Millennium Force Seatbelts

Thanks for getting Lady GAGA stuck in my head.

...No really, thanks.

After all these years of discussion I guess I've never really understood this - a shorter seatbelt does...what? Make the ride safer? I know that these modifications came after an unfortunate accident where a person of unusual body proportions was thrown from a similar ride. But how does a shorter seatbelt insure that it will never happen again? How about a seat belt long enough to accomodate most, but pulled tight across the rider so theres no slack? I suppose they're trusting that riders will just loosen it after take off, which some will, but whats to prevent someone from just reaching down and unfastening it altogether, anyway?

At 230 and 38 in waist, I've come close to the walk of shame a couple of times, but I've aways made it. I carry my extra weight above the belt, like most men do, so with the right pair of pants, no belt, no billfold, etc., I'm good. The fastener is, inconveniently, way to the side and under the arm rest and is very difficult for me to reach. The fact that they like the rider to fasten their own adds to any delay I might cause because I'm plus-sized. The news of another 2 inches off the belt is causing me some stress here.

Which leads me to feel a little resentful, truthfully, especially when I read comments from, I'll assume, perfectly proportioned posters spouting about Fat America and how we should all just snap into shape. Really? I get plenty of excercise, I'm active, and eat my fruits and vegetables, thank you. I can also look back through my family tree and see 50 of me standing there, many of which loved roller coasters, and none of which were thrown out because they were too fat.

I know there's no case for discrimination here, but...

To prevent slack, couldn't they use seat belts like on Steel Force that buckle like a car seatbelt

About the "normal" weight comments, I'm just a big guy. I could stand to lose a few pounds, sure, but at 6'1", and a large bone structure, My waste size probably wouldn't change very much if I did lose weight. That is because I, too, carry extra weight above the beltline.

I thought the same thing about the seat belts, Yoshi. Designing retractable seat belts for MF that pull out of the side of the seat, and buckle into the other side, probably wouldn't be too hard to make happen either.

LostKause said:

My waste size probably wouldn't change very much....

That's just too easy. ;)

Careful with those homophones now. :)

I think the idea behind shortening the seat belts isn't to get them tighter, it's to have an easy way to measure strictly who fits and who doesn't.

From what I understand the seat belts on the Premier lap bar trains (which buckle to the U-bar) are not there as a restraining device at all. They are completely for measuring purposes only.

This is Intamin we are talking about, there would need to be a sensor imbeded in the buckle to insure it is fastened and a sensor in the spring to insure that it was tight.

There is no way I can fit on the ride with the belt that tight, I can lose a lot of weight but my thighs are not ever going to get that small, ever. When I dont fit in normal B&M seats, thats my fault and I can drop the weight to make sure I fit, and before this recent belt shortening I would have said the same thing about Intamin's hypers but not now. Ditto with Intamin's OTSRs on inverts, my body height will not change and I will never get on one of those unless I luck into a freakishly long belt (like I did once on then called S:UE) or a park puts an extender on the belt (like Paramount did to Volcano back in the day.)

Carrie M. said:

Careful with those homophones now. :)

What did you just call me?

Oh wait...Waist. lol

^^ I have noticed that about superman ultimate escape/voodoo as well. The test seat belt is short than the belts on the train and belts are different on each row. Some rows I can buckle myself with no problem, other rows I need a little help from the ops, other rows the ops really had to help with pushing then buckle. I hope now that I lost some weight I can ride in any row without a problem but at first it didn't make sense how I had no problems in 1 row and then had trouble in another row. If it wasn't for some posters on this site 2 years ago who told me to ignore the test seat and try the seat on the train, I would have never known I could ride at all

I've always been a larger guy. At most during any coaster season, I've been around 275-280lbs, and I"m 6'3. Though I carry most of the weight in my belly and upper legs, I've never had to take the walk of shame, though it has been close.

I maxed out this past February to 295lbs. In the past six weeks, I've dropped 30 lbs and the weight keeps falling off. I decided to make a commitment to healthy eating, daily exercising, and I'm definitely succeeding.

I didn't try Millennium Force on opening day. Not because I wasn't sure if I was going to fit, but I just don't like waiting in lines anymore at that park. But when I do ride, I know I'm going to fit no problem.

^If your thighs are about the same now as they were last year, dont count on it. Thats the measurement that matters on MF, not your gut.

Honestly, just for kicks, I'll say the I305 restraints wouldnt be bad at all on MF, mainly because MF doesnt really throw you around much at all. You are pretty sedintary the entire ride. And no, that isnt a knock, it's a simple observation.

That being said, I stand with Jeff and RideMan on this one, and others; the seat belt placement on MF is rediculous.

And one more thing...there have been a lot of comments about people cancelling trips to CoasterMania out of fear of not being able to ride MF; uhh, what? There are 16 other coasters there. Dragster, Raptor, Maggie, Maverick....LOTS of fun rides, and Coastermania is a GREAT event! Dont cancel because you wont be able to fit on MF, seriously??? That's like saying you'll never go to McDonalds ever again because they stopped making the Quarter Pounder a quarter pound. Nevermind the fact that have lots of other great sandwiches....

....which is why I will never fit on MF again!!! hehe :)

Nah, it's a good idea to cancel your trips. In fact, no one should go to the park that day. :)

Just back from the park, I was able to ride Millennium Force but the belts seemed to be shorter no slack whatsoever, I also rode TTD twice with no problem, on the third ride of the day the seat belt was at least 3 inches shorter and I had to change seats. Blue train Right Rear Seat.

Shortening belts are the big issues, Test seat I had two inches of slack, on my two rides about I inch of slack. Then couldn't fit by at least Three inches.

RCMAC said:
After all these years of discussion I guess I've never really understood this - a shorter seatbelt does...what? Make the ride safer? I know that these modifications came after an unfortunate accident where a person of unusual body proportions was thrown from a similar ride. But how does a shorter seatbelt insure that it will never happen again?

The idea behind the shortened belts is basically a primitive way to make sure the T-bar is in the lowest possible position, basically near the hip joint on the human body. The issue with the T-bar found on MForce and other original Intamins is guests of larger size end up with the T-bar sitting higher in a locked position on their thighs or middle femur region, not securing their waist/butt/hip bone region down in the seat. All it takes is for a few moments of negative gravity on the body (and remember, -2g's means a person normally weighing 200lbs has now 400lbs of pressure working against them), the body weight shifts, and thus pulls riders up and out of the seat. Thus, with a belt at a certain length it can be assured that the T-bar lands on the rider in an area closer to the waist/butt/hip bone region keeping them firmly planted in the seat.

You can actually test this out at home with a belt and chair. Pretend the belt is your T-bar, wrap it underneath your chair and buckle it on top of your legs so that it is positioned mid-femur bone or closer to your knees, then try and lift yourself out of the chair. Fairly easy to do, right? Then wrap the belt under the chair and buckle it near where your femur and hip joint meet, then try and lift yourself up out of the chair. Not so easy, right? Now imagine what several seconds of intense negative gravity would do to a guest with a T-bar locked far away from their hip joint.....

Definetly shortened and replaced belts on Millennium and Dragster as well. My mother is a size six and the ops at the entrance told her she needed to try the test seat. I was riding Millennium today, rode on every train, had about an inch showining on the belt when buckled. I went up towards the end of the day to catch a ride and rode in the third seat to the back, on red train. The belt was about 4 inches from buckcling. The ride ops had to help me on. I think if they are going to re-do belts they should at least make them all the same length and announce to the public they have changed. That way people will be prepared. I once had to take the walk of shame and finally got down enough to fit comfortably..and now this...

RCMAC said:
After all these years of discussion I guess I've never really understood this - a shorter seatbelt does...what? Make the ride safer? I know that these modifications came after an unfortunate accident where a person of unusual body proportions was thrown from a similar ride. But how does a shorter seatbelt insure that it will never happen again? How about a seat belt long enough to accomodate most, but pulled tight across the rider so theres no slack? I suppose they're trusting that riders will just loosen it after take off, which some will, but whats to prevent someone from just reaching down and unfastening it altogether, anyway?

At 230 and 38 in waist, I've come close to the walk of shame a couple of times, but I've aways made it. I carry my extra weight above the belt, like most men do, so with the right pair of pants, no belt, no billfold, etc., I'm good. The fastener is, inconveniently, way to the side and under the arm rest and is very difficult for me to reach. The fact that they like the rider to fasten their own adds to any delay I might cause because I'm plus-sized. The news of another 2 inches off the belt is causing me some stress here.

Which leads me to feel a little resentful, truthfully, especially when I read comments from, I'll assume, perfectly proportioned posters spouting about Fat America and how we should all just snap into shape. Really? I get plenty of excercise, I'm active, and eat my fruits and vegetables, thank you. I can also look back through my family tree and see 50 of me standing there, many of which loved roller coasters, and none of which were thrown out because they were too fat.

I know there's no case for discrimination here, but...

THANK YOU!!!

According to my doctor, I am not unfit. I am not dangerously overweight. I am in the best shape of my life. I am a Belly Dance instructor and performer. I work out. I eat right. I do everything my doctor tells me to do. And I had a problem yesterday for the first time ever on a ride.

People need to stop with the hate, seriously. It's stupid. Some of us do everything that we can do short of surgically altering things, and Jeff has a point. It's proportion. I'm curvy as hell, and that is what killed me with the belts. 2 inches more and I would have been just peachy. Hell, I have been in the past. And I was heavier then!

Coaster Crazed said:
I was riding Millennium today, rode on every train, had about an inch showining on the belt when buckled. I went up towards the end of the day to catch a ride and rode in the third seat to the back, on red train. The belt was about 4 inches from buckcling.

Your earlier rides in the day, where they in the middle of each train versus the extreme front or back?

Just got back home from a mixed day at CP. The good news is I still have not had to do a ride of shame. I got 3 laps on Millie 2 on the blue train and 1 on yellow. All my rides had new belts. While I was a tight fit, on the blue train I could get buckled by myself, on yellow I needed a quick bit of help to get it buckled with out me having to twist to do it myself.

BTW, I am a size 40 waist, but carry most of my weight above my belt.