Knott's GhostRider slow down

On the other hand, I wonder if there isn't something else going on. When I rode (after an hour or more of the ride operating in yo-yo mode), GhostRided did stop on the mid course, but when it dropped off of those brakes, the intensity of the airtime coming off the drop there was every bit as strong as any GhostRider ride I had experienced in the past, and certainly better than the similarly-profiled and never trimmed drop on the dearly departed Villain.

Could it be that something got messed up in the last track rehab, and stopping on the mid course is the easiest way to quickly make the coaster safe to ride until they can fix whatever they "broke" in an earlier rehab?

--Dave Althoff, Jr.

I'm hoping it's something along those lines, Dave. It seems odd that the ride would now after all of these years have structural issues considering how over built it was to begin with simply for earthquake resistance. Coaster structures don't come much beefier than Ghostrider's.

I love a good "rough and tumble" ride on a wooden coaster, and my last couple trips to Knott's have been QUITE disappointing with regards to how Ghostie was running. Once was coming right out of rehab. It was once easily in my top-5...sad. That thing used to blow my DOORS off coming off that block in a way unmatched by anything but Texas Giant....ferocious.

To end on a more positive note, at least Monte still runs perfectly! ;)

From a recent report in the OC Register...

"State records show repeated injuries on some rides.

Patrons had cracked ribs, back pain and facial cuts after going on Ghost-Rider, Knott's wooden roller coaster. The park made changes in 10 cases, including five ordered by the state.

Kelley Castellanos, 47, of Costa Mesa said she suffered a sprained rib, hearing a pop when she rode GhostRider in September 2009. She had to take a few days off work.

"It's a horrible ride. It needs to be shut down," Castellanos said. "It just jerks you around so much. It's not good for your body."

In June 2010, Caitlynn Cavazos of Victorville smacked her nose on the ride, causing swelling and a concussion, said her grandmother, Starla Blizard.

Cavazos, then 14, was "totally freaked out by it," said her grandfather, Walter Blizard.

Knott's since has made changes on GhostRider, which has larger capacity than most rides, said Jennifer Blazey, a park spokeswoman. The park added padding and slowed down the last half of the journey."

What does capacity have to do with anything or are they using that word differently than we normally use it?

Or do they just mean that it has a whole lot more riders so the odds of someone getting some kind of injury is higher?

Andy, I think that is *exactly* the point. All things being otherwise equal you would expect that the ride that carries more riders would also generate more complaints. It's a recognition that having the most complaints does not automatically mean the ride has the worst problems.

--Dave Althoff, Jr.