing or two about flirting with carnies.

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bam!

Whoever I was riding with would know what happened. And all my family and all my friends know how I feel about amusement park liability.

Yep, Friday at Lakemont on Little Leaper.

After great rides on Leap-the-Dips, Skyliner, and Mad Mouse. Brent wanted to ride the kiddie coaster, I was going to just watch but the ride op said come on, so against my no kiddie coaster rule, I boarded the car infront of Brent.

The Bar locked and we preceeded up the lift, the next instant I was looking at the ground and top of the fence, and thinking what a way to die, just as Brent pulled me back in. It was then that I reallized that I was still holding on to the know useless lapbar. I hung on for dear life to the back of the seat for the rest of the ride back to the station. There we saw that the lock cover that was loose when we boarded was now off.

The ride op called maintainance and stopped the ride, no one really asked if i was ok, In fact I skinned both knees, was brused and had blisters on my right hand. A few min. latter during a calmdown ride on L-t-D I noticed that I was bleeding from a gash on my knee.

I went to the aid station and got all fixed up, and we left for Knobles.

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Whats life if you never get to the Po!nt?

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Homey G. said:

I'm 27. Whether you consider that to be an adult is up to you. I'm a responsible human being who learned a lesson.

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Exactly my point. You're an adult and look how close you came to having a serious accident.

I'm hoping your story opens up the eyes of the people who think slipping their kids onto rides they're too small for is acceptable.

As far as the preaching thing - I don't take requests ;)

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www.coasterimage.com
Dorney Park visits in 2002: 15

Wow, with the rides some of you have almost fallen out of, my story is a little weak by comparison. The only ride I've ever come close to falling out of is Jaguar at Knott's before they added the seat belts. The lap bar didn't come down enough to safely hold me in the seat (believe me, I tried to get it to come down a couple inches further, it just wouldn't lock). It's a pretty slow ride, but I was tossed back and forth every time it would come around a turn, at one point I would have been thrown into a tree if I wouldn't have grabbed onto the side of the train when I did.

I always try to pull the lap bar down far enough to safely hold me in, but I also usually leave an inch or two rather than stapling myself.

As far as the one click rides go, let me just say this, if I'm the ride op and I see someone trying to pull that crap, I'd make sure to staple them as hard as I can.

I've nearly been thrown out of a coaster twice on two seperate occasions but both incidents involved the same coaster and train for that matter.

Back in 2000 while riding SFA's Mind eraser I was riding in the blue train, right side, I don't recall which row but when the train was checked before dispatch the restraint appeared to be tight,however by the time the train hit the bottom of the drop it felt as if the restraint had actually unlocked somehow and the only thing holding me in was just the safety strap that buckles into the hand grip.

Then back on may 18th of this year I rode the same coaster again,once again in the blue train this time in row #7 and this time despite asking to be stapled by the ride ops I was once again finding myself hanging on for dear life throughout the entire ride,it was worse than the first incident and as a result I'll never ride in the blue train again.

I don't know what's up with the trains on that coaster but if the park doesn't do something about it soon someone's gonna get hurt.

SFGAm's almost defunct Whizzer was my first and only mishap. As the train moved up the hill, I loosened the seatbelt to the point where it wouldn't matter if I had it on. Needless to say the ride was fine until the final helix where I was so loose, I was bracing the sides of the car with my elbows so I didn't fall out. Now I make sure I have the lapbar/seatbelts low enough for complete safety, and high enough for major airtime. Raging Bull is my favorite for short clicks! It's insanity!

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Take it up a notch, Mr. Operator! I wanna feel my brains in my feet!

Wow….I don’t know which is more surprising, an experience like that actually being possible or the guy who made the mistake actually admitting he was wrong. Now the latter is something you just don’t see too often on these boards. Kudos Homey G, it’s good to hear that there are still people in the world with that rare ability to learn from their mistakes.

I’ve never had an experience like that such that I could have easily come out of the train, but I’ve done the quest for air time thing on every coaster I’ve ridden. On the Legend I was able to lock my legs straight out, but there’s no way I could have gotten out of the restraint had I wanted to. But those drops were awesome – I felt like I was still rising out of my seat at the bottom of the hills. But apparently I was high enough for the lead op to think I was standing up and undoing my seat belt, because he accused me of just that and banned me from the ride.

That original post is a wake-up call to say the least, but it still all comes down to using good judgment when riding. I’ll be a little more careful on rides knowing that such things really can happen, but I’ll always love gross amounts of air time -- and I WANT to ride the GA Cyclone NOW!!!

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PLEASE READ: This post wasn't meant to offend or anger anyone; I apologize in advance if it does. So please don't post a reply just to rant about it.

*** This post was edited by StandUpFan on 7/30/2002. ***

I am sure that it is no surprise to those that have ridden it, but I was nearly thrown out the Big Dipper at Geauga Lake. It wasn't because I didn't use the restraints properly, it was because there is little in the way of restraints. I don't know if it would happen now that they have added all that padding so that you can barely move, and they added that extra bit above the seats. I was feeling brave and decided that I would ride without holding on and quickly found myself grabbing the bar as I sat up on the back edge of the seat.

I think that people who deliberately put themselves in danger by undoing their seat belts are idiots. They are there for your safety, and I think that these people should fall out so that there will be one less idiot in the world.

I have been lucky thus far to not fall out, but I have had SEVERAL opportunities where I put myself at risk with the NO lapbar and NO seatbelt option on one roller coaster.

On Alpengeist, I unbuckled the seatbelt for fun once. As I went down the hill, I felt the seat come up a click, and I was one click away from a bloody, bloody death. I quickly put the seat belt back on. I had awesome airtime though!

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D-Mon of Darkness
LIVE LIVE INVERTED - ALPENGEIST

*** This post was edited by D-MONOFDARKNESS on 7/30/2002. ***

I just can't help but think what this could do to a park's reputation. A rider falls from a coaster train and gets killed. It would not mater if the rider was at fault or not, people probably would not ride that coaster again and they may not visit the park. It could bankrupt a small park. Use some common sense people. This ranks right up there with stuffing kids shoes full of stuff just to get them on a ride.

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The worst day at Cedar Point is better than the best day at work.

I can attest for Dave's situation on Little leaper as I grabbed him. Anyway all of you people must be very very small. I had a couple 2 click rides on Viper at SFGAm and there is no way that I could have gotten myself out ven if I wanted to. I always buckle my seatbelt but never pul it tight and always put my standard two or three clicks on your average PTC train. I am pretty much standing up when I get air but I make sure I cannot possibly fall out of the train.

I am also wondering how the heck somebofy ends up on the floor of an arrow Looper, that is just too damn odd.

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The Beast and Night, They go together like Peanut Butter and Jelly

I felt like I was going to fall out of X flight today at SFWOA the ankle restraint was incredibly loose and I had to hold on extremely tight! Next time I go there I will have to push it down farther. Oh yah and yesterday on Jack Rabbit at Kennywood, the doulbe dip...yikes more airtime than ever before.

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