Re: Taking Photos While On Rides

Look at this red light, Kyle, while I put on my Ray-Bans...

*Flash*

Rollercoasters! Yay!

-CO

*** Edited 11/24/2004 11:42:34 PM UTC by CoastaPlaya***

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kpjb said:

Someone said it above, and if I wasn't quite so lazy I'd scroll up and see who... it's about respecting the park's rules.

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:)

This debate always cracks me up. It's not the issue that some people want to make it out to be.

Should you take a camera on a ride when it is against the rules? No. But there are plenty of parks (even in the U.S. folks) where this is permitted. Sometimes it is only during certain events, or certain seats (like the back of the coaster for instance). But there are plenty of opportunities to film on rides with the park's blessing. Including the most famous one of all.

So it's clear that it's a fairly safe thing to do. If it wasn't, only the fly by night carnies where anything goes would allow it, but that isn't the case. Not at all.

The point isn't about whether or not it's safe, it's about adhering to a park's rules. It's not more complicated than that.

Sure, enthusiasts might be better prepared to handle a camera, but do you expect the parks to allow everyone to do it? Just enthusiasts? Yeah, let any idiot with an ACE card get on the rides with cameras. Great plan. Enthusiasts don't own the rides, and contrary to what they might think, they don't know better than the people that own and operate the rides.

If the park doesn't allow it, you don't do it.

people who compare this to drunk driving are insulting anyone who has ever been in an accident with a drunk driver. it is NOT the same.

i think the reason such vitriol gets spit up is that people just love to feel superior to others. "OH! i would NEVER do that!" whatever.

i went to SFA a few years ago, and i took my camera, and i didn't even KNOW there was a rule against taking pictures on the rides, so i did. i took pictures on superman going down the hill and through the helix, inverted on jokers jinx, etc. (by the way, i ended up with about 100 pictures on my digital camera. i made no attempt to hide my camera, but the ride ops never said a word about it). i was of course VERY careful to keep a firm grip on the camera, and i had a strap around my wrist, but honestly there was never any danger of it falling out of my hands. "what if it slipped out of your hands and then the strap broke"? come on, frankly it's more likely lightning would strike the tracks on a clear day. like an above poster stated, a cell phone in someone's pocket is less secure than my camera was.

anyway, i found out thereafter that it was against the rules, so i wouldn't do it again, but i do not feel like i was doing anything dangerous. i'm just not willing to get kicked out of a park for it. i'm a guest, you know? however, i dont' feel like people should ever compare it to drunk driving. that's just ridiculous. *** Edited 11/25/2004 2:25:40 AM UTC by pezpunk***

Would you want to take your expensive camera on a rollercoaster anyway? I think people who do that are stupid. I mean, I see some people at stores like Best Buy spending like $1,000 for a camera.

Then I hear about people taking camera's on rollercoaster's like Silver Star for example. Which sounds pretty stupid to me.

I can understand if your a newscameraman and you mount your camera on the Coaster Car for media day's and etc.

However, if your taking pictures for some amateur coaster site or your own personal benefit, without the parks permission, I hope your camera breaks and you get banned from the park.

I've been hit more then 1 time on a coaster by some flying watches, earrings, etc. That annoys the hell out of me more then anything, because next time it could be some video camera heading straight for my head.

P.S. You shouldn't be driving drunk. That is totally irresponsible, and for some kid like me who's just learning to drive, to get hit by some dumbass who feels he needs to get drunk and then drive his car, is just unjustified and totally uncalled for. *** Edited 11/25/2004 8:30:33 PM UTC by Kyle Fobe***

Jeff summed it up great, "If the parks don't allow it, you don't do it". It is dangerous!

On coasters, I've been hit by a hair berett, off coasters, last season, cracked by a hockey puck at a Dayton Bombers game, had three staples in my skull! I'm not ready to be hit in the head again by anything, esp. by a camera, (disposable or otherwise).

Leave it to the pros who have the proper equipment for filming on rides, and who also have the most important thing..."permission" from the parks. I don't want to see a story on CB about someone being injured, or killed because of someone elses negligence with a camera.

*** Edited 11/25/2004 9:16:59 PM UTC by Chadley***

I don't support taking a camera on the ride, but hey if a person wants to, more power to them, I'm not gonna stop them. Besides, who here hasn't broke some kind of rule/law in there life time or has done something that is consider 'unsafe'? I bet you that number is very small...

RavenTTD, your statement sounds like the type of thing I hear from people who are too drunk to drive. "I can drive when I am drunk, I will be fine." 99% of the time maybe you can hold onto your camera, but what if your "secure" strap breaks and it slips? The camera could come lose and hit some one behind you.

A. I am not drunk.
B. I don't have a strap.
c. I can hold any loose article on a ride including a camera.

These no loose article rules are relatively new and I have tons of experience from back in the day so I know what I can do. I won't do it at parks with rules against it, and I will also not live my life by the irrational "what if" fears some people have.

So basically, you're saying what everyone else is:

If the park allows it, then fine. If not then the camera gets put away.

Glad we all generally agree :)

I kinda figured Jeff would close this after making his statment. Go by what the rules or permission to do or don't say and don't question why.

Ida had no problem with that as far more productive post have been closed for far less bikering.

The reason I asked this question here was that I feel for the most part, this is one of the most informed communities around. I was just under the impression that, at least in this country, taking photos while on rides was not acceptable at any park, except when permission is given. And, this whole thing about, I've rode this coaster 50 bazillion times and know every dip and bump and there's no way I'll ever drop my camera. Plain and simple, it's bull. Just because you've done this umpteen thousand times does not mean that you won't lose your camera on the umpteenth thousandth and one time.

If a park allows it, then they are taking a substantial part of the liability if something goes wrong by not saying the contrary. CLP does not 'say' a disclaimer about loose articles, but they have signs posted by the BlueStreak, right there with the 'if you're preg' disclaimer.
A friend of mine is a Lawyer. He said parks should just say this to cover their butts:
Sit in your seat, ride the ride, hang on to lap bar only. Other than the afore mentioned, we will cover no other accidents or occurances.

I also can't stand it when people go around bragging of the fact that they took photos while on the rides without permission. What are you thinking.

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Chadley said:
Jeff summed it up great, "If the parks don't allow it, you don't do it". It is dangerous!

Ah...no. It is NOT dangerous. Again, if it truely were, then either

1) There would be no parks allowing it.
2) You'd see and hear about people getting injured all the time with them.

Neither situation is the case. A lot of parks DO allow cameras and I have yet to hear of anyone getting beaned in the head with one. I am sure it probably has happened, but it has to be a rare occurance or you would hear something about it. And you don't. Ergo, not dangerous.

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And you've surveyed how many parks regarding accidents of this nature?

For what it's worth, I know of one (1) fatal incident that involved someone taking illicit photos on a ride, and in that case, nobody got beaned with anything.

Please remember that when someone claims something absolutely, the claim is probably absolutely wrong.

--Dave Althoff, Jr.

^^^ Doesn't really matter what the reason is really...danger or they just don't want you taking pictures.

If you think the rule is ridiculous, let them know that you won't be visiting their parks until they change the rule.

I think we're all neglecting to recognize the camera's feelings here...what does the camera feel like when it falls out of hands and smashes on the ground? Poor, poor cameras. =(

My freind and I took one pic each on the lift hill of Magnum. didn't really get a very good pic though. Next time we rode maggie, we heard the ride op say no pic taking while riding.