I'm beginning to hate lapbars of almost any type

The only lap bars that have hurt me are on the Gtrains that CCI used on the later projects -- that and SOB's trains

I usually end up painfully stapled on Racer at PKI and Son of Beast, no matter how far I try to push it down before the ride starts.

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matt. said:
I'd rather be underneath a tight lapbar than a loose horse collar!

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Anyone have any problems with the horse collar on Demon Drop? It clicked twice on the curve of the drop on me. I couldn't wait to get off.

Intamin Fan:

I am assuming since you are 5ft 8", you are sliding forward in your seat when the lapbar comes down another notch. Is this why it presses against your stomach?

Being tall on some of these rides can be torture to. I noticed with the PTC lapbars, the side bar that on the outside of the seat that supports the lapbar bangs my leg on the upper thigh. The Beast recently left me with a huge welt on my right leg.

SOB, and I don't know why I rode it again, is just absolute murder on a tall rider like myself. That metal grab bar is evil. My hands have to protect my knees from that bar or I walk off that ride limping big time.

You know what lapbars hurt? S&S Screamin Swing's, especially when the ride-op jumps in the air to get more force in stapling you (Thanks CP!)

I don't think I'm sliding forward in my seat, it just seems to happen anytime there's a strong moment of downward force. On the weeklong trip I don't believe I rode any of the woodies with my hands up, because I rode several new ones and some ones I had ridden four years ago that I'm not real familiar with.

On the Beast the other night, I believe it happened not on the first drop, but at the bottom of the second hill. Funny though, I think it only happened during the ERT riding in the middle of the train (I believe?). Unfortunately, I don't recall where it happened on the Voyage.

But, I can tell you exactly where it happened on the coaster that sent me to the ER:(

edit: Geewhzz just brought up another of the most hateful lapbar designs–the S&S design I've only experienced on Eruption. I couldn't wait to get off. *** Edited 6/20/2006 5:19:17 AM UTC by Intamin Fan***

Still trying to figure out how a lapbar coming down and stapling you would send you to the ER.

Not saying it didn't happen, but if you wouldn't mind, could you explain further what happened?

I'm almost the same size, too, at 5'9", ~160 lbs., and have had a few lapbars lower an extra click mid-ride. However, I can't say it ever ruined my ride. Just a suggestion--can you place one hand (or wrist) between the bar and the top of your leg while riding so the bar can't come down any further?

By the way, why so tight-lipped about the coaster that sent you to the hospital?

The reason I'm being tight-lipped about the coaster that sent me to the ER is because I may be considering litigation. I'm worried that if I talk about it online right now that it might be a bad move on my part. My only reasons for litigation are for a) to cover medical bills and b) to make sure no one ever experiences what I did again

I still have another test to go before I can absolutely say that I had no pre-existing conditions that would've made me wrong for riding it in the first place. On Wednesday, I'm getting an echo cardiogram. Face it, even with health insurance, it still might be very expensive for the ambulance ride, the blood samples analysis, chest X-ray, plus Wednesday's test.

By the way, there is a clue further up the page (not mine).

The notching down of B&M OTSRs can be really painful for me, as my back is a little to tall for the restraint system, so my spine gets crammed into a curve if it clicks down too much, which makes standing vertical Gs unharmed more difficult.

I must admit though, most of the time it was the ride-ops who ignored my helpless objections and sad faces pressing down on the thing another notch until my shoulders bleed. (most of the time this doesn't happen though) :)
So - should I never ride my beloved B&Ms again?

Also, remember the famous accordeon-type restraints still employed on some Schwarzkopfs these days, they tend to come down on you as well in heavy G sections.

I find lap bars can be ok if their touching sourface is big enough. Pure metal bars (maybe with some worn-off foam covering) are the worst.

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Intamin Fan said:
I'm worried that if I talk about it online right now that it might be a bad move on my part.

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Isn't that essentially what you're doing anyway? Talking about it online?

^No, because I haven't mentioned yet a) what ride it was b) exactly what happened and c) what park it occured at

Am I the only fatty that wishes all lapbars were also telescopic? And why, on Beast, is it obvious that I would never be able to get out of my seat yet the ops always say "That's gotta' come down one more"? Now that's being stapled! I know why but I don't have to like it!

I could not agree more. Lap bars are becoming a really big sore spot for me- figuratively AND literally.

I understand the need for lap bars, and I even understand the reasons why parks and insurance companies are big on lap bars of the ratcheting kind. But there are good ratcheting bars and bad ratcheting bars, just like there are good ride ops and not-so-good ride ops.

Knoebels Twister has ratcheting lap bars but they have stiff return springs that keep them from dropping during the ride. They also have ride ops that don't shove them into your stomach as if they were trying to force all your organs to bleed together. Knoebels Twister is a thoroughly enjoyable ride, despite the ratcheting lap bars. And it has no seat belts.

I have been on quite a few coasters as of late (many at parks and near parks that were a highlight for many enthusiasts within the past month) and certain ride ops on certain rides were pushing the bars too far down. They seem to forget that it's a LAP bar and not a STOMACH bar. Just because it is resting nicely in the lap does not been it needs to be pushed down another click or two. I fail to see how an inch or so of movement during the ride is going to hurt anyone more than having their bones and organs compressed to the point of hideous discomfort. There is no need for ride ops to do that, and you'll never convince me otherwise.

But a lot also has to do with the design of the trains and the restraints themselves. Stiff return springs- is that too much to ask? And I don't buy Jeff's arguement for a second- a bar can come down another click or two or three even if it's snug in the station. Coasters throw you around and if you get thrown a certain way, the bar will tighten and create more discomfort when your body tries to return to its original position. Many PTC cars need stiffer springs. And GCII's Millennium Flyers, which are absolutely beautiful trains, need them installed in the first place. Rumbler and Lightning Racer are great but I find myself fighting with the restraints a lot, trying to keep them from cutting me in half. At least those trains have seatbelts that span both seats, which makes things a LOT easier.

There are many good rides out there that would be a lot better with better restraints. And I'm with Intamin Fan- I can't rate a ride on what it's SUPPOSED to do- I rate a ride on what I experience. A coaster can promise all the things in the world and it might be capable of fulfilling those promises but if I can't enjoy them because of the restraints, I have to factor that in.

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Marky Mark said:
Am I the only fatty that wishes all lapbars were also telescopic? And why, on Beast, is it obvious that I would never be able to get out of my seat yet the ops always say "That's gotta' come down one more"? Now that's being stapled! I know why but I don't have to like it!

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How many clicks are you getting it down? A few parks have a policy that the lap bar must be lowered so that the horizontal peice must at least be partially obscured by the coaster train when viewed at profile. I believe that point is 2 or 3 clicks on a PTC.

I don't understand how the same PTC bars that have been around for ages are suddenly evil. If anyone is looking for sympathy, I guess you won't get it from me.

Well quite honestly, To have a PTC ratcheting lapbar in the proper possition on everyone, The bar would have to be telescpic.

The proper possition is the upper thigh, Not the crotch, Not the gut, not the lower thigh but right where the seatbelt would lie

I've always found those lapbars evil. They didn't just suddenly go all Republican. (Or all Democrat if that's your fancy.)

They've been evil for years, and I don't think anyone is looking for sympathy, we're just expressing our opinions.

The PTC ratcheting lap bars were designed as a "fix" to something some coaster operator wasn't happy with (I forget which park it was). It's obvious that PTC's rolling stock wasn't designed to accomodate the fix and it's led to many examples of these "incorrect" trains being built. The lap bars pivot from a point that causes them to end up in weird places on many riders, the bars are bent inwards towards the rider (pushing his/her legs into the center of the train at a weird angle) and the return springs prevent the restraint from maintaining its position.

Maybe the complaints are louder now because there are intense coasters that better exploit these shortcomings?

I agree that the lapbars should have stiffer return springs. This is where a lot of PTCs and GCIs seem to fail. PKD used to tighten them pretty good--why don't all parks do this?

I usually end up riding PTCs with one of my legs pushing up against the bar so that it doesn't drop any farther. This can leave me sore sometimes, but I don't want my ride ruined. And I usually ride the GCI trains with both hands down on the bar to keep it from dropping. By the way, I'm almost 6'4". I usually ride the B&M hyper trains similar to the GCIs.

I would suggest that parks have tight springs if they have ratcheting bars. What would also be nice is if they had hydraulic ones like MF and SROS. They pretty much stay put where you leave them.

SoB really hurt when I rode it (at least the one time), and part of that was because I got stapled by the lapbar and then shaken a lot--not pleasant on the abdomen.

The Premier ones work good on looping coasters, but I don't know how well they'd do for an airtime non-looper. I think TTD or Xcellerator style seats might be ok. *** Edited 6/20/2006 3:15:15 PM UTC by rablat5***