I think it's about time we discussed this.....

Anyone see the news the other night? A ship that was built in the 1940's sank because of the weight it was carrying.. the maximum of people allowed on the ship was from 60+ years ago and the people now on average are considerably larger. And yes it's mainly our country.. like the people who sue McDonalds b/c it made them bigger. And I do sympathize for the thyroid problems.. it runs in my family too.. but i agree that if you don't fit it'll make you extremely motivated to lose weight- I know it would for me.. so you can blame oversized portions and our tv watching, video game playing society... not the companies

I know most companies don't really accomidate taller people, but the pure physics of it can be dangerous- that's why they have maximums- not because they are trying to discriminate.

didnt mean to come off harsh.. but if the ride restricts you (not because of height).. maybe that will make people see that that will be the worst of theyre problems and they should start thinking about theyre health...

Cara

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WildThingNative said:Is it true that B&M's provide an "oversized" seat on their trains. I thought I saw a mention of this in another thread. Haven't seen them...never looked to find out.

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On some inverts and floorless coasters they have them. The seat size is the same but there are 2 seatbelts that are on slight angles rather than 1 in the middle. It isn't really noticeable unless you are specifically looking for it as people who don't need the larger seat use them since it anyone who can fit in a regular seat can also use the larger seat as well.

I'm 6'3, 240 lbs and believe me, my work keeps me pretty active! I clean planes and the airline I work for has everything... from little 37 seats turbo prop planes (which are actually tall enough for me, go figure!), Bombardier 50 seats jets (anyone over 5'9-5'10 can't walk straight on those) to large Airbus 330-340.

The only coasters that give me problems are the Supermanege at La ronde, which use the old narrow Arrow trains with a huge headrest, the Mack Wild Mouse at DCA and the stand up coaster at La Ronde.

Intamin rides are designed to be high-energy, and often high-force rides. Do you really want Intamin to become lifeless like B&M has? Of course B&M can fit larger people because they have gigantic trains! You couldnt put B&M trains on an Intamin design and have it be able to do the same maneuvers it wants to.
I realize some people are just all, or oddly shaped. That's a sad condition considering you are coaster fans, but when designing a coaster, you have to keep the VAST average in mind, not the few ACErs who are often misshapen. Should we be complaining that coasters cant handle toddlers? Easily enough a special seat could be designed for small children.

I'm overweight and I have fit in every coaster I have ever attempted to ride. And from my sig, you can see that I've been around the block. Overweight is one thing. Obese is another altogether. For my height/age I should weigh 175 and I'm 200. Though I wouldn't consider myself "fat", I am overweight.

Take a look at the following chart. Based on where these coasters are made, It's no wonder many americans are having problems fitting in.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Bmi30chart.png

I'm really suprised that no one has attacked Huss--yet. Anyone whose ridden a regular/portable Top Spin knows that there is very little room in those seats. The regular Frisbees are no better.

I don't know LG about overweight people being the next target. I think if anything, there's a lot of accomodation. For example, if you go to your local Wal-Mart, you only have to pay $2 extra for a 4x-shirt. And then there was that Time Magazine article a few months back that talked about the growing (pun intended) industry geared towards the obese person. It mentioned a toilet-seat that will hold up to 1200 lbs (it's called the Big John!) and a casket maker that will accomodate the Wal-Mart shopper who needs the 4x-shirt.

But Huss is German. Germans are fat. That can't be a problem with them! ;)

I've, of course no sympathy for those who cannot fit in a ride. I say this as a guy who occasionally lets himself get too fat (like right now), and then busts his butt to return to a more healthy range. I actually despise ANYBODY who holds up a line because they are too fat and/or too dumb to properly use the restraints. It is the BEHAVIOR (holding up the line) that irks me.

I believe park operations should take those who hold up the lines and have them practice at a dummy seat (should be required) until they aquire the skills, and/or reach a weight needed to board in a reasonable manner. Then they should be sent to the back of the line to try again.

I do, however, have all the patience in the world for those who are disabled. Sadly, we have a large portion of society who abuse "disabled" status. I cannot tell you how many people used to come into my clinic (when I worked out-patient) seeking handicaped parking status (and other medical equipment such as scooters and lift chairs at Medicare or private insurance expense of course) for no other reason than gross obesity. Sadly, the policies of the clinic made it such that I had no choice but to oblige. So now I have to be cynical about every obese person I see in an electric scooter.

All of this being said...I would think that it would just make good business sense for ride manufacturers and parks to design/provide rides that fit the population they serve. If society is getting fatter, it only makes sense that rides should accomodate this fact...no? Unless, of course amusement parks have decided to be socially responsible at the expense of profit. :-)

*** Edited 7/27/2006 12:23:03 AM UTC by Jeffrey R Smith***

im sorry but overweight people disgust me and they should know this. do something about it...

I agree mike, I have very little simpathy for overweight people. I know several and they all complain about how overweight they are but all they do is sit and watch tv. Losing weight is not hard. Eat a blanced meal (u can eat alot just keep it balanced) and do some exercise. you dont have ot go to the gym for 4 hours a day. if you go for 1 hour every other day and really work hard that is more than enough. It'll be along time before I give any sympathy.

Also people complain that Intamin doesnt catter to them. Why should they. its YOUR fault you are overweight not theirs.

While I'll agree a lot of people (Not just coaster enthusiast) are overweight, Including yours truely.

I HAVE TO SAY THIS!

It's TOTAL BS THAT A 5'11" 205 pd man gets a hassle to ride MF. A man that looks not a pd overweight and is actually only about 20 pds overweight by military standards.

FIX IT OR TAER IT DOWN! Thats my opinion, You can take it or leave it.

Chuck, who's lost 30pds and has a lot more to go before I could ever even think about riding MF again but I could safely two years ago at the weight im at.

Of course it's that easy. You're 20 years old. I really hope you end up as a fat ass when you're in your 50's. Then all the 20 years olds can tell you what a piece of crap you are.

While my mother is not obese, she is 20-25 pounds overweight. She's done just about every diet under the sun, she works out EVERY DAY for 1 hour, eats a more balanced meal than my sister (who's a stick figure) and she's always has a 5 pound fluctuation. It comes it goes, but it's never more than that. BUT apparently it's not hard, you said so.

Me on the other hand. I know it's my fault, but I'm not complaining either. I don't want/need any of your sympathy.

I have just about as much sympathy for fat people who can't fit on coaster as I do for smokers who die of lung cancer. Goodbye!

Losing weight is not hard.

As someone who just dropped 40 pounds I can tell you that is NOT correct. Losing weight is hard work...if it was easy then a lot of overweight people would not weight as much as they do.

As for not having sympathy one needs to remember that not all fat people are lazy. There are many medical conditions -- case in point the thyroid problem that BeccaRaptor mentioned on page 1 -- that make it even more difficult than normal to lose and maintain weight.

Perhaps if we all had sympathy for all humans regardless of body size, race, gender, sexuality, religion, etc this world would be a better place to live.

mOOSH

NOTE to those of you saying you have no sympathy for overweight people: do not EVER introduce yourself to me at a park or event...I want nothing to do with someone so callous!

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john peck said:

Remember... SOME European culture has very little obesity, therefore many of the European rides have tighter conditions.

Look at Arrow, Morgan and Chance. The designed rides for Americans first, because well, they tested Americans in each car.. from big to small.

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True, but Intamin sells a good portion of their rides in America so their rides should be designed to accomodate some portion of larger riders. As you stated later in your post, companies have to adapt their products to the markets in which they sell them.

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Now, since Honda has grown up so much in this country, many of our culture has been reflected in the new Honda products... Bigger Cabins, more cup holders, V6 transmissions... things Honda never built in the past.

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Very true. So true, in fact, that the last generation of Honda Accord was made larger for the U.S. market while a different Accord was designed for most Asian and European markets that didn't want the larger Accord. Honda eventually brought that Accord to the U.S. market as the Acura TSX (yeah, I'm a car geek as well).

MAGXL200: Screw you, and everyone else that thinks all overweight people need to stop eating and get off the couch, or whatever your "it's this simple" comment happens to be. Not everyone is born with a great metabolism and there are MANY reasons why someone who is somewhat active and eats fairly right can have a weight problem. And as Moosh said, dropping weight isn't always as easy as avoiding the ice cream and taking a walk- weight loss is often a very difficult thing, even if it's 10 or 20 pounds. Good for you as you must have been blessed with a good metabolism... bad for you that you weren't blessed with an equal amount of intelligence. You give ten-year-olds a bad rep.

*** Edited 7/27/2006 3:03:29 AM UTC by Rob Ascough***

Amazing...this just happened to me yesterday at CP on MF....

Keep in mind, I am fat/overweight and I know that I am fat/overweight, but I am nowhere near obese....However, I play basketball 3 days a week and workout often. I am a 6'0" 230 pound 19 year old with a 37/38 inch waist.....apparently I am shaped funny, because I saw much larger people ride MF yesterday.

I have no problem that Intamin has safety standards, but I do know that I have never been unable to get on a ride(sans yesterday).

I walked past the test seat, because I had never been to CP before and the thought never crossed my mind that I wouldn't fit. Needless to say, I didn't fit and was asked to leave the ride.

I then watched the line while my friends rode. 7 people were asked to try the seat by an employee during the 5 minutes that I watched the ride. I then tried pretended to get in line again, and once again I was not asked by the park employee to try the seat.

At any rate, I was really mad....give me a sign that says "Slightly overweight people need to try this seat"...or at least give me some kind of a warning.

I fit on every other ride at the park(Even TTD)

On another note, I will return to the park next year and ride MF as I will lose some of the extra pounds I am carrying...This will be a challenge, but yesterday gave me the motivation I need to do it..Not to mention that I went to college at 235 pounds...got down to about 211 and then sadly put the pounds back on....

Anyways, do you think I should complain to CP about not being asked to try the seat...I understand that I may be much fatter than I look, but I still don't think that is an excuse for me not being warned at all about the ride.

Oh....I realize I'm a noob...you don't have to flame me....just respond....thanks

tall people disgust me too, i mean whats the deal? why so tall?

(says the one who is 6'4)

Waste really isn't he problem, it's the gut, if the restraint can't touch your hips, you're out. I'm 170 and 5'10" (I'm working on bring that down, the weight that is ;) ) and can fit in anything. I'm restraining myself from eating crap, working out, and most importantly, not just sitting around a lot.

Some people burn calories like crazy, some people like me need to get out, and some people just can't due to health problems. If you complain about not fitting into Millie and then go to KFC and finish off a tub of chicken, then grow up. If you work your butt off and are helpless in losing weight, then I understand.

Grouping people together is bad, whether it be fat, skinny, etc, people or by race, gender, or sexual orientation.

Waste really isn't he problem, it's the gut

Some typos are funny! I assume you meant waist?

I am not complaining, nor do I need to grow up.

I am an average person...I workout fairly often and I eat regular food(however not nearly as healthy as it should be)

I am just wondering if I should do something about not being asked to sit in the seat when I saw many others directed to the seat by an employee...

Believe it or not, not all overweight people sit around all day and down a bag of chips while watching movies...Some live normal lives that include working out, college, work, and other numerous things.